Apple now makes iOS 27 the default update for iOS 26 users

Apple held back for just over three weeks, but that is now over. Since Thursday, Software Update on iPhones still running iOS 26 has been showing iOS 27.0.1 as the large, prominent update. The iOS 26.7.1 maintenance update is still available, but it has moved to a smaller section at the bottom of the screen - exactly where iOS 27 was until now. MacRumors reports on the change.

When iOS 27 launched on September 14, the order was still reversed. Anyone checking under Settings, General, Software Update was offered iOS 26.7 by default and had to deliberately select the upgrade to the new major version below it. Apple thus took a gentle approach: iOS 26.7 included around 80 security fixes but no new features, and anyone who wanted to wait and see how the major update performed in its first few weeks could do so without compromising security.

So what does the new order mean for everyone who has stayed on iOS 26? Not much for now. Nothing is being forced, and iOS 26.7.1 can still be installed separately. The update is important nonetheless: it fixes a vulnerability in CoreGraphics that Apple says has already been exploited in targeted attacks - so it should be installed on every iPhone that has not yet upgraded.

The timing makes sense. With iOS 27.0.1 in late September, Apple fixed the first notable bugs in the new version, including unexpected restarts on the new Pro models when Face ID fails. That completes the first round of fixes that cautious users traditionally wait for, and Apple has little reason to keep presenting iOS 26 as an equivalent alternative. From the manufacturer's perspective, this is a logical step - every iPhone still running the old version means maintaining security for two software branches in parallel.

From a technical standpoint, there is little reason not to upgrade anyway. iOS 27 runs on every iPhone that also received iOS 26; no models are being dropped this year. Apple has not said how long it will continue providing security updates for the old branch. There is a clue, though: as late as April 2026, iOS 18 received a fix for a serious vulnerability with iOS 18.7.7 – a little over six months after the launch of iOS 26.

Anyone who has kept iOS 26 purely out of caution can now go ahead with the upgrade. The first bug fix is here, and Apple's decision to put the new version front and center can be taken as a sign that the manufacturer considers it ready. Those who have good reasons to stay, such as an important app that still has problems with iOS 27, should look carefully the next time they open Settings and specifically tap iOS 26.7.1. The large entry at the top now leads to the new major version, and going back afterward requires considerable effort.

Apple is setting the direction - but everyone still has to make the switch themselves.