Apple has released iOS 26.5 Public Beta 4. This comes just a week after the previous beta, which shows the company is now focusing on refining the update before the final stable rollout.
This update does not bring big new features. Instead, it continues to improve things that were already introduced in earlier builds. Most of the changes are related to Apple Maps.
Apple has added a new “Suggested Places” feature in Maps. It shows recommended locations based on your route or the nearby area. The idea is to help users discover places without manually searching. It works in a similar way to Google Maps suggestions.
Apple is also expanding ads inside Maps. iOS 26.5 is the first version where Apple started showing sponsored results. With this update, businesses can now place ads that appear at the top of search results, suggestions, and recommendations. This is a big change because Maps is now becoming a platform for discovery and advertising, not just navigation.
There is also a change for developers. Apple now allows flexible subscription plans. Developers can offer monthly payments with a 12-month commitment. This means users can pay smaller amounts every month instead of paying the full yearly price upfront. However, there is still no option to cancel the plan in between.
Apple is also making changes to comply with European Union rules. To comply with the Digital Markets Act, the company is improving support for third-party devices.
With iOS 26.5, third-party smartwatches can now receive notifications from iPhones. They can also support Live Activities syncing. Earlier, this level of integration was mostly limited to Apple’s own devices.
The update is rolling out to supported iPhones, starting from iPhone 11 and newer models. Users in the beta program can install it from Settings, then go to General and Software Update.
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