Apple has released the first public beta for iOS 26.5, just days after the beta became available to developers. One of the biggest changes brought by the new operating system is the “Suggested Places” feature in Apple Maps. It will show you trending places to visit, such as restaurants and other establishments near your location or based on your search history. You can see suggested places when you tap the search bar in the Maps app.
iOS 26.5 beta will also come with a notification that the company will be inserting ads inside Maps. Apple confirmed in March that it was going to expand its ads outside of the App Store and Apple News apps. The ads you see will be based on your location, the search terms you use, and what you’re looking at on the map. They’ll appear at the top of your search results and in Apple’s list of suggested places. Apple said the ads will be clearly marked and not a threat to your privacy. Your current location and the ads you interact with will not be associated with your Apple account, and your personal data will remain on your iPhone and will not be collected.
Additionally, Apple is once again testing end-to-end encryption for RCS messages on iOS 26.5 beta. However, the company has not yet revealed whether the feature will launch with the stable release of the operating system or not. To be able to receive Apple’s public beta releases, visit the Apple Beta Software Program website and sign up using your Apple credentials.
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