Among the best principally invisible updates in iOS 18 was Apple’s resolution to finally implement the Rich Communications Services (RCS) communication protocol, one thing that’s slowly serving to to repair the widely depressing expertise of texting non-iPhone customers with an iPhone. The preliminary iOS 18 replace introduced RCS help to most main carriers within the US, and the upcoming iOS 18.4 update is popping it on for a bunch of smaller pay as you go carriers like Google Fi and Mint Cell.

Now that Apple is on board, iPhones and their customers also can profit from continued enhancements to the RCS customary. And one main replace was announced today: RCS will now help end-to-end encryption utilizing the Messaging Layer Safety (MLS) protocol, a normal finalized by the Web Engineering Activity Power in 2023.

“RCS would be the first large-scale messaging service to help interoperable E2EE between shopper implementations from completely different suppliers,” writes GSMA Technical Director Tom Van Pelt within the submit asserting the updates. “Along with different distinctive safety features equivalent to SIM-based authentication, E2EE will present RCS customers with the best degree of privateness and safety for stronger safety from scams, fraud and different safety and privateness threats. ”