Why did iOS 18.7.2 disappear, forcing an update to iOS 26.2 on iPhone 16 Pro Max?

If you had updated to 18.7 then 18.7.3 would be at the bottom of the page. Lagging behind can lose the option. Check the bottom of the update page

This also happened to me. I actually had 18.7.2 schedule to update last night, and I see this morning my phone is still at 18.6.2. , I am not updating to 26. I’ll go to android before I do that.

[Edited by Moderator]

Same here i aslo available update option iOS 18.7.2 already downloaded not installed but today i seen downloaded software was gone and updated option have no more, only iOS 26.2 option but why???

We need iOS 18.7.2 option

We need iOS 18.7.2 option

iOS 18.7.3 is the latest operating system, there is no 18.7.2 anymore

I would be happy to do 18.7.3 but that isn’t showing as an option either.

I understand that and I’ve never had a problem with it before now. I hate liquid glass so much. I’m not going to forget this. My next phone will not be an iPhone.

tdecks wrote:

I would be happy to do 18.7.3 but that isn’t showing as an option either.

If you own an iPhone which is not capable of iOS 26, like iPhone XR or XS, you'd have the option. But like every year, the day comes when phones which are compatible with iOS 26 are no longer eligible to be updated to the older iOS version. This is not new. It happens every year. If you want the latest security updates and bug fixes, you'll need to update to iOS 26.2.

tdecks wrote:

I understand that and I’ve never had a problem with it before now. I hate liquid glass so much. I’m not going to forget this. My next phone will not be an iPhone.

Nobody cares what phone you purchase. I think we would all recommend to buy whatever you are happy with. If Liquid Glass is your concern, then be aware the Android 16 was recently released that includes the same Transparency and Blur effects, with the only difference is they call it Materials Design 3. You may need to do some research.

tdecks wrote:

I understand that and I’ve never had a problem with it before now. I hate liquid glass so much. I’m not going to forget this. My next phone will not be an iPhone.

Buy whatever you want. Nobody here on this user to user only forum cares. Android and Google are the two primary options for you. As Mac Jim ID correctly points out, you might want to look before you leap as Materials Design 3 will seem very similar to Liquid Glass. You can't escape the newer modern skeuomorphic design language which will be on all cell phones in the near future.

But you can make adjustments to Liquid Glass, which may help you, which is why I wrote this, which I encourage you to read ALL the way through and try the various options detailed --> Liquid Glass - Love It Or Hate It - It's … - Apple Community

Because iOS 18.7.3 was released today and no, you are not ‘forced’ to update to iOS 26.