iOS 26.5 Features: Messaging between iPhone and Android just got safer
iOS 26.5 is out now, delivering end-to-end encryption for RCS messages between iPhone and Android devices.
Apple released iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 on Monday, which delivers a major privacy upgrade for messaging across platforms. The update brings support for end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging between iPhone and Android users, provided all members of the conversation are on a network carrier that supports a feature. Apple says this will roll out over time and availability may differ in regions.
If you see a lock next to the RCS messages in question, you’ll be benefitting from secure end-to-end encryption just like you would in an iPhone-to-iPhone iMessage conversation. End-to-end encryption is designed to prevent messages being intercepted or recorded, so your phone network can’t see the unencrypted contents.
In a blog post, Apple says: “Starting today, end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging begins rolling out in beta for iPhone users running iOS 26.5 with supported carriers and Android users on the latest version of Google Messages. When RCS messages are end-to-end encrypted, they can’t be read while they’re sent between devices. Users will know that a conversation is end-to-end encrypted when they see a new lock icon in their RCS chats. Encryption is on by default and will be automatically enabled over time for new and existing RCS conversations.”
The update also brings a new Maps feature offering Suggested Places, with “recommendations based on what’s trending nearby your recent searches.” This might be a nice way to explore a new city by surfacing a hot new restaurant the locals are loving. Lastly, Apple is releasing a new Pride Luminance wallpaper that “dynamically refracts a spectrum of colours”
This is a relatively limited docket for a .X version of iOS, but it seems Apple is now fully preparing for iOS 27, which will be revealed at WWDC next month.
The company is expected to reveal the new Apple Intelligence features powered by Google Gemini, including a personalised, conversational Siri. There’s also expected to be some updates to photo editing, and more changes to the Liquid Glass UI that’s prominent throughout the operating system.
Today’s modest software update can be downloaded via Settings > General > Software Update. The update also features fixes for a host of bugs and security vulnerabilities.
Chris Smith
