Even on MacOS, they are shoving the latest OS update as the default/preferred update for users. If you're not doing automatic updates, you need to keep going in and manually de-selecting it before running the updater, otherwise you'll get the new stuff. Kind of sneaky, if you ask me.
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Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26
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I prefer to wait for version 26.4, which says that Gemini will be integrated with Siri.
At least I don't have to worry about Apple auto updating my devices to iOS 26 considering their auto-update feature has never worked for me, despite being turned on.
Stop.. I already have enough reasons to hate iOS 26. Adding Gemini makes me only despise it more. If they're going to shoehorn in other companies LLMs, then at least give the user an option which one they want to use. Google is the least trustworthy tech company, after Meta.
Agreed. iOS 26 made my iPhone 15 pro max smoother but one thing it really did was have a noticeable impact on battery life. I’m one of those who turns off motion in accessibility and prefers reduced transparency. I just want an easy to view os without the battery wasting flare.
I’ve got OS 26 on my iPad Mac and iPhone. Not a big fan of glass but I’ve had worse and buggier iOS experiences in the past.
My biggest complaint is reduced usability in screen space especially in iMessages because of the massive floating top part that sits under the island blurring text. That and battery hit rendering this OS. Otherwise it’s been not too bad.
I have this nag icon on my Mac, coz I haven't upgraded to 26. I removed Preferences from my dock coz it bothered me so much. Thanks, Apple.
My iPhone 16 Plus running iOS 26.1 seems to run quite well with no battery issues. I think having 8 GB of RAM on the phone probably helps.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around why they thought it was a good idea to separate the URL bar from the buttons in Safari.
iOS 18 had the URL bar and buttons neatly at the bottom of the screen. You didn't have to visually surf the screen to see the interface elements. iOS 26 moved the URL bar to the top of the screen, and left the buttons at the bottom, and turned it into a floating bar that covers up webpage content. Just one of many UI design issues with iOS 26 that makes you wonder who signed off on the user hostile design.
Will someone explain this Shortcuts thing to replace the Setting icon on the home screen? That sounds like a great idea as I'm no fan of that red icon (not ready to hop to iOS 26), but I have no clue how to do it. Thanks
Reminder everyone.
Install a tvOS beta profile and you can continue on with iOS 18, sans red badge annoyances, and with no worries about an accidental upgrade.
www.idownloadblog.com
Install a tvOS beta profile and you can continue on with iOS 18, sans red badge annoyances, and with no worries about an accidental upgrade.
How to block iOS updates with the tvOS 18 beta profile
In this tutorial, iDB shares how to install a tvOS beta profile to disable over-the-air (OTA) software updates on iPhones & iPads.
www.idownloadblog.com
No thanks! If you want people to update, make software they want to use
I'm of the strong opinion that we should be able to put the OS that we want on our phones. Of course this opens a world of problems for most people who aren't technically inclined. But if we truly own the devices in our hands... should be able to do what we want with them.
That said, there's also the issue of security. I install a bad OS and get my bank account drained and ... I blame Apple.
So the biggest reason why I update is security updates. I could care less about the OS fluff (wish I could turn it off and make my battery life last longer).
I wonder what percentage of iPhone 11 users in 2025 are PWM sensitive. iOS 26 did something to the display that goes far beyond the transparency and animations that can be disabled. Comparing side by side to my XR the 11 has brighter white text in Dark Mode (same brightness and white point) and looking at it for 10 seconds gives me a headache. It’s like I can’t fully focus my eyes on text either. When I look back to the XR my eyes calm down.
And at the minimum we should be able to stay on the version we are already on (or go back to it) with no hassle, fuss or badgering.
Here’s one thing that I’m pretty sure about: If enough users don’t “upgrade” to iOS/iPadOS/MacOS 26 in the wake of this new push by Apple… expect the company to identify some zero-day threat followed by an urgent message to make the switch ASAP. It usually happens with every new Apple OS after a few months. Am I cynical? Absolutely. But Apple has taught me to be so.
Did you see what Google did to Google (😅) on Safari for iOS 15? They downgraded the experience to bare bones and broke so much functionality like seeing reviews and business information.
Yep!
A new zero day "threat" to their ability to control everyone and subsequently market how "popular!" the 26 OSes are.
Open Shortcuts and create a simple one which opens Settings, then click the info icon at the bottom, which gives you an option to add to the Home Screen with a custom icon. (note: scroll down below the colors to see the icons)
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I have to question the security argument when Apple stops making security updates for older OSes. If you can’t afford to buy a new phone, your security doesn’t matter?
It makes it seem like the security argument is yet again being used to push people into spending more money or give Apple more control. Sound familiar?
Thanks to this article, I checked and realized I was on 18.6.1. Updating to 18.7.2 now, before they take away the option! I'll upgrade eventually, but the beta period keeps getting longer and longer after the "release" date on these iOS updates.
I don’t mind the design of 26 at all. It’s nothing fantastic but nothing bad either. But this has been the flakiest iOS ever for me. I always see people on here who complain about every new iOS version and how it has issues. I have fortunately never had any problems. Until iOS 26 that is. It is just not as smooth and polished as the others have been for me. Nothing horrible, but definitely not as good.
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent.
Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18 updates front and center.
Starting today, that's changing. iOS 18 users who have not upgraded to iOS 26 will now see iOS 26.1 as the recommended iOS update in the Settings app. iOS 18 updates are still an option, but are now displayed at the bottom of the app.
Apple isn't forcing users to upgrade to iOS 26, but it is pushing the update more heavily than it was before in an effort to increase installation numbers. Some users may be hesitant to upgrade to iOS 26 because of the Liquid Glass design overhaul that makes major changes to the iPhone interface.
Allowing users to stay on the prior-generation version of iOS is an option that Apple has provided since iOS 15, but it doesn't last forever. Right now, Apple is providing iOS 18 security updates to those who choose to stay on that operating system, but that may stop in the coming months.
After pushing people to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the option more prominent, Apple will likely remove the option to stay on iOS 18, providing iOS 26 as the only upgrade available on devices that support the newer software. Eventually, customers who want to stay up to date on security fixes will need to transition to iOS 26, though Apple will continue to provide iOS 18 updates for devices that do not support iOS 26.
Apple hasn't released iOS 26 adoption numbers, so it is unclear how many people have decided to upgrade. Apple typically updates its iOS numbers several months after a new version of iOS launches, so we could get details in January or February.
Upgrading to iOS 26 from iOS 18 is irreversible, and Apple does not provide a way to downgrade back to the prior version of iOS.
(Thanks, Nicolás!)
Article Link: Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26
All companies do this don't they? I consult for businesses as a side job and the freaking out over Windows 10 not being supported anymore on what most consider not old hardware is really upsetting a lot of people. There ain't a company out there that keeps old OSs updated securely. Obviously, I'm not counting Linux or anything like that. It's always been this way - since I can remember (started using tech in the 90s).
Now, I'm not discounting your point at all - if these companies wanted to, they could keep this stuff running SIGNIFICANTLY longer, but then ... the shareholders and ... the profit. lol
But Apple does an above average job on this imo.
