Apple Releases First iOS 26.5 Public Beta with New Apple Maps ‘Suggested Places’ and Maps Ads Coming

Apple has released the first public beta of iOS 26.5, opening testing to anyone enrolled in the company’s beta programme just days after developers got access.

The update is a point release, but it brings a notable change to Apple Maps along with fresh advertising plans and another round of testing for encrypted RCS messaging.

The headline feature in the iOS 26.5 public beta is a new Apple Maps capability called “Suggested Places.” When you tap the search bar in Maps, the app will now surface trending spots to visit, such as restaurants and other nearby establishments.

Suggestions can be based on your current location or on your previous search history in Maps, giving the feature a more personalised feel. These Suggested Places appear directly in the search interface, making them more prominent than the existing nearby categories or search suggestions users are used to.

Alongside Suggested Places, Apple is using iOS 26.5 to prepare users for a bigger shift: ads inside Apple Maps. The beta includes notifications that inform users the company will start showing advertising in the Maps app.

Apple previously confirmed in March that it plans to expand its advertising business beyond the App Store and Apple News apps, and Maps is one of the next destinations. In iOS 26.5, ads will:

• Be based on your location
• Use search terms you enter
• Reference what you look up in Maps

According to Apple’s description, these ads will appear at the top of search results in Maps and within the Suggested Places list. The company says they will be clearly labelled as advertisements.

Apple also stresses that the new ad formats are designed with privacy in mind. It says your current location and the ads you interact with will not be tied to your Apple ID, and that personal data remains on your iPhone and is not collected. The iOS 26.5 beta is one of the first concrete signs of how Apple intends to balance expanding its ads business with the privacy positioning that underpins much of its platform.

Beyond Maps, Apple is again testing end-to-end encryption for RCS (Rich Communication Services) messages in the iOS 26.5 beta. RCS is positioned as a more modern replacement for SMS with features like richer media and improved chat capabilities. Apple is trialling encrypted RCS, but has not yet said whether this encryption will ship in the final, stable release of iOS 26.5.

For users who want to try iOS 26.5 early, Apple makes its public betas available through the Apple Beta Software Program. You can sign up on the programme’s website using your Apple ID credentials, then enrol an eligible iPhone to download and install the beta build over the air but here is a step by step approach; 

1. Sign Up: Visit the Apple Beta Software Programme website and sign in with your Apple Account.
2. Enroll: Once signed in, select the iOS tab and click the link to “enrol your iOS device”.
3. Update Settings: On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates.
4. Select Beta: Choose the iOS 26 Public Beta option to see the iOS 26.5 update appear.

As with any beta software, features can change before the final release, and some capabilities being tested including end-to-end encryption for RCS may not make it into the stable version of iOS 26.5.