Skip to main content

Apple releases iOS 18.7 for iPhone, here’s what’s new

Avatar for Ryan Christoffel  | Sep 15 2025 - 10:16 am PT
2 Comments
iOS 18.7

Today alongside its major new iOS 26 update with Liquid Glass redesign, Apple has also debuted a separate iPhone update for users: iOS 18.7 is here.

iOS 18.7 is alternative software update to iOS 26

Today Apple released two new updates for iPhone users to choose from

  • iOS 18.7 is the latest update to the current iPhone software that’s been available since last fall
  • iOS 26 is the brand new OS version that’s packed with new features

iOS 18.7 is in many ways the antithesis of iOS 26.

Where iOS 26 brings a brand new Liquid Glass design, iOS 18.7 will keep your iPhone looking exactly as it did before.

Where iOS 26 is packed with a variety of big and small new features, iOS 18.7’s changes are primarily behind-the-scenes, and may not be noticeable to users at all.

iOS 18.7 focuses on two areas of improvement: bug fixes and security updates.

Here are Apple’s official release notes:

This update provides important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.

Essentially, Apple is giving iPhone users an alternative to iOS 26 that still includes the important security fixes that anyone updating to iOS 26 will get.

iOS 18.7 will also almost certainly be more stable and bug-free than iOS 26, since it’s the latest in a long line of iterative improvements over the past year since iOS 18 launched.

Inside Settings ⇾ General ⇾ Software Update on your iPhone, you’ll see iOS 18.7 as the recommended update to install. iOS 26 is available too, but further down on the screen and easy to miss.

If you’re not yet sure about giving your iPhone a whole new Liquid Glass look, or are worried about iOS 26 being too buggy at the start, sticking with iOS 18 is the safest option. But if you’re excited to get the latest new iPhone features and design, iOS 26 is the choice for you.

Which iPhone update do you plan to install? Let us know in the comments.

Best iPhone accessories

Add 9to5Mac as a preferred source on Google Add 9to5Mac as a preferred source on Google

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:

Comments

Guides

News

Author

Avatar for Ryan Christoffel Ryan Christoffel

Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.