Samsung warns all Android users that texts to friends using iPhone are at risk after major Apple change
Android users who have friends who own iPhones have been warned by Samsung that their text conversations may not be as secure as they believe.
Apple released the eagerly anticipated Rich Communication Services (RCS) as part of iOS 18 earlier this year.
For more than ten years, RCS—the replacement for SMS and MMS—has been accessible on Android smartphones made by Google and Samsung.
In 2012, Samsung introduced its first RCS-capable devices in Europe, and since 2015, they have been available in the US.
In essence, it makes texting from an iPhone to an Android device much more similar to texting from an iPhone to an iPhone via iMessage.
Conversations using this new capability could be intercepted because Apple has not yet added end-to-end encryption to its RCS communications.
READ MORE ON SAMSUNG
End-to-end encryption jumbles messages into a code that neither the host messenger nor hackers can decipher.
It’s what WhatsApp, iMessage, and Google Messages employ to ensure that only the sender and receiver read messages.
In a statement, Google and Samsung ushered in a new age of cross-platform messaging that is more fluid.
Samsung stated that the advantages extend beyond the Android ecosystem because the most recent version of iOS supports RCS. However, it cautioned that encryption is only accessible for communication between Android devices.
However, Android owners are not the only ones who should be aware of this warning.
Owners of iPhones might also wish to follow the suggestion and interact with friends who possess Android devices using an end-to-end encrypted app like WhatsApp.
Beware ‘beacons’ people hide on your belongings to ‘covertly track’ location iPhone and Androids can ‘detect stalkers’
iOS 18.2, which is expected to be released in only two weeks, will allow users to customize their iPhone’s default messaging app.
Google and the US-based GSMA, which sets cellphone standards, have pledged that RCS will soon provide end-to-end encryption.
However, neither has provided a timeframe.
Apple has refrained from commenting on the security change.
Rather, the business startled users by making iOS 18.2 the default app selection.
More RCS features:
Eight iMessage-like capabilities are added to texts between iPhone and Android users with RCS capability, including:
- Higher-resolution photos and videos
- Audio messages
- Typing indicators
- Read receipts
- Wi-Fi messaging between iPhones and Android devices
- Improved group chats, including the ability for iPhone users to leave a conversation that includes Android users
- Improved encryption compared to SMS
- Share location with people inside text threads
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!