Apple started rolling out the iOS 26.5 update on May 11 (US time). For users in Korea, the iOS 26.5 update became available for download and installation starting in the early hours of May 12.
iOS 26.5 looks more like a refinement update than a feature-packed release. Let’s take a look at what’s actually included.
iOS 26.5 Update Size
On my iPhone 11, the iOS 26.5 update weighs in at 2.66GB. On the iPhone 17, however, it’s a whopping 12.38GB—nearly 5x larger for the same update.
What’s Included in iOS 26.5
New Features
RCS Messaging (Encrypted) End-to-end encryption has been added for RCS messages exchanged with Android phones. The way it works: messages are encrypted on the sender’s device and decrypted only on the recipient’s, meaning neither carriers nor Apple can intercept the contents in transit. It sounds like a great feature, though the rollout timing apparently depends on each carrier.
Pride Luminance Wallpaper A new dynamic wallpaper called “Pride Luminance” has been added, usable on the lock screen and elsewhere. Worth checking out and personalizing if it suits your taste.
Apple Maps Suggestions Apple Maps now surfaces location-based recommendations and suggested places. Eventually, ads will also appear here. Honestly, Apple Maps doesn’t get much use in Korea, so… not much impact for me.
Security Patches
The May security patches are included. There are so many items I gave up counting partway through—at least 50+ patches are included. You can find the full details on Apple’s security release page.
Final Thoughts on iOS 26.5
Given the sheer number of security patches included, I’d recommend applying this update right away.
That said—looking at the added features and the patch list, the 2.66GB size on the iPhone 11 seems about right. The 12.38GB size on the iPhone 17 honestly doesn’t add up for me. Makes me wonder if something is being pre-installed in preparation for a future update…
The much-anticipated iOS 27 with AI features isn’t far off now. With iOS 26 already at version 26.5, I’d expect mostly refinements rather than major new features until iOS 27 arrives.