Overview
- StatCounter web traffic data shows unusually low iOS 26 uptake, with Mashable citing under 5 percent on 26.2 and about 10 percent on 26.1.
- Macworld reports Safari now freezes the 'iPhone OS' token at 18.6 on iOS 26, a shift that can misclassify upgraded devices as running iOS 18.
- The actual OS version still appears elsewhere in Safari’s User-Agent, indicating the discrepancy stems from how trackers parse the string.
- Alternative telemetry suggests higher adoption, including about 55 percent from TelemetryDeck and roughly 70 percent from TapSmart.
- Apple has not released official adoption numbers, and while some iOS 26 detections may come from third-party browsers, Safari’s dominance means web-based counts likely remain skewed.