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Apple has announced major changes to the iPhone operating system as part of iOS 26 during WWDC 2025 in June – and it is now widely available for iPhone users. After launching a long -awaited iPhone 17 range at the beginning of the month, including the thinnest iPhone with the 17 Air, Apple also confirmed that the general release of iOS 26 would occur on Monday, September 15.
Most iPhone users will receive a free software update to go to iOS 26, although availability can vary depending on the carrier, regional and local regulations. IOS 26 is the successor of iOS 18, the operating system widely available current for iPhones. Instead of launching iOS 19 sequentially to iOS 18, Apple has renamed its operating system versions to correspond to the year when users use them the most.
Also: each comparative iPhone 17 model: Should you buy the basic model, air, pro or max?
In this case, iOS 26 has already been launched for general availability, but many functionalities updates will continue to deploy until 2026. This is how to install iOS 26 on your compatible iPhone.
How to install iOS 26
What you need: You will need an iOS 16.5 compatible iPhone or later. Since all iPhones do not support iOS 26, you will also need a more recent model than the iPhone 11.
After agreeing to download and install iOS 26, you can wait until your iPhone has finished installing the update. Then you are ready to take advantage of your liquid glass interface, your preview application and more Apple Intelligence integrations.
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When was iOS 26 released?
IOS 26 was widely available as free software update on September 15, 2025. The developer’s beta version was published during WWDC in June 2025, while the public beta version was published in July.
What iPhones are compatible with iOS 26?
Apple has deleted the iPhone XR and XS from its list of devices supported with iOS 26, so that any iPhone 11 or more recent is compatible with the new operating system, including the iPhone SE.
Also: Each iPhone model that can be updated on iOS 26 (and those who do not support it)
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