iOS 26.5 is now available with 6 exciting new features

After a month of beta testing, Apple is now rolling out iOS 26.5 to everyone. While this update doesn’t bring the long-awaited all-new Siri with Gemini support, which is now expected to be revealed during the WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple still has some exciting upgrades for users, such as end-to-end RCS encryption and improvements to Apple Maps and the App Store.

Compared to iOS 26.4, which was an update full of useful and hidden features, iOS 26.5 still has a lot to offer iPhone users as Apple continues to build on one of the biggest evolutions in mobile software since the release of iOS 7 almost 13 years ago.

As Apple continues to improve the design of Liquid Glass and make changes and security updates to the iPhone, a number of major features are now available in iOS 26.5 that you can get on your iPhone as soon as you press the “Update” button.

Apple began testing end-to-end RCS encryption in late February. At the time, the company said that this feature would not arrive with the release of iOS 26.4. The feature is now available in beta, making texting between iPhone and Android users even more secure. Once you update to iOS 26.5, you’ll see that conversations with Android users on compatible carriers will be labeled as encrypted, meaning they won’t be able to be read when sent between devices.

Apple has a long and complicated history with RCS. Outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook even went so far as to tell an attendee at Code Conference 2022 that they should buy their mother an iPhone rather than wait for better texting integration between iPhone and Android. A lot has changed in the years since.

In 2023, for example, the company announced that it would support RCS the following year, and iOS 18 actually added support for this new standard. This has significantly improved compatibility between iOS and Android devices, including support for photos, videos, and reactions. Now, Apple is making these conversations more secure by offering proper end-to-end encryption.

In March, Apple announced that Apple Maps would be undergoing a major change by featuring in-app ads. While the company has also revamped its advertising service to make it easier for developers, businesses and more to promote their apps and businesses on Apple platforms, the company is also introducing a cool new feature for maps with suggested locations. This feature suggests recommendations based on what’s happening nearby, in addition to the user’s recent searches and, of course, ads.

While this will help grow Apple’s advertising business, it will also help the app compete more easily with Google Maps. However, while Apple is finally being more proactive in suggesting places to go to users, Google also recently updated its map experience by adding Gemini, as the personal assistant can now suggest places based on user recommendations, create special routes, and improve car navigation with easier-to-understand signage.

While it’s unclear whether the new Siri could bring anything similar to Apple Maps once revealed, it’s clear that Apple still has some catching up to do. iOS 26 introduced some important features to Apple Maps, but the app still isn’t as good as Google’s alternative.

With iOS 26.5, Apple will introduce a new way for developers to offer subscriptions. According to the iOS 26.5 beta notes, developers can now sell an annual subscription billed monthly. With this new method, if a monthly subscription for an app costs $12.99 and an annual subscription costs $100, then you could pay $100 over 12 months while still committing to one year.

This allows Apple to help developers make subscriptions more affordable for customers. According to the release notes, developers will be able to specify the billing plan type that has a “monthly billing plan configuration with 12-month commitment” for users.

While it’s unclear whether Apple will completely change the way it offers annual subscriptions or whether it will simply offer this as an additional option, it’s important to note that you’ll be committing to paying for this subscription for 12 months or potentially paying for it all at once if you try to cancel the subscription. However, this solution makes subscriptions more attractive, as not everyone is willing or able to pay a large amount upfront for a single subscription.

Another cool feature included in iOS 26.5 is the ability to more easily pair a Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, or Magic Mouse to an iPhone or iPad. Users simply need to connect these accessories via USB-C and they will stay connected wirelessly for as long as you use them.

Additionally, the company announced new customizable wallpapers as part of its Pride 2026 collection. While the new Sport Loop Pride Edition reflects the “unique identities that shape LGBTQ+ communities around the world,” the new wallpapers offer a “joyful and vibrant complementary design” with customizable colors. It’s important to note that these wallpapers are possible thanks to the revamped background settings introduced in iOS 26.4 in March, which divide wallpapers based on different collections.

The sixth feature introduced in iOS 26.5 is a new set of data transfer options from iPhone to Android. Apple and Google recently improved this integration as part of iOS 26.4, and it now expands even further by giving users the ability to forward a specific time period of message attachments, including a year, 30 days, or every message attachment on the device.

In addition to these six exciting features, there are also big changes coming for users in the European Union and Brazil in iOS 26.5. For example, in the EU, as Apple continues to comply with the Digital Markets Act, third-party smartwatches will be able to receive notifications and allow users to interact with them, just like they can on an Apple Watch. AirPods-like pairing is also coming to third-party smartwatches and earphones, as the company is asked to offer additional APIs to developers.

In Brazil, Apple will have to allow third-party markets on the iPhone. Although it is unclear whether the company will apply the same rules as those established in the European Union, Brazilian blog iHelpBR claims that the code found in iOS 26.5 RC shows that the company is ready to support this change.

Since Apple must comply with a local watchdog’s decision, this means Brazilians will be able to download apps outside of the App Store. At the moment, it is unclear whether Apple will implement other similar changes, as we have seen in the EU in Brazil. However, it shows that governments continue to challenge Apple’s hold on the mobile software market.