Apple Seeds First Public Betas of iOS 26.6, macOS Tahoe 26.6 and More

Apple today provided public beta testers with the first betas of iOS 26.6, iPadOS 26.6, macOS Tahoe 26.6, watchOS 26.6, and tvOS 26.6, with the software coming two days after Apple seeded the betas to developers.

After signing up to beta test the software updates on Apple's beta site, public beta testers can download the new software using the Software Update section in the Settings app on each device.

iOS 26.6 has a feature that will let you know when you have blocked too many contacts, but the limit is in the thousands so most users may not ever see the messaging.

No other major new features have been found in any of the software updates, with Apple likely focusing on bug fixes and security improvements. We're nearing the end of the "26" software cycle, with Apple planning to unveil iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and more in 11 days.

iOS 26.5 is expected to be released next week, following more than a month of beta testing. The update is relatively minor, but there are a couple of new features and changes across the operating system that we have recapped below. iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for end-to-end encryption for RCS in the Messages app and ads in the Apple Maps app, and it will include a new Pride wallpaper and a...

Apple Seeds iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 Release Candidates to Developers

Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the fourth betas. Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update. iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 do not...

iOS 26.5 Brings End-to-End Encryption to iPhone-Android RCS Messages

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages be tween iPhone and Android devices is coming in iOS 26.5, Apple confirmed today. The feature is listed in Apple's iOS 26.5 release notes. Apple says end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging remains in beta even though it is being released in iOS 26.5. The feature is available with supported carriers and will roll out over time, and for conversations to ...