iOS 26.5 and iOS 27 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Earlier this week, Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 26.5 to developers. The software update is relatively minor so far, which is not too surprising given that Apple is likely shifting its focus towards iOS 27. Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8, and the update should be released in September. Below, we outline what is new in iOS 26.5 so far, along with rumored iOS 27 features. iOS 26.5 iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for two changes, including end-to-end encryption for RCS in the Messages app and ads in the Apple Maps app. End-to-end encryption for ‌RCS‌ is a security feature that ensures that messages sent between supported iOS 26.5 and Android devices are encrypted and cannot be intercepted and read by a third party while they are being delivered. Apple already tested end-to-end encryption for RCS in the iOS 26.4 beta, but the feature did not make it into the final release of iOS 26.4 last week. It remains to be seen if the feature launches with