![\"IPhone](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787285784_458_0x0.jpg\")
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Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max<\/p>\n
NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Aug. 20 update. This post, first published on Aug. 17 was updated with more details of the latest release and the security and other fixes on board. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s only a matter of weeks before Apple releases iOS 27 for the iPhone (read this<\/a> for when it\u2019s expected and this<\/a> for when the next iPhone keynote will be announced) but more than two dozen fixes from that software have arrived now with iOS 26.6.1 \u2014 an indication that the changes on board are too urgent to be left until September. Here\u2019s what\u2019s in the release and why it\u2019s important. <\/p>\n ForbesApple iPhone 18 Pro Release Date: Discounted Day Re-Enters The September ScheduleBy David Phelan<\/a>Which iPhones Can Run iOS 26.6.1?<\/p>\n This update is like most in the iOS 26 cycle, that is, it is for all iPhones from 2019 onwards. That means the iPhone 11 series and later. The second-generation and third-generation iPhone SE handsets are included. All members of the iPhone 17 series, including the latest release, iPhone 17e, plus iPhone Air, are also supported.<\/p>\n How To Download And Install iOS 26.6.1<\/p>\n Go to the Settings app on the iPhone and choose General, followed by Software Update. Here you\u2019ll find Download and Install, and it\u2019ll be downloaded promptly. It\u2019s a small update, 704MB on my iPhone 17 Pro Max, but the size of the update will depend on how long ago you previously updated the phone. <\/p>\n If your iPhone currently runs iOS 26.5, say, or even iOS 18, your download will be even bigger \u2014 and take longer. For my iPhone, the time from requesting the download to finishing installation was 15 minutes. If you have an earlier phone which can run iOS 18 but not iOS 26 (this applies to the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR), then a different release is applicable. More on that below.<\/p>\n iOS 26.6.1 \u2014 What\u2019s In The Release<\/p>\n Oh, there\u2019s a lot, and it\u2019s all security-related. The fact that Apple is making it available now ties into what the company has said about \u201cpushing forward a series of software updates\u2026 making them available earlier than in previous cycles in response to AI-driven security concerns,\u201d as Reuters<\/a> reported in July.<\/p>\n In total, there are 29 issues which are addressed in the update, most of them, 21 in all, related to WebKit, the beating heart of Safari on the iPhone. <\/p>\n Some of these could cause memory corruption and many more could cause unexpected Safari crashes, for instance. The details were revealed by Apple in a support document<\/a>. <\/p>\n There\u2019s also an audio issue which could leak sensitive user information, and three Kernel threats which could lead to unexpected system termination or memory corruptions. In short, there\u2019s a lot in iOS 26.6.1, and it\u2019s all related to urgent fixes.<\/p>\n Among the 29 fixes is one for an problem with ImageIO, the Apple framework that handles image processing across iPhones, iPads and Macs. It could let a malicious image trigger code execution. \u201cTreat that as a real patch-now problem, even without proof of active attacks. Process the wrong image, and Apple’s CVE description says the flaw can lead to arbitrary code execution,\u201d says Dave Barr at Startup Fortune<\/a>. <\/p>\n While Apple has not said publicly that the bug has been exploited in the real world, it\u2019s still seen as serious and to need urgent fixing.<\/p>\n