Earlier today, Apple revealed its plans to implement support for RCS Universal Profile 3.0 in upcoming software releases. This enhancement will not only provide end-to-end encryption for iPhone users utilizing RCS, but it also includes various other benefits that have not yet been highlighted.
iOS 18 Implements an Outdated Version of RCS
When Apple rolled out RCS messaging in iOS 18, it adopted version 2.4. While this version offered several improvements for communicating with Android users—such as enhanced image quality and read receipts—it still fell short in several key areas.
In June 2024, the GSMA unveiled RCS version 2.7, which introduced several significant enhancements to RCS functionality. These updates include the ability to reply and react to messages (including custom reactions), as well as features allowing message senders to edit, recall, and delete their messages.
Custom reactions can consist of “existing or generated images,” theoretically enabling iPhone users to send Genmoji via RCS.
However, since this RCS upgrade was announced after Apple integrated RCS into iOS 18, users on iPhone are unable to take advantage of these new features.
iOS 19 to Facilitate RCS 3.0 Support
In a statement released yesterday, Apple affirmed its commitment to facilitating end-to-end encryption in a future software update, indicating that RCS Universal Profile 3.0 will be supported.
This transition means that Apple will upgrade from RCS version 2.4 to version 3.0, along with all the benefits provided in version 2.7, which now includes confirmed end-to-end encryption support.
Apple has not shared a specific timeline for the integration of RCS version 3.0, except to mention that it will occur in an upcoming software release, likely during the iOS 19 lifecycle. Here’s part of Apple’s statement regarding this:
“End-to-end encryption is a vital privacy and security feature that iMessage has supported from the outset. We are excited to have led a cross-industry initiative to bring end-to-end encryption to the RCS Universal Profile as published by the GSMA. We plan to incorporate support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in future software updates.”
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