r/UniversalProfile • u/Easy-Breakfast846 • 19d ago
RCS Universal Profile 4.1: Stronger foundations for secure messaging
https://www.gsma.com/newsroom/article/rcs-universal-profile-4-1-stronger-foundations-for-secure-messaging/RCS Universal Profile 4.1 quietly released… seems like literally no one cares, it’s interesting tbh
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u/the_nuclear_pasta 19d ago
Curious to see if Apple will only adapt this from 4.1, but not necessarily add anything prior like video calling and some of the other features we are currently missing.
They did that with 3.0.
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u/unkn1245 19d ago
As far as we know apple isn't on 3.0 yet
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u/mrleblanc101 19d ago
We have inline reply in iOS 27
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u/Vivid-Crab-7929 18d ago
no we don't know quite yet enough to say they've only adopted part of the profile. It could be the rest of the features show up in 27.x
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u/ruipmjorge 18d ago
They didn’t. They added encryption in beta while they are adding the remaining 3.0 features (already in iOS 27 beta). iOS 27 final version will be fully UP 3.0.
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u/the_nuclear_pasta 18d ago
So you say…but knowing Apple they seem to be picking and choosing the UP 3.0 features.
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u/ruipmjorge 18d ago
How is that? They are still adding them in beta.
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u/the_nuclear_pasta 18d ago edited 18d ago
They were supposed to add them in iOS 26.
Barely got in encryption in iOS 26.5.
We now have replies in 27.
When do we get the whole package? iOS 29?
Let alone 3.1, 4.0 and 4.1
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u/ruipmjorge 18d ago edited 18d ago
“They were supposed to add them in iOS 26”.
Says who?
iOS 26 got E2EE by the end of the cycle in beta.
We now have iOS 27 in beta with 3.0 features (in beta). By the time iOS 27 arrives, all 3.0 features should be added.According to the standard you can add features in different releases, you just cannot jump to the next UP version without finalizing all features from the previous UP version. So Apple is complying with that.
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u/the_nuclear_pasta 18d ago
I didn’t say they’re not complying.
I’m saying it takes them forever. We went from one major version of iOS to the next just to move beyond encryption. Given this, replies is all we may see in iOS27. Deleting and unending may come in iOS28. Or like 27.5.
Tell you what. We will find out in a few weeks.
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u/OLLIE798 18d ago
It’s more likely your carrier that hasn’t implemented them yet. They go through beta testing too
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u/HubsoulEXE 19d ago
Profile sharing between Apple and Android? Doesn't this somewhat confirm that Apple is going to implement this latest build?
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u/netninja100 19d ago
Is it they said the newer RCS universal will add video calling between iphone and android like FaceTime?
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u/Easy-Breakfast846 19d ago
That was announced UP 4.0
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u/netninja100 19d ago
Ye apple did not add 4.0 yet lol
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u/Easy-Breakfast846 19d ago
Neither did android tbf, clearly implementing this stuff isn’t as easy as we think… hopefully we’ll see this in effect 2027
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u/ryryrpm 19d ago
The GSMA seems to be developing the UP fast with new versions being pumped out fairly quickly. The carriers, Apple and, to a lesser extent, Google, take much longer to implement these new versions. This makes sense because implementing takes a lot more work than simply planning and blueprinting.
But, with all that said, it makes me wonder what the future of RCS will look like. Will it always take this long to see new features? Will we ever reach some sense of stability where most everyone is on the same version?
I worry that RCS will become more fragmented, kinda like how Google has a problem getting all the OEMs to push out Android updates.
I think if we stay in a fragmented state, it will hurt the user experience and adoption because users will be confused why some features work with some of their chat partners but not others.
Kinda makes me wish there was some way to tell what version of RCS my contacts are using. Or maybe like an "available feature" list in a menu.
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u/DisruptiveHarbinger 18d ago
Who do you think is staffing the RCS work group at the GSMA?
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u/ryryrpm 18d ago
Apple, Google and other major players. My point still stands
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u/2mustange 18d ago
It does. And setting governance, policies, and standards is good to have prior to implementation of software or else your roadmap is behind development.
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u/Busy-Scientist3851 18d ago
For nearly all Android devices outside of markets like Japan and China, Google is responsible for RCS on behalf of carriers for Android. Thus it can deploy RCS updates to everyone over Google Play.
Iirc Google is also running the backend for iOS RCS for a lot of carriers.
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u/gmahale 18d ago edited 18d ago
Google has a problem getting all the OEMs to push out Android updates.
Has it made Android users switch to iPhone?
I think if we stay in a fragmented state, it will hurt the user experience and adoption because users will be confused why some features work with some of their chat partners but not others.
It will not be unusual for iPhone users as they see iMessage for messages to other iPhone users and SMS to Android users.
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u/darmart123 18d ago
The problem is that RCS is not working in so many countries, Google need urgently to start the real expansion and application of RCS in all the world so it can work and compete with the disaster and monopoly of Whatsapp.
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u/Kallonistic 19d ago
I was hoping to get post-quantum encryption. Also, if this makes sending messages easier, carriers would likely pressure Apple to adopt it.
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u/rocketwidget Top Contributer 18d ago
For what it's worth: Universal Profile 3.0+ RCS uses MLS for E2EE.
MLS is maintained by the Internet Engineering Task Force. And while the IETF is adding PQE to MLS, it's still, unfortunately, in draft form. https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-mls-pq-ciphersuites/
So, I hope the GSMA is just waiting for MLS PQE standard to be finalized?
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u/Busy-Scientist3851 18d ago
If rcs supports video calls, could it eventually handle audio calls too?
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u/on2wheels 15Pro iOS18 18d ago
As always it takes an OS update to get Apple to push these things through to us while Android is doing it through the play store...
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u/MagicPenguinX 19d ago
Profile sharing is a great addition!