iOS 26 is still being avoided by some people, but you must still upgrade now- you are not receiving iOS 18.7.4 if your device is newer than iPhone XS or XR

Question

iOS 26 is still being avoided by some people, but you must still upgrade now- you are not receiving iOS 18.7.4 if your device is newer than iPhone XS or XR

We understand that iOS 26 is still being avoided by some people, but for me, I’m on iPhone SE 2, and iOS 26.2.1 is running fine. And there are still some people still on iOS 18.7.2, avoiding iOS 26 because of its Liquid Glass. But you should still resist the urge to stay on 18.7.2 and upgrade to 26.2.1 now as you would not see 18.7.3 or 18.7.4 as options. There was a beta loophole that allowed you to download and install iOS 18.7.3, but that has since patched, but even if you were to install iOS 18.7.3 beforehand, you would not see iOS 18.7.4 on the workaround you used. So wherever you have iOS 18.7.2 or 18.7.3, you must upgrade to iOS 26.2.1 now to remain secure, as this is now the only way to remain secure in the future. Don’t wait for iOS 26.3 or a hypothetical iOS 18.7.5–upgrade today.

Posted on Jan 27, 2026 1:56 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Servant of Cats

Level 8

35,615 points

Jan 27, 2026 2:24 PM in response to InfamousMarioFan

You failed to mention the big reason why people will be forced to install iOS 26 or its successor.

The security certificate that iMessages, FaceTime, and activation use expires as of January 2027 (next year). For people whose phones are compatible with iOS 26, the only way to get a new certificate with a later expiration date will be to update to iOS 26 or its successor.

Even people who are willing to live without all of the latest features and bug fixes probably will not want to lose access to iMessages.

Reply