Apple Urges iPhone Users Running Outdated iOS Versions to Update Immediately

[bzgnyc2]

If you read the article, you’ll see they can update to iOS 15.

Depends which iPhone you have. Generally one has to upgrade to the latest iOS supported by their device. If Apple let people upgrade only as far as they want, there would probably be a lot fewer people on old subreleases of an iOS (for example, for those on iPhone 11 running iOS 13, their current choices are to stay there or jump to iOS 26 -- there's no way to jump to just iOS 15. Similarly no way for someone with an iPhone 12 running iOS 18.6 to jump to iOS 18.7.6 or even iOS 18.7.3 -- they have to jump to iOS 26).

Then if Apple let people downgrade, I bet a lot of people would be more willing to try a new version knowing they could go back to what worked for them. Yes downgrades are possible with in the early days of a new release but these days those versions are usually awful. When it was possible to downgrade from iOS 26 to iOS 18, it was the early days of iOS 26 which were pretty bad. iOS 26.3.1 might be great but now it's a one-way street.

These things are possible on Macs and as best I can tell it hasn't brought about the end of the world.

 

[platinumaqua]

If Apple kept separate WebKit updates available for older versions or allow alternative rendering engines on the App Store, users can still stay fairly secure even without updating to the latest version.

 

[SBlue1]

And make me deal with Liquid Glass? Nice try, Apple

Dude, reading is not your strength? LOL!

 

[Zenman12]

That is because we watch you young people update and then come here to complain. 🙂 We did not live to be this old because we were stupid. 🙂

I’m not complaining. What young people are here complaining? It’s usually old people. Wisdom is like wine. You need good grapes to make good wine. Wine when it ages doesn’t automatically become good wine. Debatable.

 

[darngooddesign]

so you can say more people are on ios 17 and 18 versions the next time? Nice try Apple.. they you said more people have downloaded because they were forced..

So what. 17 and 18 are nice OSes.

 

[maxoakland]

Is this one of those updates you can't get on a phone that can run iOS 26 unless you upgrade to iOS 26? Because nah

 

[maxoakland]

There are complaints about manufacturers, not updating their phones after a couple of years. There are complaints about manufacturers, updating their old phones because there are security flaws in their old OS.

Conclusion:neither this nor that is ok for certain people. So: find your own way, do not complain about anything.

The complaint is when people are forced to update to an OS they don't like

 

[conchiconchi]

if they care so much why can't I update my iphone 15 to 18.7.6 ?

 

[Jumpthesnark]

And make me deal with Liquid Glass? Nice try, Apple

You don't have to.

So hard to read the article when you're just refreshing the MR front page to see when there's a new article to speedily post a complaint on. "First!"

How about Apple just release the already prepared security updates instead of forcing the Liquid Glass on us.

You don't have to upgrade to 26 to get the patch. I'm running an older iOS version and I don't need to upgrade to 26. Apple is not "forcing" anyone to do anything.

From Apple's support doc:

• Devices with the latest, updated versions of iOS 15 through iOS 26 are already protected...

• Devices with iOS 13 or iOS 14 must update to iOS 15 to receive these protections and will receive an additional alert to install a Critical Security Update in the next few days.

They probably deliberately add date-based security issues so that they can compel users to upgrade later on.

"Probably" is doing a lot of work there. 🤣

People are free to do what they want. Apple is giving customers information to protect their devices. What customers do with that information is up to them. But the important thing is that they're operating off of correct information, and not just making ill-informed assumptions.

 

[Marlor]

According to Google's security research, this exploit chain is not fully patched until iOS 18.7.3:

The Proliferation of DarkSword: iOS Exploit Chain Adopted by Multiple Threat Actors | Google Cloud Blog

DarkSword is a new iOS exploit chain that leverages multiple zero-day vulnerabilities to fully compromise iOS devices.

cloud.google.com

However, Apple has yanked iOS 18.7.3 (and above) for phones that are capable of running iOS 26. If you didn't update in the brief window it was available, you can no longer do so.

In a practical sense, users on iOS 18.7.2 are safe from immediate threat as the final two stages of the exploit chain have been patched there. But it's entirely plausible a substitute for those final steps could be developed, leaving users vulnerable to zero-day attacks. Far better to have the entire chain of exploits patched.

So, by yanking iOS 18.7.3 (and above) for devices capable of running iOS 26, Apple has given users have a choice: update to Liquid Glass or leave yourself vulnerable.

