Apple’s iOS 26, in keeping with the historical norms, has now reached around three-fourths of all iPhones launched over the past four years (since 2022). Even so, Apple’s latest software iteration for the iPhones is somewhat lagging when compared with the adoption recorded by the last-gen iOS 18 in the comparable timeframe, with the Liquid Glass design language likely to blame for this aberrant slowdown.
Apple’s iOS 26 is now running on 74 percent of all iPhones launched in the last four years
Apple’s iOS 26 adoption statistics
Apple has just released the adoption statistics for iOS 26 now that 150 days have passed since its general availability. At this point in time last year, Apple’s iOS 18 was at a 76 percent penetration vs. 74 percent for iOS 26 right now. Going back even further, iOS 17 was also at a 76 percent penetration at this point in Apple’s software update cycle.
We can only theorize as to the reasons behind the unusually slow adoption rate for iOS 26. Even so, we have an inkling that it might have something to do with Apple’s new Liquid Glass UI. After all, Apple’s design language has attracted its fair share of criticism over the past few months, especially on legibility concerns, with critics accusing the Cupertino giant of preferring form over substance.
On the positive front, iOS 26 does bring a number of new ways to customize your iPhone experience:
A toggle for Liquid Glass UI.
You can turn off the swipe action on the lock screen that previously would have opened the camera app.
‘Slide to stop’ gesture for alarms.
Screen flash notification alert.
Adjust the transparency of the clock on the lock screen.
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