Apple warns most iPhones vulnerable without upgrade
Apple has confirmed that iPhone users remain at risk from mercenary spyware attacks, with most devices unable to receive fixes unless upgraded to the latest operating system.
Two critical vulnerabilities were patched ahead of the holidays, but data suggests that the majority of users have yet to update, News.Az reports, citing Forbes.
As reported last month, roughly 50% of eligible iPhone users had not upgraded from iOS 18 to iOS 26, leaving them exposed to new attacks. The slow adoption of iOS 26 is now attracting broader attention.
“iOS 26 still struggles to gain traction with iPhone users,” noted Cult of Mac, while PhoneArena reported that “more iPhone users than ever are ignoring the latest iOS update.” 9to5Mac highlighted that nearly four months after release, most users remain on iOS 18, far behind adoption rates of previous updates like iOS 18 and 17.
Statistics vary: StatCounter suggests fewer than 20% have upgraded, while TelemetryDeck offers a more optimistic estimate of 60%. Even so, hundreds of millions of iPhones remain vulnerable.
Apple had initially indicated that users could remain on iOS 18 while still receiving security updates, but the company later limited the patch—iOS 18.7.3 is only available for devices that cannot run iOS 26.
“There’s no workaround or user behavior that meaningfully mitigates this risk,” said Darren Guccione of Keeper Security. Upgrading is the only effective defense, and delays increase the window of vulnerability once patches are public.
Despite Apple promoting iOS 26 as a major update, adoption remains low. Vice reports that nearly 84% of iPhone users have not downloaded iOS 26 in the four months since release.
Tech outlets note that unlike Android, iOS updates are immediately available to all compatible iPhones, yet many users still delay updating. User reluctance may partly stem from Apple’s new Liquid Glass UI, which some critics argue prioritizes aesthetics over usability.
Regardless of the reasons, security experts stress that only the latest iOS version protects against known threats. Analytics Insight warns that millions of devices remain unpatched, leaving users exposed to attacks.
Reddit threads like “Never upgrading to iOS 26” and “Why so much hate for this release?” highlight the resistance among users. Security specialists, including James Maude from BeyondTrust, emphasize that upgrading is essential: failure to do so will leave devices vulnerable to exploits actively targeted by threat actors.
Similar news
