Overview
- The point release, issued last week to add AirTag 2 support and bug fixes, is linked in user reports to crashes, freezes, connectivity failures and severe battery drain.
- Issues cited include apps crashing or reboot loops, lost Apple Maps favorites, Face ID glitches in third‑party apps, unresponsive Control Centre and HomeKit triggers, and irregular storage readings.
- Evidence points to a limited impact, with Apple Support threads showing roughly 141 and 46 confirmations and a Reddit post drawing about 277 upvotes and dozens of comments.
- Multiple outlets advise holding off on installing iOS 26.2.1, noting that affected users may be able to downgrade to iOS 26.2 while it remains signed, though the process erases the device.
- The episode follows a recent iOS 16.7.13 hiccup pulled in Australia, increasing scrutiny as Apple continues testing iOS 26.3 in beta.