Overview
- Apple’s iOS 26.5 Release Candidate, issued Monday to developers and public beta testers, confirms end-to-end encrypted RCS in the Messages app.
- Encryption is on by default with a toggle in Settings, a lock icon marks protected chats, and both sides must use carriers that support the latest RCS profile.
- Apple Maps adds a Suggested Places section, and Apple is preparing clearly labeled local ads in the U.S. and Canada with privacy protections that keep ad activity separate from Apple IDs.
- A new Pride Luminance wallpaper is available to download as part of the update.
- Based on Apple’s usual RC cadence, a public release is expected within about a week, though no date is guaranteed, and encrypted RCS will appear gradually as individual carriers enable it.