ADAM ENGST 1 April 2026

Thankfully, this isn’t an April Fool’s prank. After I wrote “DarkSword Exploit Threatens iPhones Still Running iOS 18” (23 March 2026), Apple published the tech note page “Update iOS to protect your iPhone from web attacks,” emphasizing the importance of staying current. It also addresses what those with older versions of iOS should do, noting that Apple released updates for iOS 15 and iOS 16 (to protect against Coruna—see “Older iPhones and iPads Receive Critical Security Updates for Coruna Exploits,” 13 March 2026). Initially, the page promised an update for devices running iOS 18 as well, but on 1 April 2026, the page changed to read:

We enabled the availability of iOS 18.7.7 for more devices on April 1, 2026, so that users with Automatic Updates turned on can automatically receive important security protections.

On the security notes page for iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7, Apple added this text:

Note: We enabled the availability of iOS 18.7.7 for more devices on April 1, 2026, so users with Automatic Updates turned on can automatically receive important security protections from web attacks called DarkSword. The fixes associated with the DarkSword exploit first shipped in 2025.

For those who have stayed with iOS 18 instead of upgrading to iOS 26.4, you can now go to Settings > General > Software Update, scroll down to the Also Available section, and tap iOS 18.7.7. My iPhone SE is now happily updating.

Given the severity of DarkSword, its proliferation in exploit markets, and Apple’s unprecedented move to allow users to update without upgrading this late in the cycle, I strongly encourage all iOS 18 holdouts to install iOS 18.7.7 immediately.