Google Faces iOS 26.5 Rollout With RCS Encryption

google is rolling out iOS 26.5 to everyone after a month of beta testing, and the update does add end-to-end RCS encryption in beta for conversations with Android users on compatible carriers. It also leaves out the all-new Siri with Gemini support, which is now expected at WWDC 2026.

Tim Cook and RCS

The timing lands after Tim Cook was cited in 2022 saying, “we should buy their mom an iPhone rather than wait for a better texting integration between iPhone and Android,” a line that now reads differently as Apple moves the feature from testing into wider release.

Apple started testing end-to-end RCS encryption in late February, and the company said it would not arrive with iOS 26.4, so the first visible change for many users is that iPhone-to-Android conversations on compatible carriers will now be labeled as encrypted after the update.

Apple Maps and subscriptions

The update also brings Apple Maps ads and a Suggested Places feature that recommends locations based on what is happening nearby and a user’s recent searches, putting more commercial and algorithmic influence into a product many people use for fast decisions on the move.

Apple is also introducing a new way for developers to offer subscriptions in iOS 26.5, and the beta release notes say they can now sell an annual subscription that charges monthly, which could matter most for apps that want to lower the upfront cost of a longer plan.

The unresolved question is whether Apple will explain pricing, carrier coverage, or broader rollout details for RCS encryption beyond beta users before WWDC 2026, when the all-new Siri with Gemini support is expected to appear.