Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The newest Google Messages beta helps MLS encryption, RCS’s subsequent step towards E2EE interoperability throughout apps and platforms.
- We managed to allow MLS for one-on-one RCS conversations in Google Messages, however we haven’t been in a position to allow it for RCS group chats but.
- This means that MLS encryption assist could possibly be on the horizon for Google Messages.
Google introduced assist for Messaging Layer Safety (MLS) encryption in 2023 as a brand new customary for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) throughout apps and platforms for one-on-one and group chats. We’ve seen Google Messages take steps to include MLS encryption for RCS to lastly allow E2EE interoperability. This dream of E2EE interoperability now appears to be on the horizon, as now we have managed to modify on MLS encryption inside Google Messages for one-on-one conversations.
An APK teardown helps predict options which will arrive on a service sooner or later based mostly on work-in-progress code. Nonetheless, it’s attainable that such predicted options might not make it to a public launch.
Within the newest Google Messages v20250106 beta, we noticed a brand new flag that handles the MLS encryption protocol:
Code
bugle.enable_zinnia_in_conversations“Zinnia” is the codename for MLS encryption that Google is utilizing inside Google Messages. Once we performed round with the flag, we might allow MLS encryption; as you possibly can see, the encryption protocol worth will get set to 1.
AssembleDebug / Android Authority
A price of 0 signifies that the default encryption is getting used for RCS, whereas 1 signifies that MLS is getting used.
AssembleDebug / Android Authority
Presently, we are able to allow MLS encryption just for one-to-one conversations utilizing flags. The worth continues to be set to 0 for group chats, and flipping it to 1 could be the subsequent progress marker to succeed in.
MLS encryption is at present not obtainable to customers inside Google Messages. We’ll preserve you up to date once we study extra.