I have Automatic Updates turned off completely on my 2022 iPhone SE, which is currently on iOS 18.7.2.
Yesterday, I had a System Settings notification that iOS 26.1 was available, and asking if I wanted to upgrade. And when I sent into System Settings > General > Software Updates, there’s no mention of iOS 18.7.2 but a prominent one for 26.1 with the only options being Update Now and Update Tonight.
I’ve no plans on updating, and I’d hope that Apple respects that, but it’s niggling me now because it feels like they’re trying to get me to relent.
Consider scrolling on the Software Update pages and being careful what you tap on if you haven’t already tried that. I remember seeing some trickery of placement and wordage like this on iOS and iPadOS when I did the 26.1 update. There might be an 18.x update hiding there.
There is currently no update for 18 beyond 18.7.2 so you should not see anything 18 related in Software Update. I too am staying on 18, for now, so will ignore the “Update to iOS 26” nag.
I scrolled down the page past the 26.1 box (making sure not to press near either of those button), but there wasn’t anything about 18.x, not even a “you’re on the latest version” message.
I also find this very frustrating. I’ve specifically opted out of automatic updates; it’s not my job to “increase installation numbers” (per the linked MacRumors article). Even more annoyingly, the Settings app does not appear in the list of apps in Settings→Notifications, meaning that there’s no way to disable the obnoxious red badge notification.
If I had to guess, there will probably not be any further security patches to iOS 18 for anyone whose phone can run iOS 26. Typically, the overlap period where Apple patches both the newest and previous OS stops once the new.2 release comes out in mid December.
I’m still on 18 for now, but I hope the 26.2 update brings some more refinement to the new UI, because I expect that’s when I’ll have to update.
Same for iOS v18.7.3 as shown in Releases - Apple Developer . It’s weird that both v18.7.3 are not at RC. I guess Apple is done with them and waits for v26.2 next week. Also, Apple is going to offer v26.2 for devices that can run v26. No more v18 updates for them. Only devices that can’t run v26 will get v18.7.3 and on. :(
That mentality is true of apple apps generally…. you can’t turn background app refresh off for Mail, as one example. I assume that apple thinks their apps are ‘special’ and OBVIOUSLY you want things to work the way apple wants them to work, not the way you want them to work.
For the settings app’s permanent update notification I have moved my settings app to a location that is red in my wallpaper so it is less visible.
This has been true for all major updates that I can remember. After a while (.1 or .2) they start pushing the new major release (26 in this case), and only after you say no to that can you see the update that is available to the older version. Nudge? Hmmm. Trick is the word I would use. I haven’t installed anything less than .4 in 10 years… it takes them that long to shake the launch bugs out.
9to5Mac reported that a new version of iOS 26.2 RC was released today. So, it will probably be a few days until the full 26.2 release. By the way, as long as you’ve waited this long, it wouldn’t hurt to wait a few more days to be sure that the release is clean for all supported Macs.
Update: the nags are now daily on both the iPhone and MacBook Air, but I’m making sure to dismiss the notifications. The macOS one is sneaky though, it just says that updates are ready to install and suggests Tonight or Later, without mentioning the update is Tahoe 26.1.
