Is iMessage encrypted?
Yes. Only you and the people you message can read your iMessages. Your iCloud backup is the exception: Apple can open it unless you turn on Advanced Data Protection.
Checked on 25 October 2026 against 9 sources.
Made by Secria. We grade every app by the same rules. How we check
- MessagesOnly you and the people you messageApple says it can't decrypt iMessages or their attachments.1
- Group chatsOnly you and the groupEach message is sealed separately for every person and device in the group.2
- CallsNot offeredCalls from Messages go through FaceTime, which has its own page.
- BackupsOnly you, once you turn it onWith standard settings and iCloud Backup on, Apple holds the keys to your backup, which includes the key to Messages in iCloud, until you turn on Advanced Data Protection.5, 6Turn it on
- Post-quantumYesApple's PQ3 adds post-quantum keys when a chat starts and keeps refreshing them, on iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, macOS 14.4, watchOS 10.4 and later.3, 4
- Texts to Android phonesPartlyOn iOS 26.5 or later, RCS chats with Android phones can be sealed, in beta, when every person's carrier supports it, but SMS and MMS texts never are.9
- Who holds the keys
- Your devices. Apple says it can't decrypt iMessages, but if you use iCloud Backup with standard settings, the backup holds a copy of the Messages in iCloud key.
- What Apple can still see
- Apple keeps logs of lookups that check whether a phone number or email can get iMessage for up to 25 days, and delivery details like timestamps and routing aren't sealed.
Seal your iCloud backup, once
- Open Settings, tap your name, then tap iCloud.
- Scroll down, tap Advanced Data Protection, then tap Turn on Advanced Data Protection.
- Follow the steps to set up a recovery contact or a recovery key, then turn it on.
Your iCloud Backup and Messages in iCloud are then sealed with keys only your devices hold. Keep your recovery methods safe: Apple doesn't have the keys to help you get your data back. Apple no longer offers this to new users in the UK.
Email is worth checking next: Gmail, Outlook and iCloud Mail can all read your mailbox. See which email services can.
Can Apple read my iMessages?
No. Apple says iMessages and their attachments are end-to-end encrypted, so no one but the sender and receiver can read them, and Apple can't decrypt them1.
The catch is iCloud. With standard settings, if iCloud Backup is on, your backup includes the key to Messages in iCloud, and Apple holds the keys to that backup5. If you turn on Advanced Data Protection, the backup and that key are sealed too5.
Apple does keep some data about how you use iMessage. It logs lookups that check whether a number or email can get iMessage, for up to 25 days8, and delivery details like timestamps and routing aren't encrypted2.
Is iMessage quantum safe?
Yes, for chats between up-to-date devices. Apple's PQ3, added in iOS 17.4, mixes a post-quantum key with a classic one when a chat starts, then keeps refreshing the post-quantum key as the chat goes on3.
Apple says it built this against attackers who collect encrypted messages now to open them later with a quantum computer4.
Are green bubble texts encrypted?
Sometimes. SMS and MMS texts are not end-to-end encrypted9. On iOS 26.5 or later, RCS chats with Android phones can be, in beta, when every person's carrier supports it. Those chats show Encrypted and a lock at the top9.
If you don't see the lock, Apple says the messages aren't protected from others reading them on the way9.
Can I turn on Advanced Data Protection in the UK?
No. Apple no longer offers Advanced Data Protection to new users in the UK, and says people there who already turned it on will have to turn it off to keep using iCloud7. Apple says iMessage itself stays end-to-end encrypted in the UK, but iCloud Backup stays under standard protection, where Apple holds the keys7.
How iMessage compares
Sorted by how many parts are sealed by default, then by how many can be. Ties go A to Z.
Sources
- iMessage security overview, Apple Platform Security, Apple. Read on 25 Oct 2026.
- How iMessage sends and receives messages securely, Apple Platform Security, Apple. Read on 25 Oct 2026.
- iMessage with PQ3: The new state of the art in quantum-secure messaging at scale (21 February 2024), Apple. Read on 25 Oct 2026.
- Quantum-secure cryptography in Apple operating systems, Apple Platform Security, Apple. Read on 25 Oct 2026.
- iCloud data security overview, Apple. Read on 25 Oct 2026.
- How to turn on Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, Apple. Read on 25 Oct 2026.
- Apple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection in the United Kingdom to new users, Apple. Read on 25 Oct 2026.
- Legal Process Guidelines, U.S. Law Enforcement, Apple. Read on 25 Oct 2026.
- What is the difference between iMessage, RCS, and SMS/MMS?, Apple. Read on 25 Oct 2026.
Changes to this answer
- First published.