Apple has released an unusual and highly targeted iOS 26.5.1 update, exclusively for its iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air models. This specific update addresses a critical battery issue where some of these newer phones experienced difficulty recharging when nearly drained.

iOS 26.5.1 for iPhone 17 and iPhone Air Fixes Low-Battery Charging Problem

Apple’s new iOS update is exclusive to its latest handsets, to address “an issue for a small number of users that may prevent wired charging on iPhone Air and iPhone 17 models when the battery is nearly drained.

Apple released iOS 26.5.1 and macOS 26.5.1 to fix iPhone 17 charging issues and M5 Mac shutdown problems before WWDC.

Apple’s software updates often bring new features and improvements, but they also tend to trigger user complaints about battery performance shortly after release. The recently launched iOS 26.5 update appears to be following the same pattern,

If you own an iPhone 17 Pro Max, the performance improvements in iOS 26.5 are likely noticeable. Benchmarks reveal measurable gains in both single-core and multi-core processing speeds compared to the previous iOS 26.

A Ford technical advisory that appears in the mobile companion app says it loud and clear: it’s not our fault, and your best option is to update your iPhone. Ford doesn’t share many tech specifics, although it seems to blame a recent iOS update for the whole thing.