Apple is now strongly recommending software updates for the iPhone. It is actively asking users still on iOS 26 to upgrade to iOS 26.2 as soon as possible. This recommendation was started by Apple within the Settings app. That is basically because iOS 26.2 fixes 26 flaws in Apple’s iOS software.
The first issue was tracked as CVE-2025-43529 and flagged by Google’s Threat Analysis Group and Apple expert team while working in tandem. A second WebKit issue, tracked as CVE-2025-14174, deals with memory corruption. This has also been detected by Apple and Google team. Apple says more than 800 million users are at risk.
Apple said that the critical flaw allows hackers to take control of an iPhone or iPad by using malicious websites on the compromised web browsers. Hackers can then trick the device user into carrying out malicious instructions.
Generally the Cupertino based firm keeps pushing in updates for better functioning of the phones, or for bug fixes, or for security reasons or for that matter for a better and newer look and feel to the phone. But this time it urges users to upgrade their phones at the earliest.
In addition to this, what is very surprising is that, Apple has released a seamless background security patch for 26.3 beta users, this is a first ever for the Company.
The new Apple update is called iOS 26.3 (b) and it was released on January 8, 2026 it is a beta release. The update, was first reported by Aaron Perris from MacRumors. He said it is a Background Security Improvement feature. “Apple has released iOS 26.3 (a) for developers and public beta testers,” Perris further informed. The new iOS 26.3 (b) release is also exclusively for testing, not to deploy fixes.
Apple about the security risk in a document informed, “Background Security Improvements delivers additional security protections between software updates. Background Security Improvements delivers lightweight security releases for components such as the Safari browser, WebKit framework stack, and other system libraries that benefit from smaller, ongoing security patches between software updates.”
It further added, “In rare instances of compatibility issues, Background Security Improvements may be temporarily removed and then enhanced in a subsequent software update.”
