Updated Dec 6 with further details of the software and its release date.
Did you upgrade your iPhone to iOS 26 yet? It’s available for all models from the iPhone 11 onwards. But until now, Apple has also readied a version of last year’s iOS 18 so that users reluctant to move to the new OS just yet can stay protected. It looks like that’s just ended and new evidence suggests that the next iOS 26 update is now only days away. Since there have been numerous reports that the software was delayed, it will surprise many that it might actually be early, after all.
“Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent,” MacRumors reports.
Until this week, iOS 18 updates have been the default choice, with iOS 26 offered further down the page in Settings.
“Starting today, that’s changing. iOS 18 users who have not upgraded to iOS 26 will now see iOS 26.1 as the recommended iOS update in the Settings app. iOS 18 updates are still an option, but are now displayed at the bottom of the app,” the report goes on.
While that’s not the same as forcing users to move to iOS 26, the writing is clearly on the wall.
Each iOS 26 update has been accompanied by one for iOS 18, so far. However, while the first two of these were released pretty much at the same time, the latest iOS 18 option, 18.7.2, came several days later, perhaps as a way for Apple to quietly nudge people to iOS 26.
While this doesn’t mean that there won’t be an iOS 18.7.3 release soon after iOS 26.2 goes live later this month (read this for exactly when that will be), it wouldn’t surprise me if iOS 26.2 is the only option offered.
And there’s now further evidence that iOS 26.2 is almost here: on Wednesday, Dec. 3, Apple launched the release candidate of iOS 26.2 to developers, indicating the schedule is still in place for general release on Monday, Dec. 15 or Tuesday, Dec. 16.
It also means that it’s just possible that iOS 26.2 could come earlier. I had written off Monday, Dec. 8 and Tuesday, Dec. 9, but as the release candidate arrived so soon after the week of Thanksgiving, I’d say that one of those days is possible, alongside Wednesday, Dec. 10 — which I now believe to be the most likely date.
Other commentators have come to their own conclusions, but all are in the same ball park. “Apple normally releases its x.2 updates during the second week of December, and this year seems to follow the same pattern. So users can expect the update between 8 December and 10 December, unless there is a revised RC build that delays things a little,” MSN said while Britta O’Boyle at T3 agreed that it could come “as soon as next week.”
Geeky Gadgets said “Apple has confirmed that the general rollout will occur on Dec. 8, giving users worldwide access to the new features and improvements,” though it’s not clear to me that Apple has made this confirmation or where the site is sourcing this.
And I suspect it will be the week beginning Dec. 8 rather than necessarily the day itself — though that would certainly surprise the analysts who have banked on the release being delayed.
“Looking ahead, Apple plans to release the iOS 26.3 beta during the week of Dec. 15,” the site went on, which seems likely to me.
Apple’s move to encourage people to iOS 26 now suggests to me that the iOS 18 option at the bottom of the page is likely to disappear soon.
Of course, there will be iOS 18 security updates coming in the future, but they may only be offered to users of the three phones which can run iOS 18 but not iOS 26, that is, the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR. Owners of the latest models, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air, have no choice in the matter: iOS 26 came pre-installed.
