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4d ago

GOP Campaigns Urge Apple to Postpone iOS 26 Text Filter Over Fundraising Risks

Party groups are pressing Apple to delay the default-on filter before its mid-September release to protect time-sensitive voter outreach that could be rerouted into an unseen inbox

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Message filtering in iOS 26 upsetting politicians
iOS 26 treats political fundraising texts like any other messages from unknown senders.

Overview

  • The National Republican Senatorial Committee has formally lobbied Apple to push back the iOS 26 “Unknown Senders” feature rollout, citing a narrow window before the public release in mid-September.
  • The NRSC projects a $25 million hit to its Senate fundraising arm and warns that rerouted texts could undercut up to 70% of small-dollar donations, potentially costing GOP campaigns $500 million overall.
  • Under iOS 26, messages from numbers not saved in a user’s contacts are automatically diverted into a separate folder without notifications, affecting fundraising appeals and critical get-out-the-vote reminders.
  • Apple maintains that users can disable the filter through Settings, prompting campaign operatives to plan voter-education efforts on toggling the feature back on.
  • With the release deadline approaching, campaigns are exploring alternative digital channels and rapid-response strategies to ensure their communications reach supporters.