Apple has released macOS 26.5 to all Macs compatible with macOS Tahoe, following last week's release candidate. This minor update brings fewer changes than macOS 26.4, which restored Safari's compact tab view and introduced a Charge Limit feature allowing users to select between 80% and 100% maximum charge. Users with Mac mini, Mac Studio, and iMac models will find a new power control option in Energy preferences that allows powering off or restarting the computer through assistive accessories.

The most notable additions in this release are system-wide rather than Mac-specific. Apple added progress on end-to-end encryption for RCS, Live Activities support for third-party accessories in Europe, and a new "Suggested Places" feature in Apple Maps. The update also includes an alert informing users which apps may stop working when Apple discontinues Rosetta support next year.

Alongside macOS 26.5, Apple introduced a new App Store subscription option allowing users to pay monthly for annual plans with a 12-month commitment. This gives customers flexibility to split annual costs into monthly payments while still requiring a full-year commitment. The feature is available worldwide except in the United States and Singapore, and works on devices running macOS 26.4 or later. The release build number is 25F71.