Apple surprises users with unexpected update, quietly reviving older iPhones and iPads.

When Apple stops supporting older iPhones and iPads with the latest version of iOS or iPadOS, it usually isn’t the end of the line—Apple keeps releasing new security-only patches for those devices for another year or two, keeping them usable while their hardware is still reasonably capable.

Apple’s iOS 26.2 and iOS 18.7.3 include security updates intended to protect device hardware, software, and data. The iPhone update to iOS 26.2 is recommended for newer models, while iOS 18.7.3 delivers an Apple security update for earlier devices.

Apple released a new update for the iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus, but don't expect any new features.

That’s not as cataclysmic a dropoff as Statcounter’s data suggests, even before considering other mitigating factors—iOS 26 dropped support for 2018’s iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, for example, while iOS 18 ran on every iPhone that could run iOS 17.

Apple on Monday released an update to ensure FaceTime and iMessage continue to work on devices that don't support anything beyond iOS 12 and iPadOS 12. Apple usually promises five years of software updates for iPhones from their year of launch.

Australians are being urged to update their iPhone software as they could be left cut off to emergency services in the event of a natural disaster.