iOS 26.5 is coming: Release Notes available

What's next for Apple's iPhone operating systems? iOS 26.5 is scheduled for release in the coming days. The manufacturer distributed the so-called Release Candidate (RC) to developers participating in the beta program on Monday. Particularly interesting: the fully delivered release notes. The accompanying document details what's new in the update – besides numerous security vulnerabilities likely patched again.

RCS finally encrypted, but still in beta

Apple has finally managed to activate encryption for the SMS successor RCS. End-to-end encryption (E2EE) will be activated “with supported mobile carriers,” and this is expected to happen “over time.” Furthermore, the service is still in beta testing, so technical problems may occur. Apple provides no information on what exactly is encrypted how, as there are indeed differences with RCS. It's also not yet leaked which German carrier will initially participate. In fact, it took a while for one – namely 1&1 – to enable RCS on the iPhone in the first place.

Also new are so-called Suggested Places in Apple Maps. The feature is intended to provide recommendations relevant to the current location or a search, for example, for “trends,” restaurants, and more. This feature is a preparatory measure for the Apple Maps advertising that Apple plans to implement in its first markets starting in the summer, despite user criticism. Thus, there will likely be both search results with ads and paid advertised “recommended places.”

Pride Wallpaper, but no new Siri

Finally, iOS 26.5 also includes a new Pride wallpaper to match Apple's new Pride bands for the Apple Watch. It's called “Pride Luminance” and is designed to dynamically refract a color spectrum. Users must download the new wallpaper separately; it is not part of the update package. In the beta of iOS 26.5, new features were also found that were intended to improve the use of third-party hardware within the EU (including smartwatches and headphones) – mandated by the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

What's still missing is Apple's long-awaited improved Siri, which will likely not arrive before iOS 27. There are no indications of this in either the iOS 26.5 beta or the Release Candidate. Incidentally, users don't seem to be too bothered by this: Apple has never sold as many iPhones as in the last quarter.

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