Apple’s next big iPhone update will add a major privacy feature for Android users. What to expect as iOS 26.5 release date nears

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is just one month away. The annual event will see Apple launch the next iterations of the software that powers its various devices, including iOS 27 for the iPhone.

But Apple will also be rolling out a new version of iOS before then, and it will feature an enhancement that will benefit Android users as much as Apple’s own. Here’s what you need to know.

iOS 26.5 brings encrypted RCS messaging to iPhone

Apple’s iMessage protocol has long had end-to-end encryption for text messages sent between Apple devices. But for texts sent between Android phones and iPhones, encryption has always been absent.

And that wasn’t the fault of Apple or Android maker Google. It’s because, for years, the messages sent between the platforms were standard short message service (SMS), which lacked modern features such as read receipts and, more importantly, end-to-end encryption.

Back in iOS 18, Apple added support for a new kind of text message protocol, called “rich communication services”—better known by its acronym, RCS. This new RCS protocol brought read receipts, typing indicators, and other features to standard text messages, greatly improving interactivity in messaging between iPhone and Android devices.

Unfortunately, the way the RCS protocol has been implemented on iOS since then has meant that one of the protocol’s core benefits—end-to-end encryption—has not been adopted. 

But with iOS 26.5, that changes.

Now, provided your carrier supports end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging, RCS texts sent between iPhones and Android devices on the same network will be unreadable to anyone but the sender and receiver—even Apple and your cellular service provider.

What iPhones will support RCS end-to-end encryption?

In the iOS 26.5 beta release notes, Apple states that new end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging will work with “supported carriers” and “roll out over time.”

The company points users to this support document, which lists which carriers support RCS messaging.

In addition to carrier support, you’ll need an iPhone capable of running iOS 26.5. That includes any iPhone from the iPhone 11 series or later.

Those using Android devices will also need to make sure their phone’s software and carrier support end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging.

When can I download iOS 26.5?

Apple has been beta-testing iOS 26.5 for some time now, and this week it released the final candidate of the software, suggesting a public launch is imminent.

That launch could happen today, though it is more likely to come sometime next week, perhaps as soon as Monday or Tuesday. IPhone users will be able to upgrade to iOS 26.5 by opening the Settings app, tapping General, and then tapping Software Update.

In addition to end-to-end encrypted RCS support, iOS 26.5 will have a new “Suggested Places” feature in Apple Maps that recommends businesses or other locations you may be interested in, as well as new Pride wallpapers and other enhancements.