Don't Want to Upgrade to iOS 26? Here's How to Stay on iOS 18 [Update: Now Unavailable]

[Reason077]

It has been that way for a number of years now (since iOS 15?). Previously they didn’t even provide those three months of overlap.

For devices that would support the newer iOS, Apple has NEVER offered security updates for the previous iOS versions for longer than 4-5 months.

In recent years I’ve been staying on old (current minus one) iOS versions for longer than that and could have sworn I was still getting security updates. But a review of the release schedules shows you are correct. I must have been thinking of macOS.

Personally I think it’s a bit sad and user-hostile that Apple does this. After all, they’ve already done the work to integrate the security fixes anyway so why not release it for all supported devices, just like they do for Macs?

There are often good reasons to stay on an older iOS version (better performance on older devices, software compatibility, fewer bugs, etc). Apple shouldn’t be leaving users who choose to do so with insecure devices.

 

[Reason077]

Yes, I remained on the 18 Public Beta channel just to get rid of the annoying daily "update to 26" notifications..

I’m still on iOS 18 and I only get such notifications occasionally, typically when Apple releases a new update. Certainly not daily, more like once every 1-2 months? I’m not on the public beta channel.

 

[CATiNTHESTORE]

I sometimes do not understand why some people do not want to upgrade to the latest OS. I see it as trying to make time stand still. Technology is moving forward with or without us. We eventually need to adapt or it is not capable anymore. By no means am I telling you to upgrade.

It’s not a technology, it is a garbage UI with huge system resources requests … it is literally as it is … Garbage OS…

 

[digimc]

I believe the bugs will eventually get worked out. They usually do. I have gotten to like more of the look of Liquid Glass, once it's dialed back a bit. You can turn it off if you want to do, but I like that you can dial it in to your satisfaction. I admit that some of the look of the interface bothered me at first, like the issues with Apple Music and Safari. But the more that I have used it, the more I have gotten use to it. I expect that ios27 will probably be all about under the hood fixes, as I think the overall look of IOS26 is here to stay.

 

[DENZIE]

lol day after macrumors publishes work around - gets closed by Apple. Glad I got my mini onto 18.7.3 a week ago

 

[sleeptodream]

Most of the os is common between versions newer os just has new features not in the old.

Example being libraries like ssl, ntp, curl.

Automation can easily update the current os with the fixed components and also easily back port those fixes in common components to previous os’s.

It’s not difficult & is typically done within the industry.

For example Cisco has many ‘trains’ that are compatible to common platforms. Those ‘trains’ are often updated at the same time with vulnerability fixes. Difference between ’trains’ is Higher version numbers tend to have newer features.

Another example is LTS builds from Ubuntu or redhat, they are typically supported for 10 years while receiving security updates within that time but features are typically frozen. They can do this because many of the supported features carry into future releases so whilst they fix newer releases a few extra clicks updates the lts releases too.

Ubuntu Releases

thanks for the insight! when you say it’s easy, how easy exactly? & if it’s that easy why do they stop giving older OS’s security updates at all? it seems like every version of macOS only gets 3 years of updates. purely planned obsolescence?

 

[super chimp]

All this could be resolved if Apple gave users the ability to turn off liquid glass. A change that looks like it was only implanted just for the sake of saying look we changed something. Probably to distract from their complete failure in AI features. Though how many people really cared about that I don’t know.

 

[JaydenA]

All this could be resolved if Apple gave users the ability to turn off liquid glass.

I still think apple should have implimented a theming engine and provided a classic theme, a liquid ass theme, and a category in the app store for artists (or slopmongers) to make their saleable themes.

 

[erihp]

cant see the 18.7.3 update on my 13 mini. if there are vuln fixes, this seems like a really poor choice by apple

 

[GIZBUG]

Not working

 

[DCIFRTHS]

There always is a contingent of Apple users who do not like change. iOS 7 and its design was met with a lot of criticism. It was around for 10 years. That’s the trajectory for liquid glass.

I can’t wait for the next thing. To me the next thing is always good.

I look forward to new things, so I do like change. I'm especially fond of OS upgrades. "Kid in the candy store" syndrome. OS 26 (any flavor) is the first Apple OS I have boycotted, so I don't like bad change.

 

[canadianreader]

But the ones stuck on anything lower than 26 will be the minority shortly. If people want the latest security updates, then they have to use the latest OS, why should Apple, MS or anyone else waste time and resources catering to the minority when there is a perfectly fine and free update. People either need to move with the times and adapt, or they'll just get left behind. That goes for any technology.

“it’s for your safety” “it’s for the children” fear-mongering tactics. This pressuring from the likes of you and from Apple is what makes me resist even more this push to upgrade to iOS26.

