Last month, the FBI shook things up with a warning that grabbed everyone’s attention: Stop texting on your iPhone or Android. SMS messages, they said, are a big no-go—they’re just not secure enough. But what really surprised people was the spotlight on RCS messaging, a newer technology that’s supposed to replace old-fashioned SMS. It’s already the standard on Android phones and has recently made its way to iPhones. The big question now is, when can people safely start texting again? Well, a recent leak suggests we might not have to wait too long.
Here’s the problem: RCS, by itself, isn’t fully secure. Unlike apps like Signal or WhatsApp, which encrypt messages from end to end, RCS leaves some gaps. Google managed to add full encryption for RCS messages sent between people using the Google Messages app, but things get messy when you message someone using a different app or an iPhone. Apple has a similar issue—iMessage encryption works great between Apple devices, but once you message someone outside of Apple’s bubble, that extra security disappears.
This isn’t exactly new information. Experts have been pointing out these flaws for a while. But things got real last fall when Apple introduced RCS with iOS 18. Both Google and GSMA, the group that oversees mobile standards, promised end-to-end encryption would come to RCS eventually. The catch? It’s still a work in progress, with no clear timeline in sight.
Now, there’s a glimmer of hope. According to a scoop from Android Authority, some pre-release code hints that Google is making progress. The latest beta version of Google Messages reportedly supports MLS encryption, a fancy term for the next step in making RCS messages fully secure across different apps and platforms. While this feature seems to work only for one-on-one chats so far, it’s a promising sign that broader encryption is on the way.
What’s MLS, you ask? It stands for Messaging Layer Security, and it’s an encryption technology designed to work even in group chats where people aren’t online at the same time. Initially, it seemed like Google was focusing on MLS for group chats, but now it looks like they’ve started with one-on-one conversations instead.
Android Authority’s team dug into the beta version of Google Messages and found some interesting details. Google seems to be using the codename “Zinnia” for MLS encryption. By tweaking some hidden settings, they were able to enable MLS for individual chats, though group chat support isn’t there yet.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean RCS is fully secure just yet. The GSMA’s last update suggested we’re still months away from seeing a detailed plan, let alone widespread availability. Even when Google rolls out these updates, they’ll likely hit beta versions of Google Messages first. And for iPhone users, the wait could be even longer—possibly until the release of iOS 19.
For now, the FBI and cybersecurity experts recommend using apps like Signal or WhatsApp, which already offer strong encryption. But if you’re someone who prefers sticking to your phone’s default messaging app, this news should give you a bit of hope. It’s not perfect yet, but progress is being made, and safer texting might not be too far off.