Overview
- Apple released developer beta 3 across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and HomePod on Monday, advancing its 26.5 testing cycle.
- Separate visitor logs at MacRumors and 9to5Mac show Apple testing iOS 26.4.2 internally, a small bug or security fix that reporters expect to land soon.
- iOS 26.5 adds a Maps Suggested Places feature that recommends nearby spots based on trends and your recent searches, with code preparing sponsored listings in Apple Maps.
- Testing continues for end‑to‑end encryption on RCS chats between iPhone and Android, after Apple tried the feature in a 26.4 beta and pulled it before the public release; RCS is the modern texting standard used on most Android phones.
- In the EU, the 26.5 betas enable proximity pairing, notification forwarding, and Live Activities for third‑party wearables to meet Digital Markets Act rules, which should make setup easier and alerts more useful on non‑Apple devices.