After the iOS 26 update, I couldn’t skip the Wi-Fi setup screen on my iPhone

After updating my iPhone to iOS 26, the update had already fully downloaded, verified, and installed. When I restarted, I got the usual ‘Hello’ screen in different languages. At that point, I could not proceed past the setup screen without first connecting to a Wi-Fi network. There was no option to skip, even though the device already had my Apple ID credentials and the update was complete. This requirement was unexpected, and it seems like brand-new iPhones in stores are always connected to Wi-Fi during setup so customers may never notice.

I’m just reporting exactly what happened after my update — if someone from Apple or the community can clarify why Wi-Fi is still required at this stage (when no further data should need to be downloaded), that would help.

Someone responded to my previous question on “why its needed” by saying “It doesn’t” and then i could no longer find the thread. So please leave this question on the forum for appropriate responses. i need someone to simply explain the issue or engage me as a user to understand what is happening.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: What happened after ios26? I couldn’t skip the wifi connection screen.