Apple Says iOS 26.5 Adds Three New Features to Your iPhone

[MacRumors]

iOS 26.5 includes three new features for iPhones, according to Apple's release notes for the update, which is expected to be released next week.

As discovered during beta testing, iOS 26.5 enables end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging between iOS and Android devices. Apple says this security upgrade is limited to supported carriers around the world and will continue to roll out.

End-to-end encryption for ‌RCS‌ is a security layer that ensures that messages sent between supported iOS and Android devices are encrypted and cannot be intercepted and read by Apple or any third party while they are being delivered. Keep in mind that text messages sent via the older SMS standard still lack end-to-end encryption.

iMessage conversations with blue bubbles have already been end-to-end encrypted since iOS 5.

The second new feature added in iOS 26.5 is "Suggested Places" in Apple Maps. This section of the app provides recommendations based on your location and recent searches, and it will start showing ads in the U.S. and Canada later this year.

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.

Third, a new Pride Luminance wallpaper that "dynamically refracts a spectrum of colors" is available to download on iPhones and iPads running iOS 26.5 or iPadOS 26.5. Released alongside a new Pride Edition Sport Loop and Pride Luminance watch face, Apple says the wallpaper celebrates LGBTQ+ communities around the world.

Here are Apple's full release notes for iOS 26.5:

This update includes the following enhancements:
• End-to-end encrypted RCS messaging (beta) in Messages is available with supported carriers and will roll out over time
• Pride Luminance wallpaper that dynamically refracts a spectrum of colors, is available for download
• Suggested Places in Maps displays recommendations based on what's trending nearby and your recent searches

Given that the iOS 26.5 Release Candidate was released this week, it is likely that Apple will make the update available to all users next week.

Article Link: Apple Says iOS 26.5 Adds Three New Features to Your iPhone

 

[NicosAccount]

haha suggested places

 

[phuklok1]

Apple - please give us a good manual system wide EQ with presets per audio output device! and swipe gestures on lockscreen for music. so easy to implement, both were done with jailbreaks over a decade ago, yet we're going on ios 27 soon 🙏

 

[1284814]

ads is one of them. Why is apple doing adds now? Scraping the button of the barrel with negative consumer centiment? Winning wining.

 

[NicosAccount]

ads is one of them. Why is apple doing adds now? Scraping the button of the barrel with negative consumer centiment? Winning wining.

theyre not ads anymore, theyre suggested places. Ads are gross but suggestions are good, you gotta keep up

 

[munpip214]

A new wallpaper is not a feature

 

[Astuces iOS]

You call ads features?

 

[CarAnalogy]

Only one of these even barely qualifies as a feature. One is an update to an existing feature to bring it current with spec, one is an ad, one is a wallpaper.

 

[groove-agent]

I wonder if we'll see less "pride" products with John Ternus.

 

[minik]

The ads on Apple Maps is okay, we'll see how many places will appear and take up the space as well as bandwidth.

 

[Radeon85]

So a pride wallpaper I don't want and ads, great update Apple, slow clap. The only useful thing is encrypted RCS and bug fixes. This could have been a 0.1 update.

 

[BarrettF77]

A pride wallpaper is not a feature

Stop setting the bar so low for Apple. They are doing absolutely nothing on delivering what they said they would many months or a year ago.

How about the updated Siri that still hasn’t come to fruition and their software quality continuing to degrade?

We need reporting on things that are actually relevant, and not drinking the Kool-Aid

 

[duffman9000]

haha suggested places

I have a suggestion for Apple: no f’n OS ads.

 

[B4U]

Suggested places?
I suggest they go fly a kite! 🙄

 

[Kylo83]

Is that what they call a feature list lol

 

[mihighil]

Suggested places….imagine how they are sugarcoating their whole “privacy” gimmick.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I wonder if we'll see less "pride" products with John Ternus.

I'd just like to see them take some genuine pride for once. Or be genuine about anything at all.

 

[Carlos51]

The more "pride" they push, the wider is the rift. We are all equal, we don't need rainbows do divide us farther.
What about the "non-pride" population? What have you got for us?
Just my 2 cents.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

We're calling ads and wallpapers features now? 🙄

 

[carswell]

It's kind of moot since I'll probably stop using Apple Maps when ads appear but I hope we'll be able to turn off Suggested Places.

Even setting aside questions about the quality of the suggestions, the feature might be useful for tourists but suspect it won't for locals. And, like ads, they will occupy screen space (limited on a phone) and complicate the screen.

Am already not a fan of the "local sights" icons littering Apple Maps and, as far as I can tell, you can't turn them off.

 

[Radeon85]

We're calling ads and wallpapers features now? 🙄

If they added new wallpapers they could have added 50 new features 😄

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I hope we'll be able to turn off Suggested Places.

You cannot. There is no opt-out. Apple knows what's best for you.

 

[tim-apple-silicon]

Do better, Apple

 

[Rychiar]

where's the official maga wallpaper and watch face?! 😂