According to Forbes, Apple released its iOS 26.2 update on Friday, December 16, an unusual release day for the company. The update is reportedly automatically enabling the “Automatically Install” setting for future software updates for some users during the installation process, overriding previous preferences. This means iPhones could download and install new iOS versions as soon as they’re available, without explicit user permission. A subtle “Only Download Automatically” option exists but is easy to miss, leading to the change. Concurrently, Apple also released iOS 18.7.3 for users wishing to remain on the older OS, though it’s not yet widely available. The immediate impact is that users who prefer to wait for bug reports may find their devices updated against their will.
Why This Silent Change Matters
Here’s the thing: for a lot of power users, the first rule of iOS updates is to never install on day one. You wait. You let the early adopters be the canaries in the coal mine, reporting any battery drain or broken apps. This quiet toggle flip basically removes that cautious approach for anyone who doesn’t catch it. It’s a fundamental shift in control from the user to the device. And while Apple‘s argument is always “security and stability,” it feels paternalistic. What if the next update has a major bug? You’re now opted into being a beta tester, like it or not. The fact that this wasn’t a highlighted feature in the release notes makes it feel sneaky.
More Than Just Update Settings
But the automatic update toggle isn’t the only unannounced tweak. The update also renames the “LED Flash for Alerts” setting to just “Flash for Alerts,” because it now lets your screen flash for notifications too—handy if your phone is face-up. There’s also a new “Call Quietly” option in Emergency SOS, which stops the loud countdown siren when you make an emergency call. These are actually useful features! So why bury them? It creates this weird mix of genuinely helpful additions delivered alongside a contentious change that strips away user agency. It’s a confusing strategy that sows more distrust than goodwill.
What You Should Do Right Now
So, if you’ve installed iOS 26.2, or any iOS 26 update recently, you need to check your settings. Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates. Look at the “Automatically Install” toggle. If it’s on and you don’t want that, turn it off. Simple. You can also control the separate “System Files” automatic updates there. This is basic maintenance, like checking the oil in your car. For businesses or developers managing fleets of iPhones, this is a bigger deal. An unprompted OS update could break a critical line-of-business app. It adds another layer of uncertainty to device management that IT departments really don’t need.
Apple’s Broader Push For Control
Look, this isn’t happening in a vacuum. It fits a pattern of Apple gradually shifting iPhones from “computers you own” to “services you inhabit.” Automatic, seamless updates benefit Apple by creating a more uniform, secure, and up-to-date ecosystem. Fewer versions to support, fewer security headaches. But it comes at the cost of user choice. The question is, where does it stop? Is the next step making major version updates (like from iOS 18 to iOS 26) automatic too? They say that’s not happening now, but this move sure feels like a test of the waters. For a company that sells privacy and user control as core tenets, quietly changing a setting this fundamental feels like a misstep. Basically, it’s a reminder that with Apple, you’re always along for their ride—they just sometimes change the route without telling you.
