Apple has rolled out the iOS 26.5 release candidate build for developers, signaling that the public release is imminent, likely within the next few days. The official changelog from Apple has provided insights into what users can expect.
One of the key features included in iOS 26.5 is support for end-to-end encryption in RCS messaging, although there are some important caveats to consider.
To begin with, this feature will launch in beta. Additionally, end-to-end RCS encryption will only be accessible with supported carriers and is set to roll out gradually. This means that the feature won't be available immediately upon the release of iOS 26.5. Nonetheless, it is on the horizon.
Once it is fully deployed, Android and iPhone users will be able to exchange messages securely via RCS with end-to-end encryption.
