{"id":430484,"date":"2026-05-16T11:12:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T11:12:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/430484\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T11:12:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T11:12:08","slug":"download-ios-26-5-now-to-bring-end-to-end-encrypted-rcs-messaging-to-your-iphone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/430484\/","title":{"rendered":"Download iOS 26.5 Now to Bring End-to-End Encrypted RCS Messaging to Your iPhone"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apple launched\u00a0iOS 26.5<\/a>\u00a0on May 11, almost two months after releasing the massive iOS 26.4<\/a> update, which included new emoji<\/a>, video podcasts and more. While iOS 26.5 isn’t as large as the previous update, it includes\u00a0end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging<\/a>, an updated Maps app and more than 50 bug fixes<\/a>.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

You can download iOS 26.5 now by going to\u00a0Settings\u00a0and tapping\u00a0General. Next, select\u00a0Software Update, tap\u00a0Update Now\u00a0and follow the prompts on your screen.<\/p>\n

\"CNET <\/a> <\/p>\n

Here are some of the new features iOS 26.5 brings to your iPhone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

End-to-end encrypted RCS messaging on your device<\/p>\n

The iOS 26.5 update brings end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging<\/a> to your iPhone. When Apple added\u00a0RCS messaging<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0iOS 18<\/a>, one feature the messaging protocol was missing was end-to-end encryption. Now, this privacy protection will be available on your iPhone. <\/p>\n

To find this setting, go to\u00a0Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging and look for End-to-End Encryption (Beta). Apple wrote online<\/a> that this feature is enabled by default, but if it’s not on your device, tap the slider next to that option.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

\"A Apple\/Screenshot by CNET<\/p>\n

Apple says in the feature’s description that it’s still in beta, and it works only on certain carriers and devices. According to Apple, encrypted messages are labeled, so you should know when your messages do and don’t have this level of protection. <\/p>\n

Ads could arrive in Maps <\/p>\n

If you open your Maps app after downloading iOS 26.5, you’ll see a new splash screen that announces the arrival of ads in the app.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

\"The Apple\/Screenshot by CNET<\/p>\n

“Maps may show local ads based on your approximate location, current search terms, or view of the map while you search,” Apple says. “For your privacy, advertising information is not linked to your Apple Account.”<\/p>\n

Apple announced Apple Business in March<\/a>, allowing companies to connect with customers through Apple’s first-party apps, such as Mail and Wallet. Apple Business also lets companies place local ads in Maps. So you could start seeing ads in Maps for the coffee shop down the street from your home. <\/p>\n

New sections and Suggested Places in Maps <\/p>\n

The iOS 26.5 update also brings new sections and a new Suggested Places menu to your Maps app. Once in the app, tap the Search bar as if you’re looking up a nearby cafe or restaurant. You’ll see the new sections under the search bar, and\u00a0Suggested Places\u00a0will appear below\u00a0Recents. <\/p>\n

\"The Apple\/Screenshot by CNET New Pride Luminance wallpaper <\/p>\n

Apple’s iOS 26.5 also brings a new Pride wallpaper to your device to celebrate LGBTQ+ communities ahead of Pride Month. The new wallpaper, called Pride Luminance, features vertical stripes that shift each time you unlock your device. You can choose 11 preset color palettes for this wallpaper, or create a custom color palette after selecting it.<\/p>\n

\"The Apple\/Screenshot by CNET Monthly payments on annual subscriptions <\/p>\n

The iOS 26.5 update also introduces a new way to pay for subscriptions in the App Store. Apple<\/a> wrote online that developers can now offer monthly payments for 12-month subscriptions.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

“This new payment option allows you to offer subscribers more affordable options,” Apple wrote.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

This means that if an app offers a yearly subscription at a discount, you could subscribe to the annual plan at the lower rate but pay month-to-month. However, Apple said that if you cancel your subscription before it ends, you’ll have to continue making payments until the end of your agreement.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Live Activities on third-party accessories in the EU <\/p>\n

According to 9to5Mac<\/a>, the iOS 26.5 update also lets third-party accessories display Live Activities updates sent from iPhones. However, this is only available on devices in the European Union. <\/p>\n

Here are the full release notes for iOS 26.5: <\/p>\n

This update includes the following enhancements:<\/p>\n

\ufeff\ufeffEnd-to-end encrypted RCS messaging (beta) in Messages is available with supported carriers and will roll out over time. For more information visit: https:\/\/support.apple.com\/109526<\/a>.\ufeff\ufeffPride Luminance wallpaper that dynamically refracts a spectrum of colors, is available for download.\ufeff\ufeffSuggested Places in Maps displays recommendations based on what’s trending nearby and your recent searches.<\/p>\n

For more iOS news, here’s everything you should know about end-to-end encrypted RCS messages<\/a> on your device,\u00a0iOS 26.4<\/a> and iOS 26.3<\/a>. You can also check out our iOS 26 cheat sheet<\/a>\u00a0and why you shouldn’t panic if your battery is draining faster after updating your device<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Apple launched\u00a0iOS 26.5\u00a0on May 11, almost two months after releasing the massive iOS 26.4 update, which included new…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":79203,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[342,111,139,69,145],"class_list":["post-430484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mobile","tag-mobile","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=430484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430484\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=430484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=430484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=430484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}