iOS 26.5 released earlier this monthwith one of the main new features the addition of End-to-end RCS encryption in the Messages app. Here’s how to check that it’s enabled on your iPhone and active in a given conversation.
iOS 26.5 adds end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging
One of the many benefits of using iMessage is that you know your conversations are always end-to-end encrypted. That level of security has never before extended to talks about the green bubble. But in iOS 26.5, you can now do it.
iOS 26.5 updated the Messages app with support for end-to-end RCS encryption. You can find compatible carriers through the link below.
End-to-end RCS encryption is currently available in beta and is enabled by default in iOS 26.5.
To confirm it is enabled on your iPhone, go to Settings ⇾ Apps ⇾ Messages ⇾ RCS Messaging and make sure the ‘End-to-End Encryption’ option is turned on.
But having the option activated does not guarantee that all your RCS conversations are encrypted. According to Apple’s website:
RCS messages can be encrypted end-to-end when all participants have carriers that support encryption… Even if your carrier supports encrypted RCS messages, the encryption of each RCS conversation depends on whether your contact’s carrier also supports it. When end-to-end encrypted, RCS message conversations display “Encrypted” with a lock icon at the top.
Therefore, encryption depends not only on your phone and carrier, but also those of the people you message. Fortunately, iOS 26.5 offers a way to see if a given conversation is encrypted.
How to check the encryption status of an RCS conversation in iOS 26.5
As Apple says, you can look for the lock icon at the top of a conversation to see if it’s encrypted. But for threads that are months or even years old, that is not the most convenient method. Sometimes the crash appears more recently, but is inconsistent.
However, there is another way to check it and it is much simpler. Simply follow these steps:
- Tap the name or profile picture at the top of the conversation to open the Messages details view.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the screen.
- Check the message at the bottom about the encryption status of the conversation.
If it is an encrypted RCS conversation, you will see a message that says, “This conversation is end-to-end encrypted, so messages cannot be read while being sent between devices.”
If it is not encrypted, the message will say: “This conversation is not end-to-end encrypted.”
This method of checking encryption status is faster and easier than looking for the lock icon at the top of a conversation.
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