Apple released iOS 26.5 on May 11, 2026, mostly to add end-to-end encrypted texting with Android and to patch a big batch of security holes.
The reports came fast. Within a few days the Apple Community boards and the tech blogs were filling up with the same handful of complaints over and over.
A few are genuine regressions, one Apple has already fixed in a follow-up update, and a couple are just the normal post-update settling that clears on its own.Here is every iOS 26.5 problem people are actually hitting, what is behind it, and how to fix each one.
Where we have a full step by step guide, it is linked.
Texts to Android Fail From Your Mac, iPad, or Watch
This is the most reported 26.5 regression, with one Apple Community thread past 199 "me too" replies.
Texts to Android contacts send fine from the iPhone itself but fail, stall near 95 percent, or show "Not Delivered" when you send from a linked Mac, iPad, or Apple Watch.
It spans every major carrier, so it is not your network.
What we found: the new default encrypted RCS broke the routing that lets your iPhone relay texts to your other Apple devices.
The workaround most people report working is on the iPhone, Settings, Cellular, Cellular Data Options, turn off Limit IP Address Tracking.
Others fixed it by deleting the affected Android thread (including from Recently Deleted) or toggling iMessage off and on. Several users say the iOS 26.6 update cleared it for good.
Full steps are in our texts to Android not sending guide.
Battery Draining Faster and Running Warm
Lots of people, mostly on iPhone 16 and 17, saw quicker drain and a warm phone after updating, sometimes screen time dropping from 7 or 8 hours to about 4. Reports are mixed though, and many saw no change.
What we found: most of this is the normal settling period.
After a big update the phone reindexes photos and Spotlight, re-syncs iCloud, downloads Apple Intelligence models, and re-optimizes apps, all of which burn battery and heat for a day or two.
Give it 48 to 72 hours on a normal charge cycle before judging, then check Settings, Battery for a specific culprit app.
Full steps are in our iPhone battery drain guide and, if it is running hot, the iPhone overheating guide.
The Interface Stutters and Lags
One of the two loudest complaints. Scrolling stutters, animations feel uneven, and on older phones (XR, 11, 12, 13, SE) apps can take 5 to 7 seconds to open with a laggy keyboard.
What we found: the Liquid Glass interface renders live transparency and blur, which is heavy on the graphics chip, and it piles on top of the post-update reindexing.
Turn on Reduce Transparency and Reduce Motion under Settings, Accessibility, Display & Text Size, switch Liquid Glass to Tinted under Settings, Display & Brightness, restart, and give indexing a day to finish.
There is no way to fully turn Liquid Glass off.
A Drained iPhone Air or 17 Won't Charge
This is the one issue Apple openly acknowledged. On a small number of iPhone Air and iPhone 17 units, wired charging would not start when the battery was almost completely dead, and some looked bricked.
What we found: it is a real charging-firmware bug, and Apple shipped iOS 26.5.1 on June 1, 2026 specifically to fix it, pushed only to those models.
If you have an iPhone Air or iPhone 17, install 26.5.1 and you are covered.
Bluetooth Won't Connect or Keeps Dropping
AirPods, car stereos, and watches dropping, failing to pair, or Bluetooth not finding anything at all. Reported across several models.
What we found: the update tends to leave stale pairing records, and there is a suspected radio-stack issue behind the worst cases.
Forget and re-pair the device in Settings, Bluetooth (tap the i, then Forget This Device), toggle Bluetooth or Airplane Mode, update the accessory's own firmware, and if it persists, Reset Network Settings.
Our iPhone Bluetooth guide has the full walk-through.
Wi-Fi Dropping or Showing No Internet
Wi-Fi disconnecting, refusing to rejoin a known network, or showing full bars with no internet, more noticeable on iPhone Air.
What we found: saved network settings get inconsistent after a major update. Forget and rejoin the network, reboot the router, and if needed run Reset Network Settings.
The complete steps, including the Private Wi-Fi Address angle, are in our iPhone Wi-Fi guide.
CarPlay Cutting Out
CarPlay failing to connect or wireless audio stuttering and not resuming after a call, across many car brands.
What we found: it is an iOS-side regression tied to the same Bluetooth and Wi-Fi behavior, and wireless CarPlay leans on 5GHz Wi-Fi so older head units suffer most.
Re-pair the phone to the car, toggle Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, delete and re-add the CarPlay device, and restart both. A wired connection is the most reliable stopgap.
iMessage Won't Activate on a Dual-SIM iPhone
If you run two SIMs sharing the same number, iMessage may refuse to activate, messages to Android may fail, or your number shows up twice.
What we found: Apple acknowledged this one.
In Settings, Cellular, remove the duplicate inactive SIM (eject the physical SIM or tap Delete eSIM), then go to Settings, Apps, Messages, Send & Receive and tap your number to reactivate.
If your texts went missing rather than failing to send, see our iPhone Messages guide.
Camera Freezing or Black Screen
The Camera app hanging, going black, or freezing the preview, often when switching to the 0.5x or telephoto lens, more on Pro and older models.
What we found: it is a camera-pipeline glitch made worse by low storage or an overheated phone. Force quit and reopen Camera or force restart, free up storage, and let the phone cool.
Our iPhone camera frozen guide covers the lasting fix.
Blocked Calls Getting Through
Blocked numbers still ringing, and the swipe-to-block gesture doing nothing, on some iPhones.
What we found: this looks like a real regression in the call-blocking system after 26.5, and there is no dependable workaround yet.
Re-adding the block manually in Settings and restarting helps some people but not all. This is one to watch for a fix in a coming update.
Siri and Announce Notifications Acting Up
Siri ignoring or misreading commands, and Announce Notifications no longer reading texts from certain contacts over CarPlay or AirPods.
What we found: part of this is by design, since iOS 26 made Announce Notifications more selective about group and marketing messages, and part is Apple Intelligence models not finishing their download.
Confirm Listen for Siri and your language and microphone settings, let the model finish downloading on Wi-Fi and power, and re-enable Announce Notifications for the specific contacts and apps you want.
The Short Version
Most iOS 26.5 trouble falls into three buckets.
The genuine regressions worth acting on are the RCS texts failing from your other Apple devices (turn off Limit IP Address Tracking) and, if you have an iPhone Air or 17 that would not charge, the official fix in iOS 26.5.1.
The battery, heat, and lag complaints are mostly the normal post-update settling, so give it a couple of days and lighten the Liquid Glass effects.
The connectivity gripes (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, CarPlay) almost always clear with a forget-and-re-pair or a network reset.
Where to Next
More iPhone fixes: This roundup is part of pcglance.
For the full step by step on any of these, see our iOS 26 problems and fixes hub, or head to the pcglance homepage and pick your device.
Isaac Smith is the founder and editor of PC Glance, a website that covers computers, laptops, and technology. He is a tech enthusiast and a computer geek who loves to share his insights and help his readers make smart choices when buying tech gadgets or laptops. He is always curious and updated about the latest tech trends.