The biggest iPhone update in years was released in 2025, but iOS 26 turns out not to be that popular at all. Users are postponing the update en masse.
iOS 26 not popular
It’s been a while since Apple released iOS 26. In September 2025, the biggest update in years came to the iPhone, with a new interface and many new features. Apple introduced Liquid Glass in iOS 26, making many elements transparent and appearing to be made of glass. In addition, many Apple applications have been expanded with useful features. This appears to be little reason for many users to switch, because iOS 26 is being postponed en masse.
Statcounter has been keeping track of which version of iOS is used on iPhones for years. Websites you visit record which version of the operating system your iPhone is running. The latest data shows that iOS 26 is not popular as many users have not yet installed the update. According to Statcounter iOS 26 is installed on only 16 percent of all active iPhones, meaning iOS 18 will be used even more in 2026.
Update installed infrequently
With iOS 26, Apple has released the largest iPhone update in years, but users are not yet switching to the new software version. The majority of users have an iPhone that still runs on a version of iOS 18. This is striking, because in previous years new software versions were installed much earlier. According to Statcounter these are the most used iOS versions in January 2026:
- iOS 18.7: 33.8 percent
- iOS 18.6: 25.2 percent
- iOS 18.5: 5.6 percent
- iOS 26.1: 10.6 percent
- iOS 26.2: 4.6 percent
- iOS 26.0: 1.1 percent
While only 16 percent of all users have switched to iOS 26 in the past four months, more than 60 percent are stuck on iOS 18. That is a big difference from previous years, for example, in January 2025, 60 percent of all users had already switched from iOS 17 to iOS 18. In January 2024, more than 50 percent of all iPhones were already running on iOS 17. Many users are therefore still hesitant about updating to iOS 26.
iOS 26 biggest update in years
It is not entirely surprising that many users are postponing the update to iOS 26. The fact that this is the largest update in years also means that Apple needs more time to optimize the software. The first software versions often contain errors that are resolved with later updates. In addition, iOS 26 consumes more battery, which can certainly have a major negative effect on the battery life of older iPhones.
Haven’t updated to iOS 26 yet? In that case, you are not alone, because iOS 18 remains the most used software version of the moment for the iPhone. iOS 26.2 has now been released, in which most software errors have been resolved. Don’t want to miss any software updates for your iPhone? Then sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter so you always stay informed!
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