I’ll upgrade when they’ll fix it.

 

[super chimp]

cant see the 18.7.3 update on my 13 mini. if there are vuln fixes, this seems like a really poor choice by apple

It’s no longer available to devices that can be updated to iOS 26, even through the beta channel.

 

[erihp]

It’s no longer available to devices that can be updated to iOS 26, even through the beta channel.

thats seems pretty hostile, why build and deploy only to hold it back, to force upgrades to 26? thats... wrong.

 

[Wx_Man]

Well…Apple has apparently gotten wise to the news on multiple Apple news websites and blogs about the Beta Program hack being used by all of us to bypass being nagged and forced to download 26. I got in and got iOS 18.7.3 and MacOS 15.7.4 before the Apple “Iron Curtain” dropped.

Acting like Communist East Germany is NOT how to “Think Different” Apple. Tim Cook has to go !

 

[Homme]

All this could be resolved if Apple gave users the ability to turn off liquid glass. A change that looks like it was only implanted just for the sake of saying look we changed something. Probably to distract from their complete failure in AI features. Though how many people really cared about that I don’t know.

you could be right but then the only devices which support OS 26 without Liquid Glass are the Apple TV HD and the first gen 4K.

Perhaps because of this there is a possibility in the future though

 

[Homme]

Ios26 is the windows vista of iOS version.

Hopefully the next version in 2026 will be lighter, faster and less wasteful on resources.

Remember all of this bloat compared with xp?

View attachment 2589442
View attachment 2589443


What they took from us 😭😢💔
View attachment 2589444

Incorrect. iOS 8 for A5/A5X devices is the closest to Windows Vista because the coding back then for those devices is quite similar to Vista (especially the fact that iOS 8/Vista required 512MB of RAM as the minimum lol)

And iOS 9 is like Windows 7 for them lol

if OS 26 can perform fine for an A8/2GB of RAM Apple TV HD then it’s fine across the board ( except the SE2 and how quickly its battery depletes past 80% of its capacity)

 

[shinkansenwarrior]

God dammit Apple you stingy gits.
I thought I was on latest iOS18 update but only 18.7.1 tried to update but yesterday Apple pulled all iOS18 updates ...missed by a matter of hours!!

Horrible decision for pure greed.
We should always be given the choice as we have for so many years.

Perfect execution before XMAS.
Scrooge mentality. Send the 3 ghosts to Tim Cook to pressure Apple to restore iOS18.7.3!!!

 

[cwerdna]

Those attacks tend to be targeted at specific individuals.

If your a politician or vip or someone with incriminating info on your devices then best to upgrade.

If your a no one like the rest of us then likely no worries.

Apple os’s constantly download security files that scan & guard against intrusions & exploits, kind of like an anti virus hence why antivirus isn’t needed on macs.

This site has some detail on the auto security updates that occur.

Malware detection and remediation by XProtect Remediator

In June 2022, Apple retired MRT and replaced it with XProtect Remediator. Here’s all you need to know about this new tool and what it does.

eclecticlight.co

System Updates

This page lists updates released by Apple for macOS and security updates from 2016 onwards. Information for older updates may not be complete, but this should document full cycles for each major ve…

eclecticlight.co

Nonsense, esp. for iOS. Once a security update comes out the high level details are known along with the CVEs (see https://support.apple.com/en-us/100100), bad actors can know to bang around those areas to find the vulnerabilities. They can also do diffs of the changes to reverse engineer them and come up with exploits.

Often, exploits chain together (make use of) several vulnerabilities. Those bad actors are targeting people who haven't updated.

Also, for MacOS, if XProtect were perfect, there'd be no need for Apple to release security updates for any part of MacOS nor release Safari updates. https://support.apple.com/en-us/125892 has an example of two that were already being exploited.

 

[Homme]

Apple updated iOS 17 in March 2025 with major a security risk update 😒. They will do the same with iOS 18 if anything comes up!

iPadOS 17 devices though… and they will do that for OS’s from OS 15 ( the best iOS/iPadOS Version to date) and above

Vista was a very nice OS, but people just didn't have the necessary hardware to run it properly especially coming from XP. Even OEMs shipped systems that were so underpowered they couldn't run the desktop smoothly. On top of that, they shipped systems with so little RAM it had no chance of running the OS without thrashing the old mechanical drives, plus OEMs had so much bloat installed that used what little RAM there was. Vista never stood a chance, the new driver model didn't help either.

Windows 7 was essentially the same OS but only a little lighter on resources. By the time that OS came out, people had the necessary power to run it, even low-end systems by the time 7 was out could have run Vista very smoothly, and by then pretty much all new hardware was compatible with the new driver model, so that complaint was pretty much gone.

