Apple is finally adding support for the Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging standard for the iPhone. Set to happen sometime next year, messaging between iPhone and Android users will be more secure and feature-rich once the feature is implemented.

The iPhone’s adoption of RCS was confirmed by Apple itself in a statement to 9to5Mac. “Later next year, we will be adding support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard as currently published by the GSM Association. We believe RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS.”

“This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users,” the statement reads.

Compared to the age-old SMS and MMS, RCS is much more sophisticated. Not only does it support encryption, it also enables read receipts, sharing of locations, as well as high resolution images and videos. Of course, RCS can also work via mobile data or WiFi.

It remains to be seen exactly when Apple will add RCS support to its range of iPhones, though the Cupertino company confirmed that it will be done via a software update “later next year.” Once it’s enabled, messaging between iPhone and Android users outside of apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram should be more seamless.