iOS 26.3 could support end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging on your iPhone

When Apple brought RCS Messaging to its Messages application with iOS 18It was missing one major feature: support for end-to-end encryption.

Now, support for end-to-end encrypted RCS (E2EE) could come to your device with iOS 26.3.

Apple released the second public beta of iOS 26.3 Tuesday, more than a month after the company’s exit iOS 26.2which included more ways to customize the look of your iPhone Liquid glass design.

Since this is a beta version, I recommend downloading it on a device other than your primary device. This is not the final version of iOS 26.3, so the update may be buggy and have short battery life. My advice is to keep these issues on a secondary device.

Also remember that more features may be added to your iPhone when version 26.3 is officially released. It’s unclear when Apple’s update will be available to the general public.

In the meantime, here are the features developers and beta testers can try now before Apple releases iOS 26.3.

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Support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging could come to iPhone

According to AppleInsideriOS 26.3 could finally include support for E2EE RCS Messaging in Messages. A French developer known as Tiino-X83 has posted a screenshot online of what carrier bundles could be in the code of the latest iOS 26.3 beta. There is also a new key called “SupportsE2EE”.

These pieces of code do not guarantee that end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging will be available on your iPhone when Apple releases iOS 26.3 to the general public. This could mean Apple is testing the feature first. AppleInsider also said that the new key title appears in four bundles from wireless carriers operating in France, so it could be a region-specific feature, especially during testing.

If iOS 26.3 includes support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging, then it will be up to carriers to enable the messaging protocol on their network.

Transfer from iPhone to Android

Another change in the iOS 26.3 beta so far is an easy way to transfer your data from an iPhone to an Android device.

If you’ve been considering switching from iPhone to Android, you may have been deterred by the transfer process. Android offers a five-step process to make this change easier, but some of the steps include preparing your device by turning off FaceTime and Messages and connecting the two devices using a cable.

With the iOS 26.3 beta comes a new option to connect your iPhone and Android devices.

Go to Settings > General > Transfer or reset iPhone. At the bottom of this page is an option called Transfer to Android. Tap it and follow the on-screen instructions to transfer photos, messages, apps and more to your Android device.

Transferring notifications to other devices

The second beta of iOS 26.3 removed the notification forwarding feature that Apple introduced with the first beta. This feature could have allowed users to forward notifications to other devices, like non-Apple Watch smartwatches.

“Notifications can be delivered to one accessory at a time,” Apple wrote in the menu description. “Notifications will not appear on Apple Watch when notification forwarding is enabled.”

However, it appears that Apple has removed this feature from the second beta. It’s possible that Apple will change this feature and bring it back in a later beta or iOS release. This is not unusual, as features introduced during iOS beta cycles may change or be removed entirely before Apple makes that iOS version available to the public.

These are just some of the new features that developers and public beta testers can try right now with the second public beta of iOS 26.3. There will likely be more beta versions before the operating system is released to the public, so Apple has plenty of time to refine these features and add more. Again, Apple has not confirmed when it will release iOS 26.3 to the general public.

For more iOS news, here’s everything you need to know iOS 26.2the new features included in iOS 26.1 And my opinion on iOS 26. You can also view our iOS 26 Cheat Sheet.