iOS 18.6.2 Now Available Less Than A Month Before iOS 26
Less than a week after the release of iOS 18.6.1, Apple has now launched another small but important update for iPhone with iOS 18.6.2. This update brings bug fixes and security patches, though it's unclear exactly what the company is fixing with this update.
Still, if Apple is taking the effort to release iOS 18.6.2 before the big iOS 26 update expected to be released later this fall, this means something needs to be fixed as soon as possible. With iOS 18.6.1, on the other hand, Apple brought back the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States.
Unavailable for the past 18 months, the company was able to bring the feature back while it was still in a legal battle against Masimo over blood oxygen patents. That said, iOS 18.6.2 could well be the last iOS 18 update before iOS 26.
A much bigger update is on the way
While iOS 18.6.2 is a small update, most iPhone users running iOS 18 will soon be able to install iOS 26. Available on iPhone 11 and newer devices, this upcoming version promises to be one of the most significant updates to iOS in over a decade.
Starting with the name, iOS 26 brings a new level of consistency to Apple's suite of operating systems, which will all now have a name connected to the year after they debut. They also have the new Liquid Glass design in common, which Apple says is completely new, yet familiar. It will be easier than ever to switch between iPhone, iPad, and Mac with the new interface.
Apple is also bringing key new Apple Intelligence features to iOS 26, such as a Live Translation functionality, new Genmoji capabilities, and other features powered by ChatGPT, including support for GPT-5 on Apple Intelligence, more styles in Image Playground, and the ability to use Visual Search and onscreen awareness with OpenAI's model. We'll let you know if we find anything new in iOS 18.6.2.