Apple’s iOS 26.3 could finally fix iPhone-Android messaging, here’s how

Apple is preparing a major upgrade to iPhone messaging that could finally make chats with Android users feel as smooth as iMessage. The Cupertino giant is said to be laying the groundwork for encrypted RCS messaging with the introduction of the iOS 26.3 beta. This means chats between iPhones and Android phones could soon be private, safer, and feature-packed. For years, iPhone users have enjoyed features like editing, unsending, and reactions in iMessage, while messages to Android users have lagged behind. If Apple follows through, the green bubble could feel far less limited, bringing everyday texting closer to the iMessage experience millions of users know and love.

Rich Communication Services (RCS) was introduced to iPhone with the iOS 18 version. It works alongside SMS instead of replacing it completely. Furthermore, the SMS always remained as a backup option to users when the RCS isn’t available. RCS also makes messaging better by enabling clearer photo sharing, showing when someone is typing, and letting you see when messages are read.

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Initially, the iPhone supported an older version of RCS (RCS Universal Profile 2.4), so chats with Android users lacked some newer features. While enhancements like end-to-end encryption, in-line messages, and message editing were introduced in RCS Universal Profile 2.7, Apple is set to bring these features to iPhone users with RCS Universal Profile 3.0, skipping the previous version.

What’s expected to be introduced in RCS with iOS 26.3?

The latest iOS 26.3 beta points to support for a newer RCS standard that brings several important features to iPhone messaging, including the below-mentioned:

• End-to-end encryption: Using it, only the sender and recipient can read messages and attachments.
• In-line replies: This allows users to reply directly to a specific message in a conversation.
• Edit messages: Allows the sender to correct typos or update text after sending.
• Unsend messages: Let users delete texts for everyone in the chat.
• Full reactions (Tapbacks): It lets users quickly react to messages without workarounds.

With these changes Apple plans to make messages to Android users feel more like iMessage, both in privacy and functionality.

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Differences between iMessage and RCS

iMessage has offered many of these features for years, like it has had end-to-end encryption since iOS 5, in-line replies since iOS 14, and options to edit or unsend messages since iOS 16. On the other hand, the RCS on the iPhone has lagged behind, offering only basic features like typing indicators and read receipts. However, that gap may finally shrink with the upcoming update, as Apple is allowing cross-platform chats to feel much more seamless.

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Will you get improved iPhone-to-Android texting with iOS 26.3?

While Apple has confirmed its plans to bring encrypted RCS messaging to iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, no exact timeline was given. Reports suggest that Apple has already started laying the groundwork for adding end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS in the iOS 26.3 beta version.

However, the carriers will also need to support it, and Apple may work with Google to make sure it works the same on both iOS and Android. Hopefully, users can expect the support to appear sometime between the launch of iOS 26.3 and iOS 27.