Apple’s New iOS Update Finally Throws a Bone to the Android Green Bubbles

Apple is finally making the whole ordeal of messaging Android users, aka green bubbles, more secure with end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging. On Monday, Apple pushed out the encrypted messaging feature as part of a beta in iOS 26.5 for iPhone users. Per Apple, end-to-end encrypted Rich Communication Services (RCS), which replaces the less-secure and less-feature-rich Short Message Service (SMS), prevents messages from being read during transmission between devices. This means even if someone were to intercept your messages, they wouldn’t be able to view them properly. In other words, your booty calls and nudes are safe to send to green bubblers. Users will see a lock icon next to the word “Encrypted” if a conversation with an RCS device is protected. “Encryption is on by default and will be automatically enabled over time for new and existing RCS conversations,” according to Apple. Encrypted RCS messaging is still beta even though it’s turned on by default after the update. If you’re not seeing RCS messages with the lock icon, you’ll need to check that your carrier and the recipient’s device (which must be using the latest version of Google Messages) supports it. Apple first announc