Google Messages: ‘No Encryption’ Gone on Apple iPhone RCS Chats with Android

There has now been a change spotted on Google Messages, which saw the "No Encryption" logo gone from under each chat sent to Apple's iPhone RCS, indicating that end-to-end encryption may arrive soon. Previously, the Google Messages RCS experience for Android to iOS exchanges would show the "No Encryption" logo, meaning that this feature was unavailable.

One of the many promises of Google's Messages which uses RCS is the E2EE, a security feature that ensures the privacy and safety of one's chats.

Google Messages: 'No Encryption' Gone on its RCS Chats to Apple iPhone

A recent beta server-side change for Google Messages (via 9to5Google) led to the 'No Encryption' logo being gone from the RCS chats between Android and Apple's iPhones. While this change may be small, it offers a massive experience that will soon be available for both Android and iOS users, suggesting the upcoming availability of end-to-end encryption for chats on both devices.

It will also mean that users may better enjoy the privacy and safety features on both Android and iOS ends, no longer worrying about unsecure conversations.

For now, it will remain on the beta version of Google Messages, signaling a new beginning for its experiences with iOS users.

Will Google adopt the RCS Universal Profile That Apple uses?

It is known that Google employs its own E2EE technology for Google Messages' RCS experience among Android devices, but that may soon change because of this latest spotting. Apple is looking to add E2EE to the RCS Universal Profile, which it uses as a standard, and this suggests that Google may adopt this standard for its messaging app on Android to better accommodate cross-platform encryption.

Google and Apple's Common Ground on RCS

For many years, there has been a negative connotation on the infamous blue and green bubbles of the iMessage, and this means that sending chats in green means that the receiver is not using an iPhone. Apple is known for holding on to SMS and MMS, leveraging more of its iMessage, which has been the center of its experiences, while Google is known for attacking it.

After significant pressure and massive antitrust cases against Apple and its iMessage service, the company announced earlier this year that it is adopting RCS and substituting it for SMS and MMS. However, Apple chose to look into a collaboration with the GSM Association instead of Google, despite the company being known for its constant push for this change.

Google and Apple have gone back and forth regarding their arguments about the messaging standard and come late 2024 to early 2025, RCS will finally be available via iOS 18. That being said, Apple is not the only one preparing for it but also Google Messages, now removing the 'No Encryption' logo which suggests that E2EE is coming alongside its adoption.