Overview
- Apple says the global rollout begins around 10:00 a.m. PT (1:00 p.m. ET), with regional availability surfacing in waves such as roughly 10:30 p.m. IST in India.
- Compatibility starts with iPhone 11 and newer, including iPhone SE (2nd generation and later), while iPhone Xs, Xs Max and XR lose support this cycle.
- Liquid Glass delivers a system-wide translucent look with refreshed Lock and Home screens, updated controls and gestures, plus app upgrades like Messages polls and backgrounds, Maps’ learned routes and Visited Places, Music’s AutoMix and Lyrics Translation, and a new Games app.
- Apple Intelligence features such as Live Translation, Visual Intelligence, Call Screening and Hold Assist arrive in iOS 26, though the most advanced tools are limited to newer hardware like iPhone 15 Pro and later; Newsweek notes Live Translation has EU limits for now.
- Companion updates for iPadOS 26, watchOS 26 and macOS Tahoe roll out today as well, and users are urged to back up, connect to Wi‑Fi, charge their devices and free storage before installing.