Overview

• Apple’s iOS 26 is expected to roll out in September with a setting that diverts messages from numbers not in contacts and with no prior reply into a separate, non-alerting folder.
• The control remains user-activated, is being renamed to 'Screen Unknown Senders,' and adds a Messages app filter button with an unread badge to surface screened texts, according to prior beta reporting.
• Republican strategists cite 2024 data showing the GOP used texting about two-to-one over Democrats, raising concerns for voter registration and event outreach if users enable the filter.
• An internal July memo from the National Republican Senate Committee warned the change could cost Republicans more than $25 million in revenue, Punchbowl News reported.
• Fundraising firms are urging supporters to save campaign numbers or reply to texts to build chat history, with Trump-branded messages asking recipients to add contact cards or respond directly.