Apple has announced a new update to their mobile operating system, iOS26, which is expected to be released in mid-September 2025. This update introduces a new feature that could affect how your customers receive SMS messages. At SureSMS, we want to make sure you are fully informed and prepared for these changes so that your important messages continue to reach your recipients.
What is the new “Unknown Senders” feature?
At the heart of the change is a new optional feature in iOS26 called “Unknown Senders”. When a user actively chooses to turn this feature on, their iPhone will start sorting incoming SMS and MMS messages.
It is Important to emphasize, that this feature is turned off by default. Your customers will not experience any changes unless they actively go into their settings and activate the filter.
If a user activates the feature, messages from numbers that are not stored in the user's contact book or that the user has not previously sent a message to will be placed in a separate folder called “Unknown Senders”. The user will not receive a notification for these messages.
What impact does this have on you as a SureSMS customer?
If a recipient with an iOS26 device activates the “Unknown Senders” filter, your SMS messages may be delivered to this separate folder without a notification. This increases the risk that your messages, even if they are wanted and contain important information such as appointment reminders or offers, may not be read immediately.
This change affects all forms of A2P (Application-to-Person) SMS traffic, including:
-Notifications and reminders
-Marketing and promotional messages
-Transactional messages
-Messages with links
How to make sure your messages get through
Fortunately, there are simple and effective ways to ensure that your messages continue to land directly in your customers“ primary inbox. The solution lies in becoming a ”known sender' in the eyes of your recipients. This can be achieved in two ways:
1.Encourage your customers to save your number: The most robust solution is to have your recipients save your sender number in their contact book. A message from a saved contact number will always be considered “known” and will bypass the filter.
2.Have the customer send you a message first: If a user sends an SMS message to your number (e.g. when signing up for a service), your number will automatically be considered “known” for future messages.
Recommended strategies for SureSMS customers
We recommend that you proactively adapt your SMS strategy to accommodate these changes. Here are some concrete actions you can implement:
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Strategy
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Description
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Advantage
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Use vCards
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Send an MMS with a vCard (a digital business card) and encourage your customers to save it. This makes it easy for them to add you to their contacts with a single click.
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Make it easy for the user to store your number correctly.
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Implement “TEXT-to-Join”
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Use “TEXT-to-Join” in your marketing (on your website, in-store, on social media). When a customer sends a keyword to your number to sign up, you become a known sender.
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Ensures that the user initiates the first contact.
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Use “Tap-to-Join”
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On your mobile website or app, you can use a “Tap-to-Join” link. When the user clicks on the link, their SMS app opens with a pre-populated message ready to send.
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An easy-to-use method to get the user to send the first message.
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Inform your customers
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Consider sending out a campaign to your current SMS list encouraging them to save your number to ensure they don't miss out on future updates.
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Raise awareness and prepare your customers for the change.
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The future is Rich Communication Services (RCS)
It's also worth noting that newer technologies like Rich Communication Services (RCS) are not affected by the “Unknown Senders” filter. RCS, often described as “SMS 2.0”, provides a more app-like experience with branding, images and interactive elements, and includes verified sender profiles. SureSMS is following developments closely and will keep you updated on the possibilities with RCS.
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