Still haven't updated to iOS 26? You're far from alone - surprisingly

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• iOS 26 adoption is split, with trackers showing sharply antithetic results.
• Design changes and aboriginal bugs are making users hesitant to update.
• Security fixes whitethorn beryllium the strongest crushed to instal iOS 26 now.

It's been a fewer months since Apple released iOS 26. Normally, caller iOS versions dispersed similar wildfire. Within a fewer months, astir iPhone users person tapped that "Download and Install" button, right? Not truthful fast.

This clip around, adoption seems unusually sluggish. There's grounds that galore of america are dragging our feet and hitting "Remind Me Later" connected iOS 26, adjacent if the nonstop percent is up for debate.

Also: How to wide your iPhone cache (and wherefore it improves performance)

I personally updated my iPhone to iOS 26 connected time 1 (the beingness of a tech writer, I had to for work), but I'll beryllium the archetypal to admit that my iPad Pro stayed connected iPadOS 18 (the sister update to iOS 18) until precise recently. Why the delay? For one, I don't usage my iPad arsenic often arsenic my iPhone, and honestly, I didn't consciousness similar spending an hr downloading and installing the update.

It turns retired I'm not alone.

What the information says truthful acold

A study from StatCounter, which tracks website usage, claims that, 4 months aft release, lone astir 16% of iPhones are moving iOS 26, portion much than 60% are inactive connected immoderate mentation of iOS 18. In the US, specifically, the inclination is much pronounced. About three-quarters of iPhones and iPads were inactive connected iOS 18 astatine the extremity of 2025, with iOS 26 hardly cracking a 10% share.

In different words, astir radical haven't bothered updating to iOS 26 yet.

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

There is simply a immense drop-off compared to erstwhile years, too. As 9to5Mac pointed out, by January 2025, astir 60% of users were connected the then-latest iOS 18, and iOS 17 had seen much than 50% adoption successful a akin timeframe.

Also: The iPhone's telephone screening makes updating to iOS 26 worthy it

However, there's different information root worthy considering: TelemetryDeck. The institution gathers anonymized usage information from apps, and it shows iOS 26 moving connected astir 60% of progressive devices astatine the commencement of 2026, with lone astir 37% inactive connected iOS 18. That level of adoption is overmuch much successful enactment with what we usually expect from a caller iOS release. So, wherefore the large discrepancy?

It comes down to methodology. StatCounter's figures are based connected web browser visits, wherever Safari reports the iOS version, portion TelemetryDeck's information comes from apps that usage its SDK. This raises the evident question of which, if either, dataset is much reliable.

Also: 8 ways to get much iPhone retention today

StatCounter whitethorn miss users who person updated to iOS 26 but mostly usage apps alternatively of browsing the web. At the aforesaid time, radical connected older iOS versions whitethorn inactive walk a batch of clip successful Safari alternatively than apps for mundane tasks. TelemetryDeck besides has limitations, since it lone reflects apps that usage its SDK. It could skew toward app users who are aboriginal adopters and much apt to update.

Each method comes with its ain bias. Apple hasn't released authoritative iOS 26 adoption numbers, and it seldom does, truthful for now, we're near piecing unneurotic the representation from these third-party trackers. The information apt sits determination betwixt these 2 extremes.

How users are reacting to iOS 26

OK, let's enactment the numbers speech for a infinitesimal and look astatine what Apple users are saying online astir iOS 26. Is determination existent hesitation astir installing the update? I went to Reddit to find threads astir iOS 26, and arsenic expected, they're filled with mixed feedback.

"That's really insane and shows Apple massively underestimated the interaction of introducing a implicit overhaul of the OS with specified a extremist alteration successful design," one idiosyncratic wrote, reacting to quality astir iOS 26's debased adoption stats. This aforesaid idiosyncratic said they regret updating to iOS 26 and inactive spot plentifulness of iPhones "in the wild" moving iOS 18.

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

Others agreed that iOS 26 feels unfinished, citing unusual UI choices and show hiccups. "This is the archetypal clip ever I regret doing an iOS mentation update," one commenter said. "Even aft aggregate updates, 26 is inactive truthful jittery and clunky."

Also: My iPhone alarm kept failing maine - present are 6 fixes

Complaints astir artillery beingness and sluggishness are common, too. One Redditor vented that their artillery drains faster and the OS is "ridiculously slow, buggy, and conscionable killed my artillery life" connected an iPhone 13. Several others described a "buggy mess" since updating to iOS 26, with one user specifically mentioning issues similar "keyboard lag spikes."

Not everyone hates iOS 26.  

One Redditor wrote that iOS 26 is "perfectly fine," adding, "Y'all are crazy. We spell done this each azygous time." Another user agreed, saying, "I've got nary large issues with iOS 26 but the wildly anserine naming thing."

Also: My favourite iOS 26 diagnostic makes screenshots adjacent much useful

On X, the sermon is likewise divided.

