Apple has pushed out a minor software update, iOS 26.5.1, to rectify a specific hardware glitch impacting its latest flagship smartphones. The patch is targeted at the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 and attempts to fix a software bug which rendered wired charging useless when the phone's batteries dropped too low.
iOS 26.5.1 Update Fixes Wired Charging Glitch
iOS 26.5.1 is now widely rolling out, and according to Apple's official release notes, the update brings a fix to a frustrating power delivery issue which a minor set of users were facing. The update arrives just three weeks after Apple released iOS 26.5 with encrypted RCS messaging.
The bug appeared on iPhone 17 and iPhone Air, and specifically triggered when an iPhone 17 or Air was allowed to discharge to a critically low percentage.
Once the battery was nearly drained, the OS would not take in power from the cable, preventing the phones from charging. While I didn't face the same issue on my iPhone 17 unit, iOS 26.5.1 should fix the same for affected users, allowing them to charge their smartphones safely.
For those unaware, Apple is soon expected to introduce iOS 27 at WWDC 26 to be held on June 8, 2026. So, it appears that iOS 26 is finally at the end of its cycle.
What the end of the iOS 26 cycle means is that the OS should not receive any major features until iOS 27 officially drops later this year. Any future updates to iOS 26 will strictly be reserved for emergency patches and critical hardware fixes like this battery charging issue.
