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iOS 26.1 lets you control the Liquid Glass design.
iOS 26.2 offers better security for AirDrop.
Most of all, iOS 26 patches several nasty security bugs.
My wife and I both own iPhones. But differences exist between our respective ownerships. I quickly install each new OS update, both for personal and professional reasons. My wife, however, balks at this onerous task, complaining that the update will mess up her phone, change familiar things, and force her to learn new stuff.
Other iPhone users seem to feel the same way as my wife, though reports differ over how many people have jumped to the new version since its debut last October. Analytics service StatCounter says that iOS 26 has only a 16% adoption rate, while TelemetryDeck pegs the rate at around 60%. Even if we take the higher number as more accurate, the uptake of iOS 26 is slower than most prior iOS versions at this point.
Also: Liquid Glass too clear for you? iOS 26.1 has a new switch that fixes it - here's how
Why? Probably for the same reasons that my wife asserts. Updating can be a hassle. Snafus can occur. Familiar features change. And you need to learn new stuff. With iOS 26 in particular, though, people have been complaining about other hiccups.
As with any new update, battery life feels worse. The new Liquid Glass aesthetic has been a turnoff for many. Plus, there are no must-have new features in the latest OS. For those reasons and more, a number of iPhone owners have been content to remain with iOS 18.
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