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Everything New in iOS 26.5 Beta 1

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iOS 26.5 is now available for developers, and while it doesn't include any new Siri capabilities, there are some major changes for the European Union, and smaller tweaks for features available worldwide.

iOS-26.5-Glass-Feature-Purple.jpg

Suggested Places

In the Maps app, there's a new "Suggested Places" feature that recommends locations to visit based on trending places nearby and recent searches. When Apple launches ads in Maps, it will also show ads.

ios-26-5-maps-suggested-places.jpg

Ads in Maps

iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for ads in the Maps app. Apple plans to implement ads this summer, with businesses able to purchase ads that are shown in search results and Suggested Places.

Ads-Are-Coming-to-Apple-Maps-Feature.jpg

Code in iOS 26.5 says the following: "Maps may show local ads based on your approximate location, current search terms, or view of the map while you search." Ads will have a clear "ad" label.

RCS End-to-End Encryption

Apple re-enabled end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and Android users in iOS 26.5. Apple tested the feature in the iOS 26.4 beta, but not include E2EE in the final version.

There is a toggle for End-to-End Encryption in the Messages section of the Settings app, and the feature is enabled by default. E2EE for RCS means that conversations between iPhone and Android users are encrypted and cannot be intercepted and read by a third party.

European Union Third-Party Wearable Changes

Apple is working on new interoperability features in the EU to comply with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act. Apple has tested these features in prior betas, but the Live Activity sharing feature is new.
  • Proximity pairing - Devices like earbuds will be able to pair with an iOS device in an AirPods-like way by bringing the accessory close to an iPhone or iPad to initiate a simple, one-tap pairing process. Pairing third-party devices will no longer require multiple steps.
  • Notifications - Third-party accessories like smart watches will be able to receive notifications from the iPhone. Users will be able to view and react to incoming notifications, which is a capability normally limited to the Apple Watch. Notifications can only be forwarded to one connected device at a time, and turning on notifications for a third-party device disables notifications to an Apple Watch. Notifications from select apps can be forwarded, or from all apps.
  • Live Activities - Live Activities are able to sync to a third-party wearable, similar to other notifications. This is a feature that appears to be new to iOS 26.5.
There's no word on when the EU third-party wearable features will launch, and Apple also tested them in the iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 betas before removing them when the software was released to the public.

Magic Accessories

When you connect an accessory like a Magic Keyboard to an iPhone over USB-C, the iPhone will automatically establish a Bluetooth connection with the accessory.

iPhone to Android Transfer

When switching from an iPhone to an Android device, there appears to be a new setting for selecting which message attachments to transfer over. There are options for All, 1 year, or 30 days.

Apple Books

There are mentions of new awards in the Apple Books app, which are likely for year-end wrap-ups.

Keyboard Layout

iOS 26.5 has an Inuktitut keyboard layout option.

Article Link: Everything New in iOS 26.5 Beta 1
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/30/everything-new-in-ios-26-5-beta-1/
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DBZmusicboy01 said:
iOS 18 will be remembered as the last good iOS
Event comparable to iOS 6
That’s how insanely bad iOS 26 has been due to all the bugs and horrendous memory management even with the 12GB iPhone 17 Pro it performs WORSE than iPhone XS with 4GB did on iOS 18.
Click to expand...
That's interesting because I have a 14 and it runs fine (despite a few minor animations). Hope it gets better for you!
 
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MacRumors said:
Magic Accessories

When you connect an accessory like a Magic Keyboard to an iPhone over USB-C, the iPhone will automatically establish a Bluetooth connection with the accessory.
Click to expand...
I honestly don’t understand the need for this change. If you connect an accessory via USB-C, then why would you automatically want or need to connect via Bluetooth as well, since you already have an established USB-C connection? Perhaps it automatically switches to only supplying power to the accessory via USB-C, and the data transfer is done using the Bluetooth connection?
 
