iOS 26 Beta Still Lacks Apple's Promised RCS Feature
Back in March, Apple made a promise: end-to-end encrypted RCS messages were coming to the Messages app on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and even Apple Watches. I remember being pretty excited about that announcement, especially considering the limitations of SMS. However, here we are, with the third developer beta of iOS 26 already out, and the upgrade hasn't materialized yet.
The whole RCS end-to-end encryption buzz started in March with version 3.0 of the RCS Universal Profile. Basically, it's a set of standards for RCS features. By committing to this, Apple essentially confirmed it would support RCS Universal Profile 3.0, which isn't just about encryption. It also includes some iMessage-like goodies that were initially part of RCS Universal Profile 2.7.
Now, it's not entirely on Apple. They also need carriers to get on board with RCS Universal Profile 3.0. So, it's understandable that things are taking a bit longer than expected.
When Apple finally releases RCS Universal Profile 3.0, get ready for some cool upgrades. You can expect reactions, which means the ability to respond to a specific message within the chat. Also, read receipts will be improved to show when each member has read the messages. As well as typing indicators, improved support for sending high-resolution photos and videos and the most important one: end-to-end encryption.
While RCS support made its iPhone debut with iOS 18, which supports RCS Universal Profile 2.4, it's still playing catch-up with iMessage in many ways. I mean, iMessage's blue bubbles have had end-to-end encryption since iOS 5. Plus, features like in-line replies (iOS 14) and the ability to edit or unsend messages (iOS 16) have been around for a while. I think it's safe to assume that Apple will release these RCS upgrades during the iOS 26 software cycle.
Source: Mac Rumors