Apple highlights 3 enhancements coming to iPhone with iOS 26.5
9to5Mac • • general
Key Points:
- Apple has released the first iOS 26.5 Release Candidate (RC) build, with the full public release expected next week.
- iOS 26.5 introduces beta support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging, available with supported carriers and rolling out over time.
- The update includes a new downloadable Pride Luminance wallpaper that dynamically refracts a spectrum of colors.
- Maps in iOS 26.5 features Suggested Places, offering recommendations based on trending locations nearby and recent searches.
- Apple plans to introduce ads in Apple Maps later this summer in the US and Canada, but this feature is not included in the initial iOS 26.5 release; a new watch face is also part of the update.