DBZmusicboy01 said:
iOS 18 will be remembered as the last good iOS
Event comparable to iOS 6
That’s how insanely bad iOS 26 has been due to all the bugs and horrendous memory management even with the 12GB iPhone 17 Pro it performs WORSE than iPhone XS with 4GB did on iOS 18.
Click to expand...
Wasn’t iOS 6 mostly remembered for the absolutely horrendous rollout of Apple Maps?
And the removal of the built-in YouTube app?
And Passbook, which was supposed to launch with a bang, but instead launched with a shrug…

I was there, iOS 6 was not received well.
 
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What a boring list, unlike 26.4. Hoping beta 2 has more interesting stuff in it.

RCS is ongoing because they have to work with Android. This was also a thing with transfer to Android.

I hoping there is more.

If they wanted more money, they should’ve put the ability to gift Apple TV shows and movies with the share option (like iTunes etc). Shocked that isn’t there but ads are.
 
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I genuinely hate Apple’s direction to become a service company. There are many service companies out there, but there’s not many hardware companies like Apple.

I use Apple services because of the hardware, experience, and the ecosystem, not because of the service. Apple’s apps are rarely the best among all choices, and they are usually tied to software releases so updates are slow.

The whole statement of Apple’s financial structure will be better if they transition to a half service company just doesn’t make sense.
The services should be a way to attract users to use and stay with Apple, not to milk even more money. One day when people leave Apple’s hardware, their software services will collapse as well.

Now with AI, building software is easier than ever. You really just need some fantastic new ideas. Hardware companies are much harder to be out competed.

Apple totally missed the boat on many hardware innovations. Their core identity is to provide the foundation for other companies to innovate (building OS, establishing standards, etc.), not to build the Apple Services.
 
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I like the RCS feature. Hopefully at some point I could upgrade to Android and not have to worry because at that point RCS will be standard for everyone.
 
CrysisDeu said:
I genuinely hate Apple’s direction to become a service company. There are many service companies out there, but there’s not many hardware companies like Apple.

I use Apple services because of the hardware, experience, and the ecosystem, not because of the service. Apple’s apps are rarely the best among all choices, and they are usually ties to software releases so updates are slow.

The services should be a way to attract users to use and stay with Apple, not to milk even more money. One day when people leave Apple’s hardware, their software services will collapse as well.

Now with AI, building software is easier than ever. You really just need some fantastic new ideas. Hardware companies are much harder to be out competed.
Click to expand...

I feel like you're basically describing Microsoft at this point and you're not wrong.
 
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B-Mc-C said:
This is gonna be HUUUUUGE!
Click to expand...

😀

This website, it's really something with its choice of titles, isn't it.. "major changes"; you'll meet shills in your life that hype less than macrumors does.
I'd be ashamed personally, am equally certain they definitely aren't.

ClaraStahlbaum said:
I like the RCS feature. Hopefully at some point I could upgrade to Android and not have to worry because at that point RCS will be standard for everyone.
Click to expand...

Forgive me if something escapes me, ie correct me if so please, but i never got that (seen it elsewhere too).
If someone has managed to get between you, your provider, or your recipient? The things they can see, take, do?
I'd think an SMS with or without encryption would be the last, literally last, of your worries.
And by that time incidentally, they'd have other means to see what you send/t.

A good gimmick, certainly won't hurt, but beyond that..?
* unless again, i'm missing something?
 
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I view the shift to services as typical of the CFO mentality (similar to GE's shift to financial services under jack welch) and for that reason not a good sign for a 'technology' company - just an observation
 
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losthismarbles said:
Forgive me if something escapes me, ie correct me if so please, but i never got that (seen it elsewhere too).
If someone has managed to get between you, your provider, or your recipient? The things they can see, take, do?
I'd think an SMS with or without encryption would be the last, literally last, of your worries.
And by that time incidentally, they'd have other means to see what you send/t.

A good gimmick, certainly won't hurt, but beyond that..?
* unless again, i'm missing something?
Click to expand...
I don't understand what you are suggesting - as the point of RCS is to prevent that.
 
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