Security updates help fix vulnerabilities in your iPhone that could be exploited by cybercriminals. Downloading these updates as soon as possible helps keep you and your device safe, and Apple has made it easier to keep track of updates with background security improvements in iOS 26.1.
“Background Security Improvements provides lightweight security releases for components like the Safari browser, the WebKit framework stack, and other system libraries that benefit from smaller, rolling security fixes between software updates,” Apple wrote online.
This feature reminds me of Apple’s Rapid Security Responses that the company introduced in 2023. RSR updates were a way for the company to quickly deploy security patches to devices, but Apple hasn’t released an RSR since iOS 16.5.1(c) was released in July 2023.
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Here’s how to enable these enhancements so that they are automatically installed on your iPhone.
Where to find security improvements
1. Faucet Settings.
2. Faucet Privacy and security.
3. Faucet Background security improvements near the bottom of the menu.
4. Tap the button next to Install automatically.
Your iPhone will now download small security updates and automatically install them on your device.
Everyone should enable security enhancements for maximum protection.
Apple/CNET“Background security enhancements provide additional protection for your iPhone between software updates,” Apple writes in the feature’s settings. “In rare cases of compatibility issues, these security enhancements may be temporarily removed and then improved in a future software update.”
In a beta version of iOS 26.1, there was a way to manually uninstall these updates in Background Security Improvements, but it appears Apple removed this option in the general release of iOS 26.1.
For more iOS news, here’s everything you need to know iOS 26.2the new features included in iOS 26.1 And my opinion on iOS 26. You can also view our iOS 26 Cheat Sheet.
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