Do this before you update.
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Apple’s delayed iPhone update is now just hours away. iOS 26.1 is a real game-changer, further widening the security and privacy gap to Android as both mobile ecosystems fight the scourge of spyware that is targeting users worldwide.
The major change coming this week is to how your iPhone is updated. “Apple is refining how iPhone users stay protected between major iOS updates,” MacRumors says. This means vulnerabilities can be defended more efficiently, without user action. Updates can be applied silently, without you even realizing, ensuring your phone is protected.
Apple is expected to release iOS 26.1 on Monday Nov. 4th or the following day. It will undoubtedly include a decent number of regular security fixes, especially given the iOS 26.0.2’s disappearing act. And the update will deploy to everyone, everywhere almost immediately, highlighting the gap to Samsung, iPhone’s main competitor.
Samsung users are currently enduring their latest belabored update process, with the staggered launch of One UI 8 which brings Android 16. This is critical, given it includes Google’s Advanced Protection Mode, its most iPhone-like security yet.
Ironically, iOS 26.1 comes just days after Google launched a new campaign claiming “Android provides the most effective protection to keep you safe from mobile scams,” based on a mix of smartphone user surveys and analyst reports.
Change these settings now
Apple iOS 26 / @UKZak
But critically, the YouGov survey that found “Android users reported receiving fewer scam texts and felt more confident that their device was keeping them safe” was conducted between July and August this year. That’s before iOS 26 released.
Ths crux of the report is that Android users are more confident in their phone’s defenses against call and messaging scams than iPhone users. But with the release of iOS 26 after this survey, Apple completely changed iPhone’s scam defenses. While iOS 26.1 is a game-changer, you should check/change two iPhone settings now, before you update.
First, head to Settings> Apps > Phone > Screen Unknown Calls, and ensure it’s set to “Ask Reason for Calling.” Unlike Android’s equivalent, Apple screens calls automatically, displaying a caller’s name and reason for calling on screen. Their voice message is also recorded. You can elect to answer the call or to ignore it.
Second, now go to Settings> Apps > Messages > Unknown Seders, and ensure you have “Screen Unknown Senders” and “Filter Spam” enabled. This will drastically reduce the spam/scam messages in your inbox and will block replies or clicking links in messages suspected of being spam or worse. This is a major safeguard.
With these two new options, Apple has materially shored up iPhone’s defenses, matching Google’s latest spam/scam innovations in a more Apple-like way. Make those changes now, before you update to iOS 26.1 this week. The changes will persist.
