Apple rolled out the first betas of iOS 26.6 and iPadOS 26.6 to developers earlier today. The build number for the new developer beta is 23G5028e. These updates come two weeks after the release of the final versions of iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5, which launched with new Pride Luminance Wallpaper, End-to-End Encrypted RCS, Suggested Places in Maps, and more.
With the release of the first beta, iOS 26.6 introduces a new alert or warning when a user tries to exceed the limit of blocked contacts, as noted by Aaron Perris on X and MacRumors.
New in iOS 26.6 beta 1:
You will now receive an alert if you reach the max amount of contacts blocked
Blocked Contacts Limit Reached:
You’ve reached the maximum number of blocked contacts. To block additional callers, remove a blocked contact in Settings. pic.twitter.com/8miiUpfEYe— Aaron (@aaronp613) May 26, 2026
The exact official limit of blocked contacts is currently unclear, but if users want to block a contact after reaching the maximum limit, they’ll have to remove a blocked contact.
This seems to be the only new feature discovered so far, and we can now expect new features only with the release of the betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, which are set to debut next month at WWDC 2026. iOS 26.6 is one of the last major versions of iOS 26 before Apple shifts its attention to iOS 27.
We can expect the next betas for version 26.6 to be rolled out after 1-2 weeks. Users who are registered as a developer on www.developer.apple.com can opt in to receive beta updates by going into Settings>General>Software Update>Beta Updates and selecting Developer Beta.
Do note that these versions are not stable and are meant for testing purposes. Did you find any more features in these updates? Let us know down in the comments or write to us on @appleosophy! Be sure to download the Appleosophy App from the App Store or visit our website to stay updated with the latest Apple news!
