Technology
Apple will soon support encrypted RCS messaging with Android users
iPhone and Android users will be able to exchange end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) RCS messages in the near future thanks to newly updated RCS specifications. The GSM Association announced that the latest RCS standard includes E2EE based on the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol, enabling interoperable encryption between different platform providers for the first time.
The GSM Association said it had started working to enable E2EE on messages sent between Android and iPhone in September last year. E2EE is a privacy and security feature that prevents third parties, such as messaging providers or cell carriers, from viewing the content of your texts. The GSMA says the new RCS standard was developed in collaboration with “mobile operators, device manufacturers, and technology providers,” including Apple.
“End-to-end encryption is a powerful privacy and security technology that iMessage has supported since the beginning, and now we are pleased to have helped lead a cross industry effort to bring end-to-end encryption to the RCS Universal Profile published by the GSMA,” said Apple spokesperson Shane Bauer. “We will add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in future software updates.”
Apple introduced RCS support to iPhones as part of an iOS 18 update in September. While Apple’s proprietary iMessage system already supported E2EE, this wasn’t extended to RCS messaging because the previous RCS standard didn’t provide cross-platform support. Google Messages also enabled E2EE by default for RCS texts, but only conversations between Google Messages users were E2EE, and not those exchanged with iMessage users or users of other RCS clients on Android.
“We’ve always been committed to providing a secure messaging experience, and Google Messages users have had end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) RCS messaging for years,” Google spokesperson Ed Fernandez told The Verge. “We’re excited to have this updated specification from GSMA and work as quickly as possible with the mobile ecosystem to implement and extend this important user protection to cross-platform RCS messaging.”
Update, March 14th: Added statement from Google.
On June 10th, the German container ship Posen docked in Los Angeles after a two-week voyage from Shanghai. As Valve watcher Brad Lynch notes, it was almost certainly carrying the first mass production shipments of the Steam Frame, Valve’s new gaming headset.
Import records show that Valve’s distribution partner Ceva offloaded nearly 32 metric tons of “Virtual Reality Devices” on Valve’s behalf — or roughly 13 tons of actual product, after you subtract the roughly 3,700 kilogram weight of five 40-foot shipping containers.
Speaking of the Steam Machine, Valve’s stockpile may now have grown to 141 metric tons, as that’s roughly how much “Game Consoles” product has arrived in 12,600kg containers since April 23rd.
And it looks like Valve probably received three shipments of Steam Deck handhelds in May, two on May 18th and one on May 30th, judging by how those containers had the higher gross weight of 14,500kg. That’s generally how heavy Valve’s “Game Console” containers were before the Steam Machine was announced.
13 tons isn’t actually a lot of VR headsets, of course, but perhaps more of them fit into a container than the Steam Machine console. They each weigh 654g (roughly 1.44lb) with a pair of wand controllers; back-of-the-napkin math suggests we’re probably talking about fewer than 20,000 units right now.
There might not be that many Steam Machines in the US yet, either: 141 metric tons could easily be fewer than 50,000 units at their higher 2.6kg weight per console, not counting any controllers or cables.
Valve confirmed days ago that both the Steam Machine and Steam Frame will launch this summer, and has signaled that it had to rethink prices because of RAMageddon. Even if they’re pricey, though, they may sell out quickly.
Apple CEO Tim Cook delivered his final WWDC keynote as Apple CEO, announcing smarter features included in the tech company’s next big software update. (Josh Edelson / AFP via Getty Images)
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Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.
IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:
– 12 biggest Apple WWDC 2026 takeaways you need to know
– California city votes to permanently ban data centers in first-of-its-kind measure
– Meta launches $115M skilled trades academy with guaranteed jobs for graduates in 4 states
SIRI UPGRADE: Apple used WWDC 2026, its annual developers conference, to lay out what is coming next for your iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro. This year’s keynote also carried extra weight because it marked Tim Cook’s final WWDC as Apple CEO before John Ternus takes over in September. Still, the biggest story for users was software. Apple put Siri AI and Apple Intelligence at the center of the keynote, while also announcing iOS 27 support for older iPhones, new child safety tools, faster performance and smarter features across everyday apps.
Attendees watch a presentation during Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California, on June 8, 2026. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)
POWER GRID LOCK: Voters in a Southern California city overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure that permanently prohibits data centers within city limits, underscoring growing local resistance to the infrastructure powering the artificial intelligence boom. Monterey Park voters approved Measure NDC by a margin of 10,321 votes to 1,362 votes, or 88.34%, according to official election results from Los Angeles County.
WORKFORCE WIN: Tech giant Meta on Monday announced that it’s launching a new academy for workers to receive training in a skilled trade at no cost with a job guaranteed for all graduates.
RED THREAT: Sen. Tom Cotton urged the Justice Department to investigate a covert campaign linked to China designed to “kneecap” America’s rapidly expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure in a letter obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., arrives for a vote in the U.S. Capitol on April 30, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
LABOR RECKONING: U.S. employers ramped up layoffs in May as the artificial intelligence (AI) rollout was the leading factor cited by companies cutting their workforces, new data shows.
WHO IS THIS? Your phone rings. It’s your son’s voice. Panicked. He says he’s been in a car accident. He hurt someone. He’s about to be arrested. He needs $15,000 wired before the end of the day, and please, don’t tell anyone yet. You’d wire the money. Of course you would. Except it isn’t your son. It’s a scammer who spent about 10 minutes online, pulled three seconds of audio from a Facebook video your son posted last Christmas, and fed it into an AI voice cloning tool that costs less than a Netflix subscription.
PRIVATE NO MORE? OpenAI said Monday it has taken a formal step toward a potential stock market debut, signaling that the artificial intelligence company is preparing for the possibility of becoming a publicly traded firm.
INTELLIGENCE QUESTIONS: Apple has spent years telling us that privacy starts on the device. For many users, that message feels reassuring. Your messages, photos, emails and app data sit in your hand, protected by Face ID, passcodes and Apple’s security layers. Now, new research gives Apple’s on-device AI a reality check.
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Memory is now the most expensive component in a smartphone. It’s more expensive than the processor, more expensive than the display, and can account for more than 50% of the total hardware bill.
For Phone (4a), memory costs doubled between when we decided to build the device and when it launched. They’ve doubled again since.
I posted about this earlier this year. It’s now playing out, faster than predicted.
Phone prices are going up, and they’ll keep going up into next year. Since February, new phones have been launching up to $100 more expensive than their predecessors. In India, phones above ₹30K have seen price jumps of ₹7,000 or more.
The natural instinct is to buy ahead. It doesn’t work that way. In a shortage, memory is allocated, not bought. You get what you’re given, at the current price.
If you’ve been waiting to upgrade a device, the best time was yesterday. The next best time is now. This year’s sale season won’t have the discounts people are used to.
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