Apple's "Liquid Glass" interface successful iOS 26 is 1 lightning rod. Some users look excited astir it, with 1 poster declaring that "Liquid Glass IS the future. Whether you similar it oregon not, Android WILL transcript it." On the flip side, critics person blasted it arsenic impractical, with one user complaining that "iOS 26's Liquid Glass looks cool, but it's sidesplitting readability and ignoring accessibility."

Apple has already toned down immoderate of the transparency effects successful effect to feedback, adding options to trim oregon crook them off. Still, the takeaway from societal media is clear. iOS 26 is polarizing, and it's giving immoderate users intermission astir upgrading.

Why radical haven't updated yet

While I've been speechmaking countless societal media comments from iPhone users, I've been mulling implicit wherefore they mightiness beryllium holding disconnected connected upgrading to iOS 26, and respective wide patterns person emerged. Here are 4 imaginable reasons they mightiness beryllium delaying the update:

1. Liquid Glass backlash

The astir evident origin is large plan jitters. People are tense astir the look and consciousness of Liquid Glass. It makes the interface ultra-translucent and fluid. It's a melodramatic ocular overhaul, and frankly, a batch of radical either don't emotion it oregon they don't similar change.

Also: What is Liquid Glass? Here's everything we know

Comments similar "They truly took the incorrect absorption with glass-liquid based iOS design. Looks similar garbage" are each implicit Reddit. One Redditor said the UI makes their iPhone look "cheap and disgusting." Ouch. The backlash is existent and whitethorn explicate wherefore galore are avoiding iOS 26 altogether, choosing to instrumentality with the familiarity of iOS 18 alternatively than woody with a plan they hate.

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

2. Bugs and show issues

Everyone knows that large caller updates tin beryllium buggy. While iOS 26's motorboat wasn't catastrophic, it had its stock of aboriginal glitches. Reports of artillery beingness taking a deed are communal (even Apple warned that immoderate users mightiness spot artillery impacts). Some users person besides complained astir sluggish show and weird behavior, similar CarPlay bugs.

Also: Downloading iOS 26? Do these 6 things connected your iPhone first

"This is the lone OS I privation I could ever rotation back," one Redditor said. "Never ever person I had an iPhone suffer complaint portion plugged successful connected CarPlay, but whenever artillery gets down to <20%, iPhone volition inactive suffer charge."

Apple besides delayed making iOS 26 the "recommended" update, which mightiness person signaled to adjacent its astir savvy users it's OK to clasp off. Now that iOS 26.2 is out, immoderate concerns person apt eased, but archetypal impressions matter.

3. No compelling crushed

Let's beryllium real: Aside from Liquid Glass, iOS 26 doesn't person immoderate killer, must-have features that shriek "update now!" Many of its improvements are nether the hood oregon niche. On Reddit, a user said there's "basically nary functional upgrade from iOS 18" isolated from the UI, and another Redditor said third-party app developers aren't doing overmuch with the Liquid Glass APIs yet.

Also: How to usage Hold Assist connected iOS 26 (and wherefore it's my must-have)

If I had to guess, immoderate radical are simply not motivated to update.

4. Update fatigue

I autumn into this category. 

We've each gotten utilized to a yearly iOS update cadence, but passim the year, determination are changeless insignificant updates meant to adhd polish, hole bugs, and amended stability. All of those inactive person to beryllium downloaded and installed.

Also: iPhone artillery worse aft updating to iOS 26? Here's why

I don't let automatic updates due to the fact that I similar deciding for myself whether I privation to tally a perchance disruptive update. That means I person to manually enactment connected apical of making definite I'm moving the latest OS. As you tin archer from however agelong it took maine to update my iPad, I'm not large astatine that, and I can't assistance but wonderment however galore others autumn into this "I'll bash it later" mindset.

Updating and rebooting a instrumentality takes time, and past you inactive person to set to immoderate has changed. If you're not particularly excited astir the caller features and are suffering from update fatigue, it's casual to pat "Later" and support forgetting astir it.

Until there's an urgent crushed oregon a persistent prompt, a batch of radical volition conscionable permission things as-is, myself included.

Should you update your iPhone?

I'm moving the latest mentation of iOS 26 connected my regular iPhone and enjoying it. I've ne'er minded the Liquid Glass look, and I haven't noticed immoderate large show issues. That said, I recognize wherefore galore radical are waiting. If your iPhone oregon iPad is moving smoothly connected iOS 18, what's the rush? Stay connected iOS 18 (you've got plentifulness of company) and bask the stability.

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

Still, arsenic a tech journalist, I person to impulse immoderate caution. It's important to support an oculus connected Apple's information updates.

Also: Is iOS 26.2 worthy the download? 5 reasons to update today

The iOS 26.2 update patched much than 2 twelve vulnerabilities connected the iPhone, including 2 that could beryllium utilized successful "extremely blase attacks against circumstantial targeted individuals connected versions of iOS earlier iOS 26."