Apple has announced that its Messages app will support the RCS messaging standard in iOS 18. RCS offers more advanced features compared to traditional SMS, including higher-quality media, typing indicators, and end-to-end encryption. This move will improve messaging between iOS and Android devices, which currently rely on the less capable SMS protocol. Apple’s decision to add RCS support likely comes in response to pressure from Google, Samsung, and European regulators who have pushed for better cross-platform messaging. Overall, this change will bring the iPhone’s messaging capabilities more in line with the Android experience.
The google proprietary part is e2ee on RCS that use signal and MLS. It is not a standard in the RCS specs.