Apple’s iOS 26.0.2 iPhone update is coming soon, according to a report on Apple-focused site MacRumors.
The news of iOS 26.0.2 — which comes hot on the heels of iOS 26.0.1 — comes via MacRumors logs, which it claims “have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions.”
The launch of iOS 26.0.2 will come as a surprise to many Apple fans, who were expecting iOS 26.1 to be the next iPhone update at the end of October.
The timing of this update indicates that iOS 26.0.2 is imminent. So what could be in Apple’s mystery new iPhone upgrade?
Apple’s last iPhone update, iOS 26.0.1, arrived with a single but important security fix for a bug in FontParser — a part of Apple’s operating system that processes font files —that could see unexpected app termination or corrupted process memory.
Going by past experience, there is every chance that iOS 26.0.2 could do the same. Indeed the soon-to-launch new iPhone update could patch an important bug already being used in attacks using malware such as spyware. If this is the case, iPhone users must update to iOS 26.0.2 as soon as they can.
Apple released iOS 26.0.1 alongside iOS 18.7.1, both patching the same bug. If iOS 26.0.2 does include a security update, Apple will also issue a security fix for its older operating system, iOS 18.7.2.
That’s because Apple is still updating iOS 18 with security fixes for those who don’t want to upgrade to iOS 26 just yet. But be warned, you don’t have long. Apple will soon only offer iOS 18 to older iPhones that can’t run iOS 26.
Apple’s iOS 26.0.2 could include fixes for bugs in iOS 26.0.1. My iPhone 16 Pro is up to date and running fine, yet some users are complaining about continuing issues with the keyboard and the usual battery drain woes.
With iOS 26.1 due at the end of October or start of November, it’s likely that iOS 26.0.2 will arrive very soon indeed. Expect to see it in the next few days, or next week. Unless of course, Apple is having issues with new features in iOS 26.1 and expects to see a delay.
As always, keep an eye on my Forbes page for news of iOS 26.0.2’s arrival and an analysis of its contents.