You Can Install Apple Security Updates Without Upgrading to iOS 18

iOS 18 is full of new features, but not everyone wants to upgrade right away. The problem is, conventional tech advice says to frequently update your devices, as these upgrades feature important patches that protect your device and its data from security vulnerabilities. If you're the cautious sort who likes to wait a few extra days, weeks, or months before updating to the latest iOS version, there's good news: You can still stay on iOS 17 for a while longer, and keep your iPhone safe from security flaws.

With iOS 18 just around the corner, Apple seeded the iOS 17.7 release candidate (RC) to developers and public beta testers, spotted first by 9to5Mac. The RC is a version of iOS that's one step away from being made available to the public: So long as no one finds any bugs or glitches with the RC, Apple will seed the exact same update to the public when its ready.

Why release a new version of iOS 17 when iOS 18 is right around the corner? This 17.7 update sports the security patches featured in the upcoming iOS 18 update, without all the new features. That way, you can avoid updating your iPhone to a brand new version of iOS, while still protecting your device from security issues. We just won't know what security vulnerabilities Apple actually patched until it publishes the release notes, likely sometime on Monday.

How to install iOS 17 security updates without upgrading to iOS 18 Credit: Pranay Parab

While you can update to iOS 17.7 right now, that involves enrolling your iPhone in Apple's beta program. There's no need to, since the update is coming out soon. What you can do now is set up your iPhone to ignore the iOS 18 update on Monday and stay on the iOS 17 release cycle. To do this, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates. On this page, disable the two iOS Updates options you see here, and make sure Security Responses & System Files is enabled. You will still receive security updates, and your phone will remain protected for a short while.

Remember that iOS 17 support won't last forever, and you'll have to update to iOS 18 at some point in the near future. (Apple typically reserves these security-only updates for iPhones that are too old for the newest OS.) However, by that time, app developers should have worked through most of the bugs and issues with iOS 18, and, hopefully, Apple will have done the same for older iPhones.