Apple releases iOS 26.5: Here everything new on your iPhone

Apple dropped iOS 26.5 today, and your iPhone can pick it up right now. Head to Settings, tap General, then Software Update, and the download will be waiting for you. The update is about 14+ GB, so you need Wi-Fi connection before you start.

This is the last major update in the iOS 26 lineup. Apple’s next big software reveal happens at WWDC on June 8, 2026, where the company is expected to show off iOS 27.

Until then, iOS 26.5 is what you get, and it brings a handful of changes worth knowing about.

What’s new in iOS 26.5

1. End-to-end encrypted RCS messaging

The biggest change in this update is encrypted messaging between iPhones and Android phones. For a long time, texts sent from an iPhone to an Android device were not encrypted, which meant they could be read by your carrier or anyone intercepting the connection. iOS 26.5 changes that, at least in part.

Apple has built support for RCS Universal Profile 3.0, which uses the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol to encrypt your conversations. Encryption is enabled by default. You can check the status by going to Settings> Apps> Messages> RCS Messaging, where you’ll see an “End-to-End Encryption (Beta)” toggle.

When a conversation is encrypted, you’ll see a lock icon and the word “Encrypted” in your Messages thread. Google Messages on Android shows the same label, so both sides of the conversation will know the protection is active.

There’s an important catch, though. The encryption only works if your carrier and the other person’s carrier both support RCS Universal Profile 3.0. If one side doesn’t, your messages will still go through as unencrypted RCS or plain SMS. Apple hasn’t published a full list of which carriers support it yet.

For iPhone users in Nigeria, this feature will likely not be active right away. Apple’s Africa carrier page currently lists MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile as partners for basic iPhone features like eSIM and LTE, but RCS is not listed as supported by any of them.

Until those carriers upgrade their networks to support the new standard, iPhone-to-Android chats in Nigeria will continue to work as they do today. If you need encrypted messaging now, Signal and WhatsApp both provide it without depending on your carrier.

2. Suggested Places in Apple Maps

Open Apple Maps and tap the search bar. You’ll now see two recommended places appear above your recent searches. Apple says the suggestions are based on what’s trending nearby and your past activity in the app.

The privacy note Apple includes in the app states that advertising information from these suggestions is not linked to your Apple Account and that data is not shared with third parties. That said, there is no way to turn this off. The suggestions will always be there when you search.

This feature also sets the stage for paid ads in Apple Maps, which Apple has confirmed will launch in the US and Canada later this summer. Those ads will appear in the same space, labelled as “Ad.” There’s no opt-out for those either. If you don’t want to see sponsored results in your map searches, switching to Google Maps is your main option.

3. Pride Luminance wallpaper

iOS 26.5 includes a new wallpaper called Pride Luminance. It refracts colours dynamically as the light and angle on your screen shifts. The wallpaper comes with 11 preset colour options and a custom mode that lets you pick between 1 and 12 colours. It matches a new Apple Watch face and Sport Loop of the same name that Apple is also releasing.

4. Magic Keyboard and accessory pairing improvement

If you use a Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, or Magic Trackpad with your iPhone or iPad, iOS 26.5 makes pairing easier. Connecting one of those accessories via USB-C will now automatically pair it over Bluetooth. Once you unplug the cable, the Bluetooth connection stays active. You won’t need to go into Settings to pair it manually anymore. This is how those accessories already work on Mac, and Apple has now brought the same behaviour to iPhone and iPad.

5. Other changes under the hood

Beyond the main features, iOS 26.5 includes several smaller updates:

App Store subscriptions get a new billing option. Developers can now offer monthly pricing with a 12-month commitment, so you get a lower monthly rate but agree to pay for the full year. This is available in most markets outside the US and Singapore.
The Reminders app now shows specific times when you snooze a reminder. Instead of “This Afternoon,” you’ll see “Remind Me at 3:00 PM,” which is more useful at a glance.
Transferring data from an iPhone to an Android phone now includes new options for how long to keep message attachments, with choices ranging from 30 days to everything.
EU users get additional interoperability features, including proximity pairing for third-party earbuds and Live Activities support on non-Apple accessories. These are exclusive to the European Union due to the Digital Markets Act.

What Apple did not include in iOS 26.5

The most talked-about missing feature is the upgraded Siri. Apple promised a more capable version of Siri starting with the iPhone 16 launch in 2024. The features in question include:

Personal context: Siri reading your emails, messages, and calendar to answer questions like “When is my friend’s birthday?”
On-screen awareness: Siri understanding what you’re currently looking at on your screen
In-app and cross-app actions: Siri completing tasks across multiple apps without you having to switch between them
A new on-device AI model to power all of the above

None of this shipped in iOS 26.5. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, internal testing encountered accuracy and speed issues, which is why the features keep getting pushed back. Apple is now expected to address this at WWDC on June 8, with the upgraded Siri likely arriving as part of iOS 27 later this year.

What’s coming next

Apple’s WWDC 2026 keynote is on June 8, 2026, at 10:00 AM Pacific Time (6:00 PM West Africa Time). You can watch it for free on Apple’s website, through the Apple Developer app, or on Apple’s YouTube channel.

iOS 27 is the main expected announcement. Based on reporting from Bloomberg, here is what Apple is working toward:

A redesigned Siri with a dedicated app, conversation history, and personal context features that has been delayed since 2024
A “Siri Extensions” system that would let you choose which AI model handles certain tasks, with Claude, Gemini, Grok, and ChatGPT reportedly among the options
AI-powered tools inside Calendar, Health, and Photos

Apple is also expected to announce which iPhone models will be compatible with iOS 27. Rumours suggest the iPhone 11 and second-generation iPhone SE may be dropped from the list, but Apple has not confirmed this. You’ll know for certain on June 8.

Which iPhones can run iOS 26.5

iOS 26.5 supports every iPhone that runs iOS 26. That includes any iPhone with an A13 Bionic chip or newer:

iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max
iPhone SE (2nd generation, 2020) and SE (3rd generation, 2022)
iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max
iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max
iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max
iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max
iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, and iPhone 16e
iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17e

The iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR are not on the list. Those models topped out at iOS 18.

Apple Intelligence features, which are largely unchanged by this update, still require an iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16, 17, or Air model.

Should you update now?

Yes. iOS 26.5 includes security patches for all supported iPhones, and the changes it introduces are low-risk. Go to Settings, then General, then Software Update to download it. Keep your phone plugged in and on Wi-Fi while it installs.

If you’re in Nigeria or elsewhere in Africa, your experience after updating will look very similar to what it was before. The encrypted RCS feature will be in your settings but won’t activate until your carrier supports the new standard. Everything else in the update works regardless of where you are.