India, May 5 -- Apple first brought support for RCS in its Messages app with the roll out of iOS 18 back in September 2024. However, this feature came with a critical loophole - it didn't support end-to-end encryption, which is considered the gold standard for safeguarding communications in the digital world. Now, almost two years after introducing the feature, Apple is finally about to close this loophole with the release of iOS 26.5.

For the unversed, RCS or Rich Communication Services is an internet protocol-based upgrade to traditional SMS and MMS. It's a service provided by telecom service providers wherein your smartphone when connected to your mobile network communicates with your network provider and their partners to set up RCS....