Apple today confirmed that iOS 26.2.1 and watchOS 26.2.1 are on the way. The updates will likely be released this week, so keep an eye out as early as today.
While these will be minor software updates, they do include a few things:
The new AirTag requires an iPhone running iOS 26.2.1 or later, according to Apple.
With watchOS 26.2.1, you can use Precision Finding on the Apple Watch Series 9 and later and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later to find a second-generation AirTag. Precision Finding on the Apple Watch does not work with the original AirTag.
Here is what Precision Finding looks like on the Apple Watch:
Thursday October 8, 2026 1:17 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Starting today, iPhone users still running iOS 26 will see iOS 27.0.1 as the prominent software update in the Settings app under General → Software Update, with iOS 26.7.1 now relegated to a smaller "Also Available" section at the bottom.
iOS 27 was released on September 14, but until now that update and later iOS 27.0.1 were shown under the "Also Available" section, with iOS 26.7 and...
Monday October 26, 2026 10:47 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released watchOS 27.2, the first major update to the watchOS 27 operating system.
watchOS 27.2 can be downloaded through the Settings app on the watch or the Apple Watch app on a connected iPhone. Software can only be installed when the Apple Watch is on the charger and has over 50 percent battery.
According to Apple's release notes, watchOS 27.2 introduces new Siri AI...
Friday October 23, 2026 12:28 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded an updated version of the watchOS 27.2 release candidate, four days after the first RC became available.
Registered developers and public beta testers can download software through the Apple Watch Settings app or using the Apple Watch app on iPhone.
watchOS 27.2 adds new Siri AI features and extends Siri AI to more languages.
This update provides enhancements to Siri...
* The new AirTag requires an iPhone running iOS 26.2.1 or later. * 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠 so all iPhones still on iOS 18 won’t work with it? This is why they need to stop with the yearly releases.
New hardware understandably may need new software to work, because there is simply no way to anticipate the workings of a future device when writing software today.
* The new AirTag requires an iPhone running iOS 26.2.1 or later. * 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠 so all iPhones still on iOS 18 won’t work with it? This is why they need to stop with the yearly releases.
People can of course not update. Why should your views on yearly releases impact me?
* The new AirTag requires an iPhone running iOS 26.2.1 or later. * 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠 so all iPhones still on iOS 18 won’t work with it? This is why they need to stop with the yearly releases.