RCS end-to-end encryption is in beta, so it doesn't always work properly.
See also: iOS 26.5: E2EE encryption in RCS iPhone-Android messages
In the Messages app on iPhone, you can now use SMS, RCS, end-to-end encrypted RCS, and iMessage. While sending multimedia on Android has improved, everything else is more confusing and frustrating than ever. The simple act of sending messages has become a divisive and sometimes annoying part of using a smartphone. If you’re an iPhone user, you’ve probably responded to a message with a green bubble.
For Android users, messaging an iPhone user often feels like messaging anyone else. However, features like duplicate messages, “sent with balloons,” or notifications like “Wesley liked this message” can interrupt the conversation in an annoying way.
RCS is seen as an imperfect solution. It aims to replace the outdated SMS protocol controlled by carriers with a new one that is still under their control. While RCS has introduced better features—like improved image quality and the ability to send 4K video—it has also complicated the messaging experience, especially for iPhone users. Now, users have to pay attention to whether messages are green or blue, SMS or RCS, and with iOS 26.5, whether end-to-end encryption is enabled.
See also: iOS 26.5: E2EE in RCS Messages between iPhone and Android
This “beta” feature for E2EE may break RCS conversations for some users, likely due to carrier or device issues. When using RCS, you need to consider the devices, software versions, carriers, and encryption settings involved. In contrast, iMessage simply works.
There was a belief that Apple could easily bring iMessage to Android whenever it wanted, but that's not entirely true. While iMessage was less complex to begin with, it became more hardware-dependent as features like Secure Elementand biometrics were introduced. Apple could potentially offer iMessage on select Android devices with specific security features, but that would add another layer of complexity for users.
Google has spent years blaming Apple for fragmentation in messaging protocols, but the reality is that if Google had implemented similar systems in early Android, it could have established a dominant messaging protocol. Instead, users often have multiple SMS apps.
See also: Apple: Testing end-to-end encrypted RCS messages on iPhone
Ultimately, there is a desire for a secure messaging solution that is not overly complex or provider-controlled.
