Apple's iOS 26 includes a call-screening feature that lets iPhone users manage calls from unsaved numbers, including political campaign calls. Users can choose between three settings: allowing all calls through as before, requiring unknown callers to state their reason for calling before the phone rings, or silencing all unknown numbers directly to voicemail. The feature works on any iPhone compatible with iOS 26, including older models like the iPhone 14 Pro.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-28
Apple's Phone app now includes Hold Assist, which detects when a caller has put you on hold and notifies you when they return, and Call Screening, which questions unsaved numbers before letting them ring through and displays their response on the Lock Screen. Both features arrived with iOS 26 and are toggled on in Settings under Apps > Phone. A third feature, Call Context, is planned for iOS 27 and will use Apple Intelligence to surface relevant information automatically when calling a business.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-18
Apple has switched its recommended software update in Settings to iOS 27.0.1 for devices still running iOS 26, after initially keeping iOS 26.7 as the featured option when iOS 27 launched September 14. Users can still choose to remain on iOS 26, but iOS 27.0.1 now appears prominently under Software Update rather than tucked into an 'Also Available' section.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-09
In a new joint status report filed with Judge James Donato, Apple said it is still waiting on documents from Jon Prosser and wants to depose Michael Ramacciotti again over inconsistencies in his testimony. Both defendants pushed back, disputing Apple's characterization of their cooperation in the lawsuit Apple filed in July 2025 over leaked iOS 26 features.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-08
A tech writer reports that enabling Apple's Call Screening feature, introduced in iOS 26 with the 'Ask Reason for Calling' option, eliminated spam and scam calls impersonating their mobile carrier and fake job offers that had been arriving weekly. The feature requires callers to state their reason before the phone rings through to the user.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-07
Dynamic Lyrics, a third-party app, displays time-synced song lyrics on a car's infotainment screen via Apple CarPlay once linked to Apple Music or Spotify. Unlocking the feature permanently costs a one-time $9.99 fee, and users need iOS 26 to enable it on CarPlay.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-03
Apple has issued iOS 26.7.1 for devices still on iOS 26 or earlier to fix a security vulnerability in its CoreGraphics framework. The company says the flaw may have been exploited in a highly sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals, and could allow arbitrary code execution. Users on iOS 27 are unaffected but should still install iOS 27.0.1 to stay current.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-29
Apple has released a security update fixing a vulnerability in the graphics engine underlying iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS 26, which the company says may have already been used against specific targeted individuals. Meta's product security team discovered and reported the flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-86950; Apple did not disclose how it was found or how many devices were affected. Devices on the newer iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 also received Tuesday's update but were not vulnerable to this particular bug.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-29
Apple issued iOS 26.7.1 for iPhones that haven't updated to iOS 27, alongside iOS 27.0.1, iPadOS 27.0.1 and several macOS updates. The update fixes a single CoreGraphics vulnerability, CVE-2026-86950, an out-of-bounds write bug that could allow arbitrary code execution when processing a malicious file, which Apple says was exploited in a highly sophisticated attack on specific targeted individuals.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-28
Apple CarPlay users can rearrange app icons via their iPhone's Settings > General > CarPlay menu rather than the car display itself, and iOS 26 adds widgets for weather, calendar and clock with a Smart Rotate feature that swaps them automatically. Users can also adjust brightness with Automatic light/dark mode and customize wallpaper and icon colors through CarPlay's own Settings menu.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-22
Apple has stopped authorizing installs of iOS 26.6.2, meaning iPhone users who already updated to iOS 27 can no longer officially revert to iOS 26. The move closes off the last signed pathway back to iOS 26, even though Apple released iOS 26.7 last week without offering a restore image for iPhones.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-21
Apple released iOS 26.7 as a smaller companion update on the same day it launched iOS 27, giving iPhone owners who aren't ready to upgrade a way to stay current on security. The update carries no new features, only security fixes, and full patch details are expected to be published by Apple shortly.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-14