Question of the Day
One question per day to look beyond the headlines.
What does “MLS-based E2EE for RCS” reveal about who must coordinate before secure iPhone–Android messaging ships?
Take-away MLS E2EE for RCS sits in the GSMA Universal Profile carrier layer, so Apple/Google can’t ship it alone—carrier profile rollout gates iPhone–Android encryption.
The testing of "MLS-based E2EE for RCS" reveals that for secure iPhone–Android messaging, coordination is required between Apple, Google, and carriers. Specifically, Apple is utilizing the GSMA RCS Universal Profile 3.0 via the Message Layer Security (MLS) protocol to enable end-to-end encryption for messages between iPhones and Android devices [1], [2]. Both Apple and Google need to coordinate the implementation of this encryption as it involves both iOS and Android platforms. Furthermore, the carriers play a role as support for this feature is limited by device and carrier compatibility, requiring their cooperation for the broader rollout [1], [2], [3]. Meanwhile, Android users must be part of the Google Messages beta, indicating Google's involvement in facilitating this compatibility [1], [3].
- Apple begins testing end-to-end encryption for Apple-to-Android RCS androidpolice.com (opens in new tab)
- Apple Tests Encrypted RCS Between iPhone And Android findarticles.com (opens in new tab)
- Apple is starting to test secure RCS between iPhone and Android - Android Authority androidauthority.com (opens in new tab)