I recently received an Apple Watch as a gift and want to connect it to my iPhone. However, when I tried to do so, I got a message saying that I need iOS 18 or later to connect the watch. My current phone is running iOS 17.6.1, and I'm hesitant to update to the latest version, which I believe is iOS 26, because I'm worried it could slow down my iPhone 15 or negatively affect battery life. I'm wondering if there's a way to get iOS 18 without jumping to the newest version or if there's a workaround for the watch to connect without needing iOS 18.
3 Answers
If you're worried about updating, just know that having the latest iOS actually helps improve security and fixes bugs. I've been using the latest version without any issues, so maybe it's worth considering an update?
Honestly, iOS 26 runs really well on the iPhone 15. If you update, you likely won't face any of the issues you're concerned about. Just give it a try!
iOS 18.7.3 is usually only available for older devices that can't run iOS 26. If you have a newer model like the iPhone 15, your only official option is to go for iOS 26. I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max running that version and it works great!
Same here, I was on the latest iOS on my older phone and had no problems. Worth it to stay secure!