Apple is patching iPhones and iPads that skipped iOS 26. Update now!
If you've been putting off updating to iOS 26, this post is especially for you. Apple has released a security patch for iOS 18, which means you don't have to upgrade to iOS 26 to protect yourself, for now.
And if you are already running iOS 26, you should make sure you update to iOS 26.4, which came out last week.
A few weeks ago, Google researchers published details on a hacking tool called DarkSword. It works entirely in the background: no suspicious link to click, no sketchy app to download. Just visiting the wrong website in Safari is enough for it to silently collect your contacts, messages, photos, passwords, and location history and send them to a remote server, and you will never even know it happened.
Last week, the attack code was posted publicly to GitHub, a website where software developers share code. Security firm iVerify warned that the exploits "will work out of the box" with "no iOS expertise required." This is no longer a risk limited to state-sponsored hackers targeting people in other countries.
To protect yourself, you need to be running one of the following:
iOS / iPadOS 26.4
iOS / iPadOS 18.7.7
iOS / iPadOS 16.7.15
iOS / iPadOS 15.8.7
If you are not running one of the versions above, it's important that you update TODAY!
To update: Settings > General > Software Update. If you are currently on iOS 18, you may see options to upgrade to both iOS 26.4 and iOS 18.7.7. You may need to scroll down to see both. Either will protect you, but iOS 26.4 is the one Apple recommends.
But what if I don't visit sketchy websites?
You don't have to. Malicious code can be embedded in an ad on an otherwise legitimate website, or injected into a site that has been quietly hacked without the owner knowing. For peace of mind, just update.
Why is Apple patching iOS 18? That never happens.
Normally, Apple stops patching the previous iOS version for devices that can run the newer one. iOS 18.7.7 originally only applied to the oldest iPhones that can't run iOS 26. But with many people holding out due to iOS 26's Liquid Glass redesign, Apple made an exception and released iOS 18.7.7 for those devices too.
It signals how serious this threat is. Today's patch is a one-time exception; iOS 26 is where Apple's security focus will stay. If you have been putting it off, now is the time.
Not sure which iOS version you're on, or want help updating without losing anything? I offer one-on-one tech tutoring sessions in San Francisco, Washington DC, and via Zoom anywhere. Book a session here.
