Telstra RCS appears in beta for iPhone, encrypted chats included
Telstra is listed as in beta for RCS on iPhone, with end-to-end encrypted messaging part of the test, in the iOS 27.3 beta 1 carrier bundles. No other Australian carrier has any RCS status on the tracker.
Telstra now shows as in beta for RCS on iPhone in the iOS RCS tracker, which was refreshed on 3 November 2026 with carrier bundles from the first iOS 27.3 beta. A second tracker list, covering RCS end-to-end encryption, also marks Telstra as in beta, meaning encrypted conversations are being tested too. The bundle is listed as Telstra_au 73.7.3.
At this stage only people on the iOS 27.3 beta, which Apple put out to developers on 3 November, can use it. The feature sits inside Apple's Messages app rather than a separate download, and Telstra has said customers will not need to opt in because it will be switched on by default. Encryption for RCS chats between iPhone and Android arrived with iOS 26.5, and a lock icon marks protected conversations.
Telstra's Android rollout begins on 16 November 2026. Its support page confirms that start date and names end-to-end encryption as a benefit, but says nothing about iPhone. The iPhone launch is expected after Apple's December iOS update, which MacRumors expects to be iOS 27.3, and the whole rollout is scheduled to finish by the end of 2026. A beta listing does not guarantee a release date, so the December timing rests on when Apple ships iOS 27.3.
WhistleOut reports that Belong, Everyday Mobile and ALDI Mobile customers are covered. The PC Doctor, reporting on Telstra's announcement, said there is no plan change or paid add-on. RCS depends on mobile data or Wi-Fi, and messages drop back to SMS when there is no connection.
The main limitation is interoperability with other networks. EFTM reports that Telstra's RCS currently works only between Telstra customers, and messages to Optus or Vodafone customers revert to SMS or MMS. Telstra is the only Australian carrier with any RCS status on the tracker, while Optus, Vodafone, Lebara and Pivotel remain marked as unsupported. Optus says RCS is under consideration for its longer-term roadmap and TPG Telecom says it is reviewing RCS for Vodafone, though neither has given a date.