iOS 27 arrived with patches for more than 100 security vulnerabilities, giving iPhone owners a substantial update to install. For anyone who would rather not move an iPhone 18 Pro Max or another recent handset onto a brand new operating system this early, Apple released iOS 26.7 on the same day, providing a second route to stay protected.
The security notes published for both releases show totals that are not close. iOS 27 covers more than 100 vulnerabilities, while iOS 26.7 covers more than 80, with 75 fixes counted as common to both. Neither set of notes flags any of these flaws as having been exploited in the wild.
How long iOS 26.7 keeps you covered
The two-track setup is a documented and deliberately temporary arrangement rather than an open-ended offer. Since iOS 14.5, Apple has presented a choice on the software update screen: take the new major release straight away, or remain on the current version and continue receiving important security updates for a limited period.
Android owners are used to a different model. Google’s Android security bulletins are monthly and version-agnostic, and the September 2026 bulletin patched 180 vulnerabilities across Android 14 through Android 17 in a single pass. Staying on an older Android version does not cut a device off from patches the way it eventually does on an iPhone.
What the updates are patching
The combined notes run past a hundred entries. Among the most significant, a kernel flaw allowed a malicious app to grant itself the highest level of control over a phone, effectively achieving root access. A Bluetooth weakness meant someone within radio range could crash an app or run their own code on an iPhone.
In iOS 27 only, a flaw allowed anyone holding an unlocked phone to read stored network passwords without authenticating, and a malicious shortcut could send messages without confirmation. Siri Suggestions could surface sensitive information to someone with physical access to a locked device, an app could work out a user’s location through system logs it should never have read, and malicious web content could crash Safari, corrupt memory or expose viewed information.
To pick between the two, go to Settings, then General, then Software Update, where both releases are offered separately. iOS 26.7 disappears once iOS 27 is installed, so the choice exists only while a device remains on iOS 26.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro Max carry a saving of around £75. The decision on updates is narrower than it appears, since both options deliver a broad batch of security fixes on the same day.
Source
Image: phonearena.com
