{"id":403784,"date":"2026-04-21T18:04:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T18:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/403784\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T18:04:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T18:04:10","slug":"when-to-expect-your-iphone-messaging-upgrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/403784\/","title":{"rendered":"When To Expect Your iPhone Messaging Upgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Messaging<\/p>\n

Apple iMessage<\/p>\n

NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Updated, April 21: This article, first published on Saturday, April 18, was updated with further information about what\u2019s coming when and additional corroboration. <\/p>\n

In the coming weeks, Apple will release the next big iPhone software update, iOS 26.5. If the beta releases are a guide, it will include a huge update to messaging. Here\u2019s what to expect and when the update will be released. <\/p>\n

ForbesThieves Can Drain Funds From A Locked iPhone With This Transit Trick: How To Protect YourselfBy David Phelan<\/a><\/p>\n

For the first time ever, messages sent between iPhone and Android handsets will be end-to-end encrypted and more innovations will come onstream in due course.<\/p>\n

RCS: Gurman Weighs In<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s another reason to think the move to introducing RCS in the iOS 26.5 update will happen comes from a respected source, Bloomberg\u2019s Mark Gurman. <\/p>\n

In his Power On newsletter<\/a> on Sunday, April 19, Gurman responded to the question, \u201cWhat\u2019s new in iOS 26.5?\u201d with a series of answers. First he talked about how the new Siri wouldn\u2019t be coming just yet: \u201cApple\u2019s recent plan<\/a> was to include previously announced Siri features like the ability to tap into user data in iOS 26.5 (after it was delayed from 26.4) and then introduce other new features (discussed above) as part of iOS 27 in June,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

Although he then described the list of new features coming as \u201clight,\u201d he then specifically name-checked RCS. \u201cBesides the usual fixes, the 26.5 rundown includes encryption for rich communication services, or RCS, as well as previously announced ads in Apple Maps and tweaks to Apple Books,\u201d Gurman said.<\/p>\n

Finally, he listed other changes coming in iOS 26.5. \u201cThere\u2019s also improved pairing for the Magic Trackpad, Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse to iOS. That allows users to pair to Bluetooth by plugging them in via a cable,\u201d Gurman added.<\/p>\n

The adoption of RCS 4.0, expected later, will bring native support for video calls within messaging apps, alongside rich text features and higher-quality media. This means messages will be \u201cmore expressive,\u201d as the GSMA put it, with styling such as bold and italics, higher quality video and audio and more. <\/p>\n

There are other features coming to RCS when it reaches version 4.0 but Rich Cards is one of the most interesting.<\/p>\n

RCS End-To-End Encryption: The End Of Unsecured Chats<\/p>\n

The encrypted messaging update is the most important change and could arrive as soon as iOS 26.5. Apple announced in the release notes for the iOS 26.4 developer beta<\/a> that it was being tested, adding, \u201cThis feature is not shipping in this release and will be available to customers in future iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS 26 releases.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is no mention of the feature in the release notes for the second beta of iOS 26.5, but the toggle has returned to the settings menu for testers, which suggests things still look optimistic right now.<\/p>\n

The changes are down to the Rich Communication Services Universal Profile, versions 3.0 and 3.1. But the Global System for Mobile Communications Association, in charge of the profile, has announced<\/a> the finalization of version 4.0, expected to be adopted in the coming months. <\/p>\n

Rich Cards And Business Messaging Enhancements<\/p>\n

There\u2019ll also be video streaming and improved user experience for business messaging, with embedded Rich Cards. \u201cThis will ensure users remain within the messaging app for quick actions like viewing a restaurant menu, while for more complex actions, such as payments, they can be directed to a dedicated application,\u201d the GSMA said. <\/p>\n

When It Arrives, It May Not Be For Everyone Right Away<\/p>\n

The new features won\u2019t all come at once, as RCS 4.0 is expected to be introduced much later. However, the secure messaging will be front-and-center whenever the testing is over and the RCS is properly implemented.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s looking likely that this will be in iOS 26.5. Note, though, that there\u2019s another angle to this update: the carriers. The new features such as secure chats will also be dependent on which carriers take them up, and when. <\/p>\n

My guess is that none of them will want to be left behind, and they will likely make a point of letting users know when they are being introduced. <\/p>\n

But it could mean that the secure messaging will work between phones on T-Mobile, for instance, whether the hardware is iPhone or Android, but not if the message goes from T-Mobile to AT&T. I\u2019m picking those carriers at random \u2014 support hasn\u2019t been announced by any networks yet. <\/p>\n

iOS 26.5 Expected Release Date<\/p>\n

As the second developer and public beta releases are currently live, Apple seems to be following a schedule that matches recent years. On this basis, the most likely release date is fast approaching: Monday, May 11. It\u2019s also possible that later in that week, or even Monday, May 18, are in the frame.<\/p>\n

ForbesApple iPhone 18 Pro Latest Leak Signals Significant Design ChangeBy David Phelan<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Apple iMessage NurPhoto via Getty Images Updated, April 21: This article, first published on Saturday, April 18, was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":403785,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[191004,191005,190999,85,191001,191000,190998,191002,46,321,191006,190997,191003,125],"class_list":{"0":"post-403784","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-apple-software-release-date","9":"tag-encrypted-texting-iphone","10":"tag-gsma-universal-profile-4-0","11":"tag-il","12":"tag-imessage-vs-rcs","13":"tag-ios-26-5-beta-2","14":"tag-iphone-android-messaging","15":"tag-iphone-messaging-update","16":"tag-israel","17":"tag-mobile","18":"tag-native-video-calling-rcs","19":"tag-rcs-end-to-end-encryption","20":"tag-rich-communication-services-features","21":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=403784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403784\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/403785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=403784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=403784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=403784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}