iOS 26.5 is expected to be released this May, following more than a month of beta testing. The update is relatively minor so far, which is not too surprising given that Apple is starting to shift its focus towards iOS 27.
iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for end-to-end encryption for RCS in the Messages app and ads in the Apple Maps app, and it will include a new Pride wallpaper and a few other changes. Below, we outline all of the notable additions in iOS 26.5.
End-to-End Encryption for RCS
End-to-end encryption for RCS is a security feature that ensures that messages sent between supported iOS 26.5 and Android devices are encrypted and cannot be intercepted and read by a third party while they are being delivered.
Apple already tested end-to-end encryption for RCS in the iOS 26.4 beta, but the feature did not make it into the final release of iOS 26.4 in March. The option returned in the iOS 26.5 beta, but it remains to be seen if it makes it into the final release.
Ads and "Suggested Places" in Apple Maps
In March, Apple announced that localized ads are coming to the Apple Maps app on the iPhone and iPad in the U.S. and Canada starting "this summer," and there is evidence of Apple preparing for that within iOS 26.5's code.
Apple says businesses in the U.S. and Canada will be able to place local ads in search results and at the top of a new "Suggested Places" section.
"Ads on Maps will appear when users search in Maps, and can appear at the top of a user's search results based on relevance, as well as at the top of a new Suggested Places experience in Maps, which will display recommendations based on what's trending nearby, the user's recent searches, and more," says Apple.
Similar to the ads that are already shown in App Store search results on the iPhone and iPad, ads in Apple Maps will have an "Ad" label, and Apple promises strong privacy protections. For example, Apple says a user's location and the ads they see and interact with in Apple Maps are not associated with a user's Apple Account.
New Pride Wallpaper
Alongside the new Pride Edition Sport Loop and Pride Luminance watch face for the Apple Watch, iOS 26.5 will include a matching iPhone wallpaper.
Apple said the wallpaper features a "joyful, vibrant design to celebrate LGBTQ+ communities worldwide during Pride Month and beyond."
The wallpaper has a dynamic design with customizable colors.
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In the iOS 26.5 beta, Apple is also working to extend iPhone features like notifications, Live Activities, and AirPods-like pairing to third-party smartwatches and headphones in the EU, as required under the Digital Markets Act.
Beyond that, iOS 26.5 has only a few other minor changes.
