Apple Adds iOS 26.5 RCS Encryption and Maps Ads — Apple Ios 26.5 Update
The apple ios 26.5 update has arrived for developers, and it turns on end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging by default. It also starts laying the groundwork for Apple Maps ads, which Apple is actively seeking advertisers for.
iOS 26.5 and RCS
With iOS 26.5, messages sent between iPhone and Android users will be encrypted and cannot be read by third parties. iPhone users will still be able to switch the End-to-End Encryption option on or off in the Messages section of Settings, so the default is not a lock-in.
That change matters most for people who rely on cross-platform texting, since RCS is the protocol Apple uses for richer messaging between iPhone and Android users. Apple is also releasing iOS 26.5 for developers first, and the public version is expected to follow soon.
Apple Maps ads in search
Apple is bringing ads into Apple Maps, and those placements will be clearly labeled. Local ads will appear in search results and in Suggested Places, which uses users' most recent searches and what other nearby Apple Maps users are searching for.
The company first reported on Apple Maps ads in March, and it is now actively seeking advertisers. Businesses will be able to buy paid placements in a setup that Apple says will work in a similar way to app ads in the App Store.
Suggested Places gives Apple a way to sell attention inside a map search, but it also ties recommendations to recent searches and nearby user activity. That combination could make paid results harder to ignore, even with labels attached.
Books, accessories, and transfers
Apple Books is getting a Trophies and Medals feature tied to audiobooks and reading habits, and Apple will also ship a new Pride wallpaper that matches the previously announced Apple Watch Pride band and watch face. iOS 26.5 also makes USB-C accessories such as the Magic Keyboard connect over Bluetooth automatically when they are attached to an iPhone.
Users moving from an iPhone to an Android device will get a new attachment-transfer setting with choices for all, 1 year, or 30 days. That gives people a way to limit how much message history moves, which is the kind of detail that matters when switching phones without wanting every file to come along.
The unresolved piece is whether the EU-focused feature Apple has included in earlier beta releases will make it into the public build, since it has not appeared in any public release yet and iOS 27 is also due later this year.
