The first sign something changed was not a splashy new emoji or a fresh coat of Apple gloss. It was a tiny lock icon, sitting quietly inside a green-bubble conversation — one of those cross-platform chats that usually feels like it is held together with tape and goodwill.
Apple has released iOS 26.4 Beta 2, and while the update is stuffed with the sort of micro-tweaks only obsessive beta testers notice, the headline is clear: Apple is widening its test of end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging between iPhone and Android.
