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Apple has announced that it’s releasing iOS 26 in October. Here’s what we know so far about how it will affect your SMS comms:
The headline change is that iOS 26 will be introducing SMS filtering for unknown senders. So text messages from numbers not saved in a user’s contacts will automatically be sorted into an “Unknown Senders” folder. This is similar to how email clients already filter promotional or unfamiliar emails.
While this might seem like a potential obstacle for your outreach efforts, fear not. It’s important to remember that if you pursue a relationship-building strategy with your supporters and you switch to RCS (often referred to as Verified SMS) so that your organisation name and profile image appears, increasing trust, you shouldn’t need to worry about this change. A supporter focus should always be at the core of your communications strategy and that approach will continue to pay off, building trust and recognition in your cause, no matter the changes in technology.
There will be more information to come out over the coming months on how the changes will work, so we don’t know everything right now, but we want to reassure you that we’ll have guidance coming out in response to all these changes as and when we learn more.
If you’d like to talk to us about getting set up on RCS to improve your open rates then book a call here and we’ll be happy to chat.
iOS 26 and SMS
For campaigners who rely on SMS to mobilise and engage your supporters, this iOS update undoubtedly raises some questions. The main concern is how SMS messages from unknown numbers will be sorted into a secondary folder, suggesting they’re less likely to be read. If you’ve relied on SMS as a key channel to remind people of an important vote, event, or petition, then now might be the time to start thinking about your SMS strategy.
It’s important to understand that the best communications are built on relationships, not just transactions - and that’s always been the case. iOS 26 may have changed how messages are delivered, but it hasn’t changed the value of ongoing, two-way communication with your supporters. This could actually be a great opportunity to strengthen those relationships and ensure your supporters feel engaged and heard ahead of the update.
Relationship-building should continue to be the focus
Successful campaign outreach is ultimately about nurturing ongoing relationships through story-telling and high value, informative communications. Meaning when it comes to those one-time comms like ‘Have you voted’ or ‘sign the petition now’ followers are much more likely to complete the action.
The recent iOS changes might make it harder for your message to reach a cold inbox or unrecognised number, but it will have less impact on messages that have been built on trust.
If you’re building an engaged base of supporters who recognise your number, save it to their contacts, and trust your messages, then the iOS update should have a pretty minimal effect on your communications. Of course the more we find out about this in the coming months, the more we can confirm it.
If you feel like you could do more developing relationships with your supporters in this strategic way, then maybe this moment could kick-start that process in time for October. In the meantime we’ve put together some best practice tips that could come in handy:
1. Encourage supporters to save your number
Between now and October, it could help to ask your supporters to save your number in their contacts. This ensures they see your messages even if iOS sorts them into the “Unknown Senders” folder.
You could send an initial SMS message saying:
"Add '[Campaign Name] Alerts' to your contacts so you never miss an important update."
This gives your supporters a chance to engage with you right from the beginning and shows that you value their involvement.
2. Balance urgency with longer-term story telling
Here’s a little piece of knowledge, time-sensitive transactional SMS will still make it into your audience’s main inbox, even if the number is unknown. You’ve just got to pick your moments.
When it comes to those immediate actions, sometimes you need to stress the urgency of the situation. If so, your messages should focus on immediacy and relevance. SMS can work for time-sensitive information, like event reminders or voting alerts, if they are framed as urgent rather than generic. You can read about how we did this with Labour during the 2024 election.
For example, instead of simply saying:
"Have you been out to vote?"
You might say:
"Three seats too close to call as time runs out. Your vote could decide the outcome, have you voted yet?"
By framing your message as time-sensitive, you create a sense of urgency that encourages your audience to act, making it more likely they’ll open your message. We would stress that in the build up to these kinds of communications you’ve also built some dialogue with the recipient to help boost responses.
3. Diversify your communication channels
While SMS is effective, they shouldn't be your only channel for outreach. Multi-channel communication is great for building real tangible connections with supporters over a number of places. If someone has had a phone call with one of your team they’ll be more likely to respond to a follow-up SMS. A newsletter subscriber might be more likely to complete an SMS survey. Consider reaching out via email, WhatsApp, or over the phone.
If you use these channels in tandem you can maintain constant engagement and mitigate any drop in visibility caused by SMS filtering. You can talk to us about getting set up on these channels with Movement and we can show you how to make the most of them too.
4. Focus on delivering value for your supporter
It’s a two-way relationship: you need to offer some insight, something engaging that’s relevant to your supporters.
Whether it's sharing campaign updates, giving people a voice through surveys, or sending relevant resources, you should make sure every message serves your supporters’ needs as much as your own.
Get set up on Verified SMS (RCS)
One great upshot is the growing importance of RCS, or as we often call it: Verified SMS.
With its verified sender status, profile picture and name already included (similar to that of WhatsApp) messages you send by RCS are far less likely to be filtered, meaning it’s an excellent tool for reaching your supporters with important, high-priority messages. Your audience will also recognise who has sent the message and so will be more likely to trust your messages and perform an action. We have some upcoming tests to show that RCS consistently outperforms SMS for open and response rates. More on this to come!
It’s growing rapidly since being introduced over the past year and should eventually replace all SMS messaging. This year alone we’ve seen a large number of clients make the switch. If you’d like to talk to us about getting setup on RCS then just complete the get a quote form and we’ll be in touch.
Adapt, don’t panic
This update doesn’t signal the end of SMS or digital outreach. Remember that you survived the great segmentation of email inboxes. Instead, it’s a reminder that the most successful campaigns have always been rooted in strong, two-way relationships. If you focus on engaging your supporters with clear, meaningful messages that offer value, ask for ongoing engagement, and build trust through consistent outreach, you’ll continue to see results, no matter the changes in how messages are delivered.
Don’t be alarmed by iOS 26, take this as an opportunity to strengthen the connections you have with your supporters. Continue to nurture those relationships, and your outreach will remain effective. It could also be a time to make a leap to Verified SMS so that your audience sees who you are and is more likely to trust your messages..
We’re sure there will be some updates coming in over the next few months. But we’ll also be providing tips and guidance in response so keep an eye out and fear not. Who knows this might be an opportunity for organisations to develop and grow closer to their supporter base.
If you’d like to see how RCS or as we often call it ‘Verified SMS’ can improve open and conversion rates for your organisation don’t hesitate to hit the Get Started button and we’ll be in touch.
