Overview
- iOS 26 is now a free download starting Monday, September 15, with release windows including 10 a.m. PT in California, 2 p.m. in Argentina and Uruguay, and 7 p.m. in Spain.
- The update supports iPhone SE (2nd generation) and iPhone 11 through the new iPhone 17 lineup, while iPhone XR, XS and XS Max and earlier are not eligible.
- Headline features include the ‘Liquid Glass’ interface, a call reviewer for unknown numbers, spam filtering in Messages, a new Games app, live translation via Apple Intelligence and the Adaptive Power battery saver.
- Apple advises backing up devices, connecting to reliable Wi‑Fi and ensuring ample storage, with downloads cited around 8.32 GB and guidance to free up to 20 GB, plus an option to update via a computer if space is tight.
- Apple also released macOS Tahoe 26, iPadOS 26 and watchOS 26 as part of a unified versioning shift across its operating systems.