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

"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."

"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."

iOS 26 has seen unusually slow and inconsistent adoption across devices. StatCounter reports roughly 16% adoption four months after release, with over 60% of iPhones still on iOS 18 and only about 10% in the US. By contrast, TelemetryDeck reports roughly 60% of active devices running iOS 26 at the start of 2026. Users cite design changes, early bugs, and the time required to download and install as reasons to delay updates. Some users choose to wait on less-used devices. Security fixes remain a strong reason for installing iOS 26 despite hesitancy.

Read at ZDNET