‘Blue Bubbles’—Apple Says iPhone Messaging Is Still ‘Best’

InnovationCybersecurity‘Blue Bubbles’—Apple Says iPhone Messaging Is Still ‘Best’ByZak Doffman,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Zak Doffman writes about cybersecurity, surveillance and privacy.Follow AuthorMay 26, 2026, 03:18am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Blue bubbles are best.NurPhoto via Getty ImagesApple’s new iOS 26.5 update delivers “a new milestone for secure cross‑platform messaging,” the mobile standards agency GSMA said last week. The RCS upgrade that has now come to both iPhone and Android will “improve privacy and security.” So, why does Apple say iMessage and not RCS is still “best.”GSMA says that for smartphone users, the RCS upgrade benefits are simple. “E2EE RCS messages can’t be read by anyone but the sender and receiver when they’re being sent between Apple and Android devices, even by Apple or Google.”ForbesFBI Warns Microsoft Users—New Attack Gains Access To AccountsBy Zak DoffmanThis should provide users "with the highest level of privacy and security while messaging." But there’s a catch. That only happens , GSMA acknowledges, “once enabled by supporting mobile network operators." Only then will all those users “recognize the newly encrypted conversations via a padlock icon.”GSMA is “now encouraging our members to leverage these new capabilities and enable more secure RCS messaging for personal and business users worldwide.” But that won’t happen quickly. It will be patchy. And that’s the issue.MORE FOR YOUApple says that in contrast, “iMessage was built with privacy in mind and has always been end-to-end encrypted.” Every message flagged by those a blue bubble is secure. “It remains the best way to communicate between Apple devices.”All RCS and MMS/SMS messages, regardless of encryption, “appear in green text bubbles on your device,” Apple says. “Learn how to have blue bubbles instead.”GSM...