With the recent rollout of RCS on the iPhone, Google is already looking ahead to the next big feature: cross-platform end-to-end encryption (E2EE) between Android and iPhone. This means that your messages would be scrambled and unreadable to anyone but the intended recipient, no matter if they’re using an Android or an iPhone.

The GSMA, the organization behind RCS, is also on board. They’ve stated that the next major step is to add E2EE to the RCS Universal Profile. This would be a groundbreaking achievement, as it would be the first time standardized, interoperable encryption is used between different platforms. It would also offer users stronger protection against scams and other threats.

Google has been a strong advocate for E2EE in RCS. They’ve already offered E2EE for 1:1 and group conversations within the Google Messages app on Android, but this feature hasn’t extended to iPhone chats yet. Now, Google is working with other tech companies to bring cross-platform E2EE to RCS as soon as possible.

Beyond encryption, Google is also eager for Apple to implement more RCS features on the iPhone, such as the ability to react to media and reply directly to messages in group chats. These features would make the messaging experience more seamless and user-friendly.