Apple Releases iOS 26.5 Beta and iPadOS 26.5 Beta to Developers

Apple has seeded the first developer betas of iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 for testing.



The new software carries build number 23F5043g. It arrives shortly after the public release of iOS 26.4, which introduced AI-powered Apple Music playlists, third-party voice app support in CarPlay, and new accessibility features.


While Apple has not yet published detailed release notes for today's build, the 26.5 cycle is drawing attention for features that were held back from previous updates. Apple began testing end-to-end encryption for cross-platform RCS chats during the iOS 26.4 beta period but kept it out of the final public launch, noting it would roll out in a future release.

Earlier reports also indicated that Apple delayed several major Siri upgrades after encountering performance snags during internal testing. Engineers were reportedly instructed to shift testing for features like personal context awareness and advanced App Intents into the iOS 26.5 framework. We are currently installing the software to see if those specific generative capabilities are active in this initial rollout.

Registered developers can download the update directly from the Apple Developer Center or over the air through the Software Update menu in Settings.