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A surprising leak appears to confirm a massive iOS 18 update, but it also has a key missing feature that Apple has been promoting at the highest possible level, and could be bad news for over 1 billion iPhone users. there is…
Google isn’t usually the source of new iPhone or iOS leaks, but that’s what happened this time. And this can negate all the benefits you’re supposed to see. Apple is in trouble, and unsurprisingly, Google knows better than anyone else that the problem isn’t going away anytime soon. Because Apple can’t do this alone; it needs help from Google.
We’re talking about RCS, which is an evolution of SMS technology from the 1990s that is now thankfully the default on Android. Late last year, Apple reversed course and announced that RCS would be coming to iMessage in his 2024. As I’ve been saying for a while, this means in iOS 18. Now, Google has coincidentally confirmed exactly that. But it also seems to have inadvertently revealed what is missing.
it was an eagle’s eye 9t05 google The first thing I noticed was that the Android website has added a new landing page for Google Messages that describes the first-party messaging experience, while also noting that RCS on iPhone is coming in fall 2024. The site says this mention “more or less confirms” that this means iOS 18, though not whether it’s the first drop or not.
The landing page has been changed to remove that reference, admitting it was “more or less” a coincidence. tech crunch “We have confirmed that text related to Apple’s support for RCS on iOS is still present in the page’s source code.”
However, it is still visible in the references further down on the landing page in Google, which is important. “End-to-end encryption is now enabled by default on Android phones for conversations between Google Messages users.”
This is a common misconception both about RCS in general and Apple updates in particular. RCS is not end-to-end encrypted. So unlike iMessaging between iPhone users, Google Messaging between Android users, and more importantly WhatsApping between iPhone and Android users, RCS between iPhone and Android doesn’t have that level of security.
This is extremely important because it is an issue that the Department of Justice highlighted in its lawsuit. “Apple is making iPhones less secure and less private… As a result of Apple’s actions, text messages sent from iPhones to Android phones are not encrypted.” If Apple wanted, it could allow iPhone users to send encrypted messages to Android users while using iMessage on their iPhones, which would instantly improve privacy and security for iPhone and other smartphone users. Probably. ”
This can be resolved in one of four ways. An iMessage client for Android, which Apple has repeatedly rejected. Google Messages client on iOS – but this won’t work because Apple doesn’t allow his SMS API outside of iMessage. Super apps like Beeper can retrieve messages from both iMessage and Google Messages, but Apple publicly shut down Beeper’s access to iMessage last year. Alternatively, Apple and Google have teamed up to provide end-to-end encryption between apps.
This last point is one that is often confused about RCS. RCS is more secure than SMS, but not as secure as iMessage, Google Messages, Signal, WhatsApp, or even Facebook Messenger.this can This issue will be fixed with an update to the core RCS platform itself, something Apple signaled it intended to push forward with when it announced RCS last year. But given that RCS was essentially developed by an effort that started in 2007-2008 and only became the Android default last year, you can imagine how long and complex it will be in 15 years. can make it, right.
Another option is for Google and Apple to provide a direct interface between their apps. End-to-end encryption on Android is part of Google Messages, not core RCS, and must provide a bridge to iMessage. The two platforms use different encryption protocols. Google uses Signal. Like many industries, Apple uses its own signals. But as with coronavirus contact tracing, it’s a solvable problem when two ecosystem owners work together.
But that’s definitely not going to happen right away or with the release of iOS 18. This makes little sense unless Apple and Google are keeping this completely secret. Occam’s Razor is likely to apply, and cross-platform end-to-end encryption is not coming any time soon, as we have been led to believe.
Now let’s move on to the Justice Department’s case. This could mandate opening up iMessage to Beeper or similar super apps, which changes the equation, or it could also apply to RCS, allowing Google Messages to run an iOS client and provide fully encrypted RCS for both. It may prompt Apple to introduce an SMS API that would allow it to serve the platform. . This last option would be bad news for Apple, as it would leave the user with little incentive to continue using his iMessage. However, an iMessage client for that or both platforms will be the most secure solution. As WhatsApp warned, the various endpoints are less secure than the unified messenger.
I again asked Apple for a statement regarding their encryption plans for RCS.
In short, RCS coming to iPhone in iOS 18 is interesting, but barring some surprising changes, it’s not really game-changing. Details will be revealed at his WWDC in June. You should continue to use a fully encrypted cross-platform messenger as your default. SMS and RCS should be left for OTPs, marketing texts, and elderly relatives. Recommended apps are WhatsApp due to its ubiquity and Signal due to its privacy, security, and ease of use.
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