Apple's iOS update threatens to cut into GOP fundraising
Apple's iOS 26 update, rolling out September 2024, is making Republican fundraisers nervous.
The update will automatically send texts from unknown numbers—including those from political campaigns—into a separate folder.
Since the GOP relies heavily on texting for outreach and donations, party officials worry that missed messages could mean over $25 million in lost fundraising.
Similar email issues
The timing couldn't be trickier: the update lands right before the 2024 midterms.
Republicans use text messaging about twice as much as Democrats, so this change hits them harder.
It's giving some deja vu—GOP leaders say Gmail's spam filters already cost them nearly $2 billion in email donations between 2019 and 2022.
With Democrats aiming to retake Congress, even small tech changes like this could shape the race.