Apple Releases First iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5 and macOS Tahoe 26.5 Public Betas

Friday April 3, 2026 1:07 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Apple today provided public beta testers with the first releases of upcoming iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, macOS Tahoe 26.5, watchOS 26.5, and tvOS 26.5 updates for testing purposes. The public betas come four days after Apple provided the betas to developers, though Apple seeded updated iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 betas to developers earlier today.

After signing up for beta testing on Apple's beta site, public beta testers can download the updates using the Software Update section of the Settings app on each device.

iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, and ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5 include a new Suggested Places feature for recommending nearby locations to visit, and Apple is also gearing up to start showing ads in Maps.

Apple is testing end-to-end encryption for RCS messages between iPhone and Android users again, and there are proximity pairing, notification forwarding, and Live Activities for third-party wearables in the EU.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe

Related Forums: iOS 26, macOS Tahoe

Popular Stories

Apple Releases iOS 26.6.2

Tuesday September 8, 2026 10:47 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple today released iOS 26.6.2 with a fix for "an issue that prevents downloading a software update over a cellular connection." The minor software update is rolling out now for the iPhone 11 series and newer. To update your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. It might take a few minutes for the update to be visible to everyone. iOS 26.6.2 arrives...

• 94 comments

Apple Releases iOS 26.7 With Security Fixes

Monday September 14, 2026 10:32 am PDT by Juli Clover

Alongside iOS 27, Apple today released iOS 26.7, an update to the existing iOS 26 software. Users who check for new software will see iOS 26.7 as the default update, with iOS 27 listed as an option at the bottom of the Software Update interface. According to Apple's release notes, iOS 26.7 includes security fixes, but it does not have any other features. Apple will eventually show iOS 27 ...

• 59 comments

apple lock security bug vulnerability fix privacy

iOS 27 and iOS 26.7 Fix More Than 100 Security Bugs

Monday September 14, 2026 11:36 am PDT by Juli Clover

Today's iOS 27 update addresses over 100 security vulnerabilities, which is a good reason to install the new software. If you don't want to update to iOS 27 yet, Apple also released iOS 26.7 with over 80 security fixes. 75 of the fixes are shared across both updates, so iOS 26.7 addresses many of the same issues. There are multiple kernel fixes, including one that could allow a malicious...

• 33 comments

Top Rated Comments

biffuz

24 weeks ago

I just want flat design back 😭

Liquid glass is so ugly, distracting, and wasteful... I can't take it anymore!

Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Siliconguy

24 weeks ago

Doesn't change the fact that 26.4 and 26.5 updates are boring asf

X.4 and X.5 releases are supposed to be boring bug fix and security updates. Apple has gotten in the bad habit of shipping "features" in the middle of the release cycle because the "features" are not ready for the main release even by Apple's declining standards.

Their devotion to a yearly release cycle is not a good thing. Note that some Linux distributions are running into the same problem. Mint is debating dropping their every six month point release cycle.

The operating systems are stable. The panic is driven by Marketing who fears being "stale" or "dated." That's always the complaint about Debian. There is admittedly a certain amount of updating needed for new hardware, but that is device drivers, not the whole operating system.

The standard needs to paraphrase Orson Wells, "We will release no operating system before its time." Marketing needs to be second in line behind Sirius Cybernetics for a place at the wall.

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Wizec

24 weeks ago

I don't feel duped. What am I waiting for?

The Siri features excerpted below from Apple’s Oct 2024 press release below have still not shipped:

“In the months to come, Priority Notifications will surface what’s most important, and Siri will become even more capable, with the ability to draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that’s tailored to them. Siri will also gain onscreen awareness, as well as be able to take hundreds of new actions in and across Apple and third-party apps.”

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/10/apple-intelligence-is-available-today-on-iphone-ipad-and-mac/

As noted below, onscreen awareness is now being teased for iOS 27, instead of 18.x:

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/13/10-new-features-coming-in-ios-27/

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)