Apple is turning up the pressure on anyone still holding onto iOS 18.
The company has reshuffled the Software Update menu so that iOS 26.1 now appears as the recommended update, pushing iOS 18 updates to the bottom of the screen instead of keeping them front and centre.
Until now, users who preferred to stay on iOS 18 saw it as the default path, with iOS 26 listed quietly as an optional upgrade. That’s shifting. Apple isn’t forcing the jump, but it’s making the newer software harder to ignore as it looks to increase adoption of the OS it launched in September.
The timing makes sense. iOS 26 introduces Apple’s new Liquid Glass interface, a major visual overhaul that has divided users and slowed early upgrades.
Giving it more visibility is Apple’s way of nudging those who’ve been hesitant to commit, especially since switching from iOS 18 to iOS 26 is permanent, with no downgrade path.
Apple still provides security updates for iOS 18, but history suggests that won’t last forever.
Once installation numbers stabilise, the company typically removes the option to stay on older versions for devices that support the newer OS, leaving the latest iOS as the only way to stay fully secure. Devices stuck on older hardware will continue receiving updates where necessary.
We don’t yet know how many people have already moved to iOS 26. Apple usually shares adoption figures a few months after launch, so we’re likely to see official numbers early next year.
For now, the message is clear: if your iPhone can run iOS 26, Apple wants you on it, and it’s no longer hiding the upgrade behind a menu.
