User Agency and Updates ⇥ sixcolors.com

Jason Snell, Six Colors, in December:

Apple generally tries not to leave behind users who haven’t updated or can’t update to the latest OS version. Apple also usually offers security updates for past OS versions, and indeed, the company also released iOS 18.7.3 to address the same issues.

Unfortunately, there’s an ugly catch: Numerous iPhone users have reported that if your iPhone is capable of running iOS 26 but you’re still back on iOS 18, you won’t be offered iOS 18.7.3. Instead, the only update option you’ll be given is iOS 26.2.

As Snell writes, Apple created versions of iOS 18.7.3 for newer iPhones, but withheld those builds from public release, following a pattern of pushing users to the newest version of iOS after about the x.2 release.

It is a good reminder that the iOS adoption rate is not solely motivated by individuals, or even primarily so. Apple requires people to install the newest major version, even if they have automatic updates turned off, if they wish to install patches for security vulnerabilities. With automatic updates switched on, even stragglers will eventually find themselves using the new version anyway as long as their device is compatible. My wife’s iPhone was updated overnight to iOS 26 this week. She is not a Liquid Glass fan.