Apple has reordered the iPhone Software Update screen so that iOS 27 now appears first for iPhones still running iOS 26. Open Settings > General > Software Update on one of those devices and iOS 27.0.1 is the primary option. iOS 26.7.1 used to hold that top slot.
What changed on the Software Update screen
Neither update itself changed. The only thing Apple altered is which one the screen shows you first.
iOS 26.7.1 has not been pulled. It moved down the same screen into an Also Available section, listed under other available updates rather than as the headline choice. Tapping through still installs it.
Apple released iOS 27 on September 14, 2026. The upgrade remains optional for anyone on iOS 26, and the reordered screen does not change that. Apple is already testing the next feature release, with iOS 27.2 in public beta.
If you plan to stay on iOS 26
You can still choose iOS 26.7.1. Scroll past the iOS 27.0.1 entry and look under Also Available on the same screen.
Apple recommends installing iOS 26.7.1 at minimum if you are not moving to iOS 27. That release patches a security vulnerability in CoreGraphics.
Why the reordering is worth noticing
Read those two facts together and the placement looks odd. The update Apple itself names as the security baseline for iOS 26 users is the one that got pushed down the list. The major version upgrade took its place at the top.
That is a nudge, not a fix. If you were holding on iOS 26, nothing on the reordered screen gives you a new reason to move. It just makes the newer option the one your thumb lands on first. As of October 9, no explanation from Apple for the change has surfaced.
The practical takeaway is simple. Decide which branch you want before you open that screen, then install deliberately rather than tapping the first button offered. Either way, do not leave the phone sitting on a build older than iOS 26.7.1.
Source: MacRumors
