Apple released iOS 26.5 on Monday, May 11, 2026, bringing end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging between iPhone and Android users to the Messages app. The feature, currently in beta, means that neither Apple nor Google can read messages while they are in transit.
When an encrypted RCS conversation is active, users will see a lock icon and a small “Encrypted” label at the top of the chat. Apple says encryption is on by default and “will be automatically enabled over time for new and existing RCS conversations.” The feature requires carrier support on the iPhone side and the latest version of Google Messages on the Android side. Apple had begun testing encrypted RCS chats with Android users earlier in 2026.
iOS 26.5 also introduces new wallpapers and advertising within the Maps app. According to a pop-up displayed upon opening Maps after the update, “Maps may show local ads based on your approximate location, current search terms, or view of the map while you search.” Apple states that advertising information “is not linked to your Apple Account.”
Alongside iOS 26.5, Apple released iPadOS 26.5, macOS Tahoe 26.5, watchOS 26.5, tvOS 26.5, and visionOS 26.5 on the same day.
The addition of encrypted RCS messaging could expand private cross-platform communication options for users, as it extends end-to-end encryption beyond Apple-to-Apple iMessage conversations to include exchanges with Android users — a gap that previously left RCS chats between the two platforms unencrypted.
Source: The Verge