Apple might be requiring iPhone users to install iOS 26 for security fixes

Chance Miller | Dec 19 2025 - 5:35 am PT

Apple released iOS 26.2 last week with important security fixes. At the same time, it also shipped iOS 18.7.3 for users who haven’t upgraded yet — at least in theory.

In practice, Jason Snell at Six Colors reports that some iPhone owners aren’t being offered the iOS 18 security update at all, and are instead being pushed straight to iOS 26.

iOS 26.2 and iOS 18.7.3 updates

Apple released iOS 26.2 last Friday with a number of key security fixes, including two WebKit bugs that may have been exploited in attacks against “specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 26.”

iOS 18.7.3 was also released, fixing those same two WebKit bugs and a variety of other security vulnerabilities for users not on iOS 26.

The problem, as Snell explains, affects users who have opted to remain on iOS 18 even though they have iPhones capable of running iOS 26. Those users aren’t being presented with iOS 18.7.3 as an update option. Instead, the only update being shown to them in the Settings app is iOS 26.2.

This is essentially Apple saying that users must update to iOS 26 to have protection from the latest security vulnerabilities, even though iOS 18.7.3 exists. They can no longer stay back on iOS 18.

If someone is still running iOS 18 right now and they use an iPhone 11 or later, it’s clearly a conscious decision they’ve made. Whether it’s because of personal preference, app compatibility, or something else, that person has clearly decided that they aren’t ready to update to iOS 26.

As Snell rightfully points out, those people shouldn’t have to choose between “ignoring a security update and updating to an OS version they’re not ready for.”

There are a lot of reasons to avoid updating to iOS 26, from a dislike of Liquid Glass to software compatibility to a general wariness to install major updates for a while. This move effectively forces users to take the iOS 26 upgrade if they want the security updates. (iPhones not capable of running iOS 26 are offered the 18.7.3 update. iPads seem to be unaffected.)

If you’re one of the people in the camp of not updating to iOS 26 yet, there’s a workaround:

Several users have reported to me that a workaround is to sign up for Apple’s public beta program and opt in to the iOS 18 public beta track, at which point you’ll be offered 18.7.3. Seems like a long way to go just to get security fixes.

Apple’s security updates page, meanwhile, confirms that iOS 18.7.3 is only available for the following devices (all of which were dropped by iOS 26 and iPadOS 26) via the general public feed:

iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 7th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later.

This would suggest that the ability for people to install iOS 18.7.3 via the public beta channel is the bug here, not that users with iPhones capable of running iOS 26 aren’t seeing the update via the main feed.

Whatever the situation here, things are messy. Ideally, Apple will provide clarification soon.

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