My iPhone silently stopped auto-updating for security months ago, with no notification or indication, despite running a recent version on a recent device.
Apple nagged once for iOS 26 months ago. For anyone who declined at the time, Apple effectively ignores the security auto-update setting, with no way to apply those updates.
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So Apple is simultaneously aggressive (withhold updates until you choose iOS 26), yet also weak and ineffective (Apple doesn't re-prompt for individual iOS 18.x/26.x updates because 18.x is withheld from "too new" devices and each 26.x silently folds onto the low-prio once-only already-declined major-version iOS 26 nag).
https://www.theverge.com/tech/896841/iphone-ios-18-attack-darksword via @rgadellaa
https://sixcolors.com/post/2025/12/apple-is-forcing-iphones-to-update-to-ios-26-to-patch-security-holes/ via @jsnell
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@krinkle @jsnell Wait... If you decline the iOS 26 update once, you don't get notifications for 18.x.x security patches? 😬
Do you get any of the 26.x updates when they become available? (E.g., you decline 26.0, but then 26.1 ships - do you get a notification?)
And does iOS tell you you're no longer receiving 18.x security patches?
No notifs or nudges for later 26.x updates indeed. When I go to settings, it says I'm on 18.3, and and I have one singular offer there for manual installation: "iOS 26.3.1(a)".
It says that the 26.3.1(a) update includes a "Rapid Security Response".
Not so "rapid", however, despite having security responses enabled under automatic update settings.
Timo Tijhof
Roderick Gadellaa