Apple's latest update (iOS 26.5) introduced end-to-end encryption for texts between iPhones and Android phones, a feature previously unavailable cross-platform.

• This new encryption, built on the RCS Universal Profile 3.0 standard, requires both users to have updated software and be on a carrier that supports the latest version of RCS.
• Unfortunately, Kenya is currently excluded from this advancement because RCS has been non-functional on Kenyan networks since August 2025.
• Major Kenyan carriers like Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom do not support the necessary RCS version, and Apple does not list them as supported carriers.