Vista never stood a chance but it is better than the other failures (garbage 8/ Windows 11 with its dumb system requirements and the worst one.. Windows ME)

And even better you could upgrade to both Vista/7 with a PC running Windows 2000 unlike Windows ME

Good to know. For me, I am happy with the latest versions of software and have updated all my devices to iOS/iPadOS 26.

Same here

This is just gas lighting consumers.

Like OS26, Vista introduced a lot of UI eye candy like transparency and animations - all of which were a net negative. No improvement on usability + resource hogging.

Yes it did and it would have been a positive if Vista was fully released with SP2 though

iOS 26 is nowhere near the same as Vista was, and not the resource hog you claim it to be. Running like a champ on my iPhone 13 Pro.

The morphing UI makes for a very elegant and productive experience.

Setting Liquid Glass aside, what are 3 things that you wish iOS 26 offered?

iOS 8 as I said a few posts back is the closest to Vista. And the A5X iPad is the best one to add because it lagged badly on iOS 8 and 9 but also iOS 7 as well ( the other A5 devices ran better on iOS 7 and 9 then that)

3 things I wish iOS 26 offered

XR/XS Support (though it’s too late now)

The ability to fully bloody turn off WiFi/Bluetooth via Control Panel

And more features for the 15Pro/16/16e and later

 

[sleeptodream]

iOS 7 was absolutely awful.

I truly don't know anyone who liked how far they went with things like the fonts.
It got better, as I'm sure iOS 26 will (hopefully sooner rather than later), but it was really bad out of the gate.

I loved iOS 7, especially the fonts. In fact I bought an iPod touch with iOS 7 on it just to be able to use it again. I think it’s beautiful

 

[zeus423]

If people want the old way they simply have to navigate to Settings -> General -> Screen Capture and disable the toggle for ‘Full-Screen Previews’. Personally I think the full screen option is an improvement.
My wife is also a casual user and I’ve heard no complaints yet.

He clearly doesn't listen to his wife if he's "heard no complaints". \s

 

[Downundermac]

I really wish Apple would reconsider trying to get everyone on iOS 26.

It's clear a decent percentage of the userbase hates it and doesn't want it. There's always a few people who don't want to move to the new iOS, but I've never seen THIS much pushback in the 15 years I've been using iPhones.

They should allow people to stay on iOS 18 (without needing beta mode), continue releasing security updates (which they're already doing for a few older iPhone models) and just make iOS 27 better so we'll actually want to upgrade next year.

I know people from Apple read this forum. Seriously, a lot of us HATE 26. We don't want it. Reconsider the policy for this year. Make 27 better.

Corporate Tech Bros are a different breed. In most lines of work we’re told to pull our heads in and admit when we stuff up. Tech companies just stonewall, come up with PR drivel or just force you to swallow. If enough of us say ‘thanks but I’ll pass’ they might have to pull finger or backtrack.

 

[bigglow]

lol day after macrumors publishes work around - gets closed by Apple. Glad I got my mini onto 18.7.3 a week ago

18.7.3 was released December 12, 2025. That's 4 days ago and for half of the world we aren't on Sunday yet.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I would be very much in favor of Apple switching to more of an 18-24 month cycle for macOS major versions.

They did, it didn’t really help.
There was 18 months between the launch of panther in October 2003 and the launch of tiger in April 2005, and yet at the time tiger was known as one of the buggiest .0 launches since the initial launch of OS X.
Leopard was in the oven for 30 months until October 2007, had over a year and two months of Beta testing and *still* launched with absolutely no option to turn the new transparent menu bar opaque, tuns of bugs and compatibility issues with power PC machines. Despite being the macOS version in testing for the longest, delayed twice and given likely the most attention a release of OS X ever got up to that point and wouldever get again, it still had to be followed up by Snow Leopard, an updatewhere they promised to fix everything they broke that also took two years to release, and was also significantly buggier at launch than it’s predecessor (meaning 10.6.0 was in significantly worse shape than 10.5.8).
And then Lion, launched 22 and a half months after Snow Leopard, wasn’t received particularly strongly, again had to be followed up by two “we’ve fixed it we promise” releases in Mountain Lion and Mavericks.
I think the point is pretty clear, releasing an update every year, there will be bugs.
Releasing an update every two years, there will be just as many bugs.
Releasing an update every 5 to 7 years, just as many bugs if not more, ask Microsoft about that one.
Another way to put it, GTA 6 will have taken 13 years to launch if it actually drops next year on time, do you honestly think it will launch bug free? Of course not.