Apple’s upcoming iOS 26 update is making headlines for changes to how text messages from unknown numbers are handled. While this has sparked concern among businesses that rely on SMS, the good news is that there are clear ways to adapt and continue reaching your customers effectively. Here’s a quick run-through of what the update is and what you can do.
What Apple’s “Unknown Senders” feature is and how it works
Here’s a quick look at what the update does:
- Apple’s revamped “Unknown Senders” feature: Texts from phone numbers not saved in the recipient’s contacts and with no prior interaction are diverted into a separate folder—and won’t trigger notifications.
- These filtered messages will be visible via a badge at the top of the Messages app, and users must manually tap to view or approve them.
- iOS 26 is currently in public beta, with a full release expected mid‑September 2025
Why it’s causing concern
Let’s talk about why this change has raised some eyebrows:
- For businesses that use SMS, this could lead to reduced visibility which could lead to lower open and response rates.
- You may also notice increased media coverage around this change, since many political campaigns rely heavily on SMS outreach.
How does Hatch help?
Here’s how Hatch makes sure you stay ahead of the change:
- Hatch maximizes deliverability. With Apple’s update potentially lowering visibility for some messages, it’s more important than ever to make sure that as many of your texts as possible reach your customers’ phones (regardless of which folder they end up in). Hatch helps with this because several TCPA compliance and messaging best practices are built into the platform. These best practices reduce spam filtering and increase response rates, ensuring you maximize the number of people who have a shot at seeing your text.
- Hatch decreases future filtering. All it takes is one interaction with your number and your subsequent messages will start appearing in their regular inbox. So by increasing response rates, you’re also decreasing filtering down the line.
- Hatch offers a multi-channel safety net. Hatch campaigns are not limited to SMS. They also include email, ringless voicemail, and even live calls—which can help to keep maintain contact rates.
Other tips to navigate the update
Beyond Hatch, there are a few simple steps you can take:
- Make sure you’re using a multi-channel approach. Use the channels available to you in Hatch campaigns (not just SMS but also email, ringless voicemail, and live calls). This is a best practice that we recommend even without this update. Text is quick, convenient, and effective, but multiple channels used together is the key to any effective marketing approach.
- Mention text in your other channels. When you leave voicemails or emails, mention to customers that you texted them to encourage them to check their phone.
- Mention it in your forms. For your website forms, have the submission thank you message say something like “Thanks for reaching out! Check your phone as we’ll be in touch shortly via text.”
- Lean into appointment reminder and confirmation texts. These will encourage engagement which will keep you out of the unknown folder.
Perspectives for peace of mind
And finally, some more reasons why you don’t need to panic:
- Messages aren’t deleted—just moved, and people can still find them. They may not trigger a notification sound or modal, but they still get a badge.
- Red badges still drive action: Humans are conditioned to clear those badges. It’s what we do!
- Behavior change takes time: Most users won’t instantly adopt new features, and some may turn filtering off entirely. There are many reasons why people might still want unknown numbers to trigger notifications for them.
- Cross-device reality: A big chunk of your audience still uses Android (where nothing changes).
- Engagement > volume: If your audience saves your number or interacts once, you’re back in the main inbox. Quality and compliance win long-term.
Questions? We’re here to help
If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach out to your Account Manager here.
If you’re not a Hatch customer, you can request a platform demo here.