ARTICLE AD BOX
New Delhi: Apple has officially introduced its second developer beta of iOS 26.5 for supported iPhones, bringing refinements without unveiling any new features. It now includes changes already seen in public beta 1, such as Suggested Places in Apple Maps, RCS end-to-end encryption experimentation, Live Activities support for third-party accessories, and the latest subscription payment options.
This release is currently available only to developers, while the public beta version is expected to arrive soon.
Apple Maps
The latest Suggested Places feature is now available in iOS 26.5 developers beta 2. This tool also highlights nearby trending locations, and it offers suggestions based on the user’s recent searches.
This feature also appears directly in the search tab within Apple Maps, making it easier to discover places without entering specific queries.
Ads in Maps
Apple is reported to be preparing ads for Maps. This upgrade includes backend changes that suggest Maps might show local ads based on user location, search activity, or what users are viewing on the maps.
This also aligns with Apple’s earlier announcement that ads would be arriving in Maps sometime this year.
RCS encryption
Apple is again experimenting with end-to-end encryption for RCS messages in the developer beta 2 of iOS 26.5. This feature first appeared in the iOS 26.4 beta, but Apple had already confirmed that end-to-end encryption for RCS would not be going to arrive with the iOS 26.4 upgrade and would rather be unveiled in a future release.
With this upgrade, encryption has returned for experimentation, though it is still unclear whether it will be part of the public rollout.
Subscription
Second developer beta of iOS 26.5 hints at the changes to how subscriptions might work on the App Store. Developers can see the latest subscription options by including monthly billing linked to a 12-month commitment.
This report also indicated support for paying annual plans in monthly installments at a discounted rate.
English (US) ·