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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- iOS 26 adoption is split, with trackers showing sharply different results.
- Design changes and early bugs are making users hesitant to update.
- Security fixes may be the strongest reason to install iOS 26 now.
It’s been a few months since Apple released iOS 26. Normally, new iOS versions spread like wildfire. Within a few months, most iPhone users have tapped that “Download and Install” button, right? Not so fast.
This time around, adoption seems unusually sluggish. There’s evidence that many of us are dragging our feet and hitting “Remind Me Later” on iOS 26, even if the exact percentage is up for debate.
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I personally updated my iPhone to iOS 26 on day one (the life of a tech writer, I had to for work), but I’ll be the first to admit that my iPad Pro stayed on iPadOS 18 (the sister update to iOS 18) until very recently. Why the delay? For one, I don’t use my iPad as often as my iPhone, and honestly, I didn’t feel like spending an hour downloading and installing the update.
It turns out I’m not alone.
What the data says so far
A report from StatCounter, which tracks website usage, claims that, four months after release, only around 16% of iPhones are running iOS 26, while more than 60% are still on some version of iOS 18. In the US, specifically, the trend is more pronounced. About three-quarters of iPhones and iPads were still on iOS 18 at the end of 2025, with iOS 26 barely cracking a 10% share.
In other words, most people haven’t bothered updating to iOS 26 yet.
There is a huge drop-off compared to previous years, too. As 9to5Mac pointed out, by January 2025, roughly 60% of users were on the then-latest iOS 18, and iOS 17 had seen more than 50% adoption in a similar timeframe.
Also: The iPhone’s call screening makes updating to iOS 26 worth it
However, there’s another data source worth considering: TelemetryDeck. The company gathers anonymized usage data from apps, and it shows iOS 26 running on around 60% of active devices at the start of 2026, with only about 37% still on iOS 18. That level of adoption is much more in line with what we usually expect from a new iOS release. So, why the big discrepancy?
It comes down to methodology. StatCounter’s figures are based on web browser visits, where Safari reports the iOS version, while TelemetryDeck’s data comes from apps that use its SDK. This raises the obvious question of which, if either, dataset is more reliable.
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StatCounter may miss users who have updated to iOS 26 but mostly use apps instead of browsing the web. At the same time, people on older iOS versions may still spend a lot of time in Safari rather than apps for everyday tasks. TelemetryDeck also has limitations, since it only reflects apps that use its SDK. It could skew toward app users who are early adopters and more likely to update.
Each method comes with its own bias. Apple hasn’t released official iOS 26 adoption numbers, and it rarely does, so for now, we’re left piecing together the picture from these third-party trackers. The truth likely sits somewhere between these two extremes.
How users are reacting to iOS 26
OK, let’s put the numbers aside for a moment and look at what Apple users are saying online about iOS 26. Is there real hesitation about installing the update? I went to Reddit to find threads about iOS 26, and as expected, they’re filled with mixed feedback.
“That’s actually insane and shows Apple massively underestimated the impact of introducing a complete overhaul of the OS with such a radical change in design,” one user wrote, reacting to news about iOS 26’s low adoption stats. This same person said they regret updating to iOS 26 and still see plenty of iPhones “in the wild” running iOS 18.
Others agreed that iOS 26 feels unfinished, citing odd UI choices and performance hiccups. “This is the first time ever I regret doing an iOS version update,” one commenter said. “Even after multiple updates, 26 is still so jittery and clunky.”
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Complaints about battery life and sluggishness are common, too. One Redditor vented that their battery drains faster and the OS is “ridiculously slow, buggy, and just killed my battery life” on an iPhone 13. Several others described a “buggy mess” since updating to iOS 26, with one user specifically mentioning issues like “keyboard lag spikes.”
Not everyone hates iOS 26.
One Redditor wrote that iOS 26 is “perfectly fine,” adding, “Y’all are crazy. We go through this every single time.” Another user agreed, saying, “I’ve got no major issues with iOS 26 except the wildly stupid naming thing.”
Also: My favorite iOS 26 feature makes screenshots even more useful
On X, the discourse is similarly divided.
