Apple recently announced iOS 26, the next iteration of their mobile operating system, sparking concern among text message visibility on consumers’ devices.

Every September, Apple’s annual iOS release sparks a wave of excitement (and a little anxiety) for brands that rely on mobile messaging to connect with their audience. This year is no different. With iOS 26, Apple is introducing changes to how text messages are displayed in the Messages app, and it’s already creating buzz among marketers.

The key update with the iOS 26 update is a change to Apple’s ‘Screen Unknown Senders’ setting. The new logic tied to the setting can determine whether your brand’s messages appear front-and-center in a shopper’s inbox, or if your message gets quietly tucked away in the “Unknown Sender” inbox, where it may never be seen.

At Attentive, we’ve been running thousands of tests for each beta version of the iOS 26 (releasing in September). Through our extensive testing of the latest available beta, iOS 26 Developer Beta 7, we wanted to share what’s currently changing, why it matters, and why Attentive customers are already in the best position to adapt to the upcoming changes.

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Key Takeaways

• iOS 26 expands on “Screen Unknown Sender” functionality: In iOS 26 (launching in September), Apple’s “Screen Unknown Sender” setting filters messages from “Unknown Senders” out of the main inbox into a separate inbox, without triggering notifications. The setting is defaulted off, but can be toggled on by users.
• Attentive keeps your messages front and center: Our patented Two-Tap™ sign-up flow requires all subscribers to initiate the conversation with brands by sending an opt-in message when a subscriber signs up through browsing your mobile website. This ensures that brands are marked as ‘Known Senders’ by Apple, and messages land in the main inbox with notifications intact.
• Attentive continues to shape the future of mobile messaging: As a CTIA board member with deep relationships with carriers, Attentive is actively working across the messaging ecosystem to ensure your messages continue to reach your subscribers, even as Apple and others evolve the messaging experience.

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What is the “Screen Unknown Senders” setting? Why is it important?

Apple’s “Screen Unknown Senders” is designed to filter messages from “Unknown Senders” out of the Main Inbox into a separate “Unknown Sender” inbox. This setting is off by default, but users can choose to enable it at any point in time.

With iOS 26, Apple has significantly changed how this filter works. When the setting is turned on, two distinct inboxes appear in the messages app:

• Main Messages inbox: This is the default inbox where messages from trusted senders appear. There is no change to those messages versus the experience today. 
• Unknown Senders inbox: This is a secondary inbox hidden within the menu in the top right of the Messages application. Crucially, messages routed here do not trigger notifications or message previews. As a result, even opted-in subscribers may miss your message entirely if it lands in this inbox.

Note: If a message from an “Unknown Sender” is deemed time-sensitive, it will bypass the Unknown Sender filter for one hour. Time sensitive messages include alerts, verification codes, and urgent requests.

While a version of this filter exists on iOS 18, it was far less disruptive—messages from unknown senders appeared in both the main inbox and the Unknown Senders tab. In iOS 26, that safety net is gone when a user activates the setting: if you’re filtered, you’re filtered until the user marks you as a “Known Sender.”

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How Attentive keeps your messages visible

There are a few ways Attentive is able to help you navigate these new developments:

• Two-Tap™ Opt-in Advantage: Our patented Two-Tap™ Sign-up flow requires users to send an opt-in message to sign-up for a brand’s marketing program. As a result, the subscriber always initiates the conversation, which automatically categorizes Attentive’s brands as “Known Senders.” This guarantees all messages (Campaigns & Journeys) come through with notifications, and land in the main inbox.
• Continued text innovation: At Attentive, we have always taken list growth, deliverability, compliance, and message performance very seriously, and have been planning for the future of the messaging inbox for years. This is what led to our initial development of our patented Two-Tap™ functionality that helps us continue to connect brands with their subscribers. With extensive iOS 26 testing, our product team continues to build new and innovative ways to ensure that messages aren’t only delivered, but stand out in consumers’ inbox.
• Industry leadership: Apple designed iOS 26 and the Unknown Sender filter to protect users from unwanted messages and spam. As a member of the CTIA board, and through deep partnerships with carriers, we have been recognized as a key player in eliminating spam and bad actors across the messaging ecosystem. With Attentive AI, our brands are sending personalized messages at scale, ensuring relevant content and minimizing unwanted messages.

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What can you do now?

While Apple’s exact filtering logic isn’t yet locked (we expect it to move into the ‘Launch Candidate’ phase in early September), we have a number of recommendations to make sure that you can maintain your high-performing text marketing program:

• Migrate your sign-up units to Attentive: Our patented Two-Tap™ Sign-up units starts with direct shopper engagement, guaranteeing that your messages continue to be classified as ‘known’ and are delivered to the main inbox. Moving your sign-up flows to Attentive ensures that you’re taking advantage of this built-in protection.
• Incorporate Contact Cards into your welcome Journeys: Including Contact Card as part of your Welcome Journey is a simple yet powerful way to boost deliverability. When a subscriber saves your brand as a contact, it will permanently establish your brand as a ‘known sender’ for that contact. This way, you can make sure that your messages continue to land in the main inbox with notifications.
• Engage new subscribers where possible: Early interactions with your brand can help secure the ‘known sender’ status. Apple has specifically included functionality that automatically marks senders as “Known” if they send three or more messages to a previously “Unknown” phone number. Attentive’s significant investment into conversational capabilities—from Concierge AI to customer conversational flows—to Welcome Journeys, and follow-up offers can all play a critical role in reinforcing that recognition.

If you have any specific questions about the iOS 26 update, please get in touch with your Attentive contact. We’re more than happy to continue to work closely with you in order to ensure that you continue to have a top-performing text program.