 

[I7guy]

I'm sure they do. The fact remains that many of us, who are actually cogent and expert users, think the modern iteration of iOS is garbage. I updated my phone; my iPad and Macs will remain on the previous releases until I can't any longer. Really, Apple: listen to your users (you know, the ones that are actually knowledgable and use their own money to keep you in business) and give them options. We have little reason to continue our faith in the company at present. Hardware is great; software is something we would imagine in primary school. It's a joke. What in the hey is going on with Apple's software division? The dichotomy is rather drastic at this point, and to Tim Cook - that is not the sign of a well-run company, just one skating by on its laurels or wealth.

While you are entitled to your opinion, the universe in my opinion disagrees with this opinion.

 

[JoshJunyor]

Tell Apple to make iOS not terrible and more people might want to update.

 

[Alex.ne]

Tim, I will make you a deal.

If you make a new iPhone mini, I will buy it and stay on the latest iOS

What if it is square and costs 2000bucks? See ya in 6 months.

 

[Jetscreamer]

For the paranoid iPhone owners. Never have to update, ever.

 

[svish]

Good to see the update that fixes the vulnerability. Always good to keep devices updated to be safe. I have all my devices up to date.

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

So much for those who like to keep their devices 10 or 15 years.

 

[9640418]

It's amazing how many people have iPhone 6/6s/7/8/X etc. still in use. they really do stay useful forever.

If 5/5c/5s supported VoLTE in the US, people would still use them

 

[vjl323]

If they were actually worried about it, they could've patched those versions, too.

Not directly related to this article, but they could also just make builds of "security" updates available for all devices capable of running it. There is no legitimate excuse for not letting me install iOS 15.8.7 on my 15.7.2-running 13 mini.

Exactly this. There are still macOS updates for 14.x and 15.x even though those Macs can run 26.x [sadly, as you and I know, some of those updates also break things, but I digress]. I still have 17.7.2 on my 13 mini - if there was a zero day issue, I would expect a 17.7.3, and not forcing me to move to 26.x.

 

[eifelbube]

Tim, I will make you a deal.

If you make a new iPhone mini....

Which has nothing to do with the topic at hand

When quoted in full, it does:

Tim, I will make you a deal.

If you make a new iPhone mini, I will buy it and stay on the latest iOS

 

[UliBaer]

No way, keep your Fisher Price OS for yourself or stick it, where the sun doesn't shine! I already canned the 18 abomination... 🤮 I keep running 17.7.2, which no hacker is interested in! Love it! 👍

[edit] When my iPhone finally goes belly up, I'm certainly gone for good...

 

[Tim Jobs the 2nd]

And make me deal with Liquid Glass? Nice try, Apple

"Apple today urged iPhone users who are running iOS 13 or iOS 14 to upgrade to iOS 15 to protect themselves from being hacked through malicious web content."

iOS 15 had Liquid Glass?

 

[Tim Jobs the 2nd]

No way, keep your Fisher Price OS for yourself or stick it, where the sun doesn't shine! I already canned the 18 abomination... 🤮 I keep running 17.7.2, which no hacker is interested in! Love it! 👍

[edit] When my iPhone finally goes belly up, I'm certainly gone for good...

Fisher Price OS lol ok.

So you'll switch to Android and use Snickerdoodle or Pumpkin Latte or whatever they call that year's version

 

[Shirasaki]

And make me deal with Liquid Glass? Nice try, Apple

Nah. I’m terrified to be constantly spied by Chinese but I’m also terrified to use a much slower iPhone just for the security updates. Why I can’t have my cake and eat it too?

How about Apple just release the already prepared security updates instead of forcing the Liquid Glass on us.

Apple is getting desperate to push more people using iOS 26 with all the brand new disasters built in.

I manage thousands of devices at work. Urging only goes so far. Real holdouts have to be forced.

Just flip a remote switch to brick the managed devices unless they get updated to latest version of iOS, bars people having a phone call or running certain application. That’ll do the trick.

 

[Shirasaki]

"Apple today urged iPhone users who are running iOS 13 or iOS 14 to upgrade to iOS 15 to protect themselves from being hacked through malicious web content."

iOS 15 had Liquid Glass?

You completely missed the point: most devices able to run iOS 18 today can run iOS 26, which is where liquid glass is introduced.

 

[Reverend Benny]

Apple fixes zero-day flaw exploited in targeted attacks (CVE-2026-20700) - Help Net Security

Apple has released fixes for a zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2026-20700) that was exploited in targeted attacks last year.

www.helpnetsecurity.com

Sounds like you need to update 26.3.1 or later if you are on devices that can be updated.