New GSMA RCS update brings Video Calling and Expanded Privacy to Android first

The GSMA has released RCS Universal Profile 4.0, the latest version of the standard that powers modern messaging on Android devices through Google Messages app and now supports cross-platform chats with iPhones.

This new update introduces native video calling directly inside messaging threads along with richer text formatting, higher-quality media sharing, stronger spam and scam defenses, and additional groundwork for end-to-end encryption on more message types.

The core new capability is Message-Initiated Video Calls, or MIVC.

Users will be able to escalate any one-to-one or group RCS conversation into a two-way video call without leaving the messaging app.

In group chats the feature supports late joins and keeps call logs synchronized inside the conversation timeline for full continuity.

“ MIVC allows users to escalate any RCS 1-to-1 or group messaging session directly into a video call. This enhancement would provide users with a smooth, intuitive upgrade path from text to real-time interaction that is fully integrated within the messaging conversation thread,” the GSMA stated in its announcement on March 26, 2026.

“MIVC will ensure the continuity of the conversation by allowing group members to join an ongoing video call that they could not accept when it started, as well as synchronise MIVC logs within the chat timeline.”

The profile also adds support for formatted text including bold, italics, and strikethrough, plus improved media handling that lets devices select optimal encoding for higher-resolution audio, video, and images.

Business messaging gains the ability to embed streaming video and control how external links open inside the app.

On the privacy side, version 4.0 includes enhanced spam and scam filtering tools and lays further technical foundation for end-to-end encryption across a broader range of RCS message types.

Current cross-platform RCS traffic between Android and iPhone is encrypted in transit but not end-to-end by default, a limitation the new profile begins to address.

Google has driven most RCS development on Android and is expected to roll out support for these features in Google Messages well ahead of any equivalent updates on iOS.

Apple implemented basic RCS in iOS 18 but has remained on an earlier profile version, and the company has not publicly committed to rapid adoption of newer specifications.

As a result, the video calling, formatting, and privacy enhancements are likely to reach Android users through Google Messages updates first.

The GSMA finalized the technical documents for Universal Profile 4.0 in February 2026 and published the public announcement this week.

Actual availability in consumer apps will depend on carrier support and client implementation, a process that historically takes months.

For reference, Universal Profile 3.0 added native end-to-end encryption in March 2025 yet cross-platform testing between Google Messages and Apple Messages only reached beta stage in early 2026.

Android users with RCS enabled in Google Messages stand to receive the first practical benefits from the updated standard once Google begins integrating the new capabilities.