Apple’s “Liquid Glass” interface in iOS 26 is one lightning rod. Some users seem excited about it, with one poster declaring that “Liquid Glass IS the future. Whether you like it or not, Android WILL copy it.” On the flip side, critics have blasted it as impractical, with one user complaining that “iOS 26’s Liquid Glass looks cool, but it’s killing readability and ignoring accessibility.”
Apple has already toned down some of the transparency effects in response to feedback, adding options to reduce or turn them off. Still, the takeaway from social media is clear. iOS 26 is polarizing, and it’s giving some users pause about upgrading.
Why people haven’t updated yet
While I’ve been reading countless social media comments from iPhone users, I’ve been mulling over why they might be holding off on upgrading to iOS 26, and several clear patterns have emerged. Here are four possible reasons they might be delaying the update:
1. Liquid Glass backlash
The most obvious factor is big design jitters. People are nervous about the look and feel of Liquid Glass. It makes the interface ultra-translucent and fluid. It’s a dramatic visual overhaul, and frankly, a lot of people either don’t love it or they don’t like change.
Also: What is Liquid Glass? Here’s everything we know
Comments like “They really took the wrong direction with glass-liquid based iOS design. Looks like garbage” are all over Reddit. One Redditor said the UI makes their iPhone look “cheap and disgusting.” Ouch. The backlash is real and may explain why many are avoiding iOS 26 altogether, choosing to stick with the familiarity of iOS 18 rather than deal with a design they hate.
2. Bugs and performance issues
Everyone knows that major new updates can be buggy. While iOS 26’s launch wasn’t catastrophic, it had its share of early glitches. Reports of battery life taking a hit are common (even Apple warned that some users might see battery impacts). Some users have also complained about sluggish performance and weird behavior, like CarPlay bugs.
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“This is the only OS I wish I could ever roll back,” one Redditor said. “Never ever have I had an iPhone lose charge while plugged in on CarPlay, but whenever battery gets down to
Apple also delayed making iOS 26 the “recommended” update, which might have signaled to even its most savvy users it’s OK to hold off. Now that iOS 26.2 is out, some concerns have likely eased, but first impressions matter.
3. No compelling reason
Let’s be real: Aside from Liquid Glass, iOS 26 doesn’t have any killer, must-have features that scream “update now!” Many of its improvements are under the hood or niche. On Reddit, a user said there’s “basically no functional upgrade from iOS 18” apart from the UI, and another Redditor said third-party app developers aren’t doing much with the Liquid Glass APIs yet.
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If I had to guess, some people are simply not motivated to update.
4. Update fatigue
I fall into this category.
We’ve all gotten used to a yearly iOS update cadence, but throughout the year, there are constant minor updates meant to add polish, fix bugs, and improve stability. All of those still have to be downloaded and installed.
Also: iPhone battery worse after updating to iOS 26? Here’s why
I don’t allow automatic updates because I like deciding for myself whether I want to run a potentially disruptive update. That means I have to manually stay on top of making sure I’m running the latest OS. As you can tell from how long it took me to update my iPad, I’m not great at that, and I can’t help but wonder how many others fall into this “I’ll do it later” mindset.
Updating and rebooting a device takes time, and then you still have to adjust to whatever has changed. If you’re not especially excited about the new features and are suffering from update fatigue, it’s easy to tap “Later” and keep forgetting about it.
Until there’s an urgent reason or a persistent prompt, a lot of people will just leave things as-is, myself included.
Should you update your iPhone?
I’m running the latest version of iOS 26 on my daily iPhone and enjoying it. I’ve never minded the Liquid Glass look, and I haven’t noticed any major performance issues. That said, I understand why many people are waiting. If your iPhone or iPad is running smoothly on iOS 18, what’s the rush? Stay on iOS 18 (you’ve got plenty of company) and enjoy the stability.
Still, as a tech journalist, I have to urge some caution. It’s important to keep an eye on Apple’s security updates.
Also: Is iOS 26.2 worth the download? 5 reasons to update today
The iOS 26.2 update patched more than two dozen vulnerabilities on the iPhone, including two that could be used in “extremely sophisticated attacks against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 26.”