Apple announced iOS 26 at WWDC 2025, and the new iPhone update comes with a fresh new ‘Liquid Glass’ look and plenty of features – and there are loads of iOS 26 supported devices, which is great news.
And no, you haven’t missed a volley of updates since iOS 18 in 2024. Apple has skipped a bunch of numbers, so instead of giving us iOS 19 in 2025, we got iOS 26 alongside iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26. In short, Apple’s brought its operating system numbering into line. Nice.
There’s a lot to like in the iOS 26 update, so you’ll probably want to know whether your iPhone qualifies for the upgrade.
Which iPhone models can download iOS 26?
To use the iOS 26, your iPhone must feature an A13 Bionic chip or newer. That means a staggering six generations of iPhone support the iOS 26 update, with iPhones dating back to 2019 in-line for the new software.
To be able to get the new iPhone update, you’ll need one of the following models:
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
There are a trio of iPhones that do miss out on the iOS 26 update however, after receiving the iOS 18 update last year.
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
It’s not a massive surprise, considering these handsets are now eight years old and running aging technology. If you currently own one of these iPhones, we’d recommend you consider an upgrade later this year to ensure you’re on the latest software, have access to the newest features, and benefit for ongoing security updates.
When will my iPhone get iOS 26?
If you are fortunate enough to own one of the iPhone models listed above, Apple has confirmed you’ll need to wait until ‘Fall’ (likely September) for the final version of the new operating system to arrive.
Judging by past iOS releases, we expect Apple will make iOS 26 available to everyone after the iPhone 17 launch, which will likely take place around the middle of September.
If you don’t want to wait until September to try out iOS 26, you can look to download the iOS 26 public beta which will be available in July. But we warned, this is a development build of the platform and could be full of bugs.
If you depend on your iPhone for vital communication, we’d advise against downloading the beta software.
What about my other Apple devices?
Own more than just an iPhone? Then your other Apple devices could be in line for a major software upgrade as well. We’ve got all the information on the iPadOS 26 supported devices and watchOS 26 supported devices.
