Your iPhone and iPad will look significantly different when iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 roll out this fall. And no, you haven’t missed seven operating system upgrades since iOS 18 last year. Apple has changed the naming structure of its OS updates and made them all consistent—visionOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26—so they’re now tied to the year after their launch, similar to what car makers do when debuting new models.
The main highlight across all of Apple’s updates announced at WWDC 2025 revolves around the new look and feel of the interface, a design language the company calls Liquid Glass. Beyond that, several new features are coming to iOS, from live translation in messages and calls to the ability to search anything on your iPhone screen through Visual Intelligence. The Photos app is also getting its tabs back! More significant are the updates to iPadOS, which will now support windowed apps that are resizable and can be tiled, bringing it closer to a desktop computing experience people have been waiting for.
We'll run through the top new features in both operating systems. Here's what you need to know.
Is Your iPhone or iPad Compatible AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron Every year, Apple tends to cut off a few older devices from downloading the latest iOS or iPadOS version. The reason is supposedly due to hardware age. (Apple typically supports iPhones and iPads for six to seven years.) iPhones from 2019 and newer—the iPhone 11 and up, including the iPhone SE (2nd Gen)—will support iOS 26. The iPhones that received iOS 18 but are now cut off from the latest version are the iPhone XR and iPhone XS series from 2018. If you're unsure about your iPhone model, head to Settings > General > About and look at the model name. iPads are a little more complicated, as the naming scheme fluctuates. Apple recently retired the “generations” and is now using the chipset to denote the model. You can figure out what model your iPad is by heading here. The 7th-gen iPad from 2019 seems to be the only one that will not receive the update compared to iPads that received iPadOS 18. iPad : 8th gen and later, including A16
: 8th gen and later, including A16 iPad Mini : 5th gen and later, including A17 Pro
: 5th gen and later, including A17 Pro iPad Air : 3rd gen and later, including M2 and M3
: 3rd gen and later, including M2 and M3 iPad Pro 11-inch : 1st gen and later
: 1st gen and later iPad Pro 12.9-inch: 3rd gen and later
3rd gen and later iPad Pro: M4 How to Try iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 Now AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron Apple has released the developer beta of iOS and iPadOS 26, but I don't recommend installing it just yet on your primary iPhone; maybe use an older iPhone you have lying around if you really want to try it out. There are some bugs, and there's always a risk of messing up your iPhone on an early version meant for developers. If you are going to risk it, make sure you back up your device. Head to Settings and tap your name at the top, then select iCloud. Tap on iCloud Backup, toggle it on, and tap Back Up Now. Read our How to Back Up Your iPhone or iPad guide for other methods and more details. When you're ready to update, make sure your iPhone is fully charged and connected to Wi-Fi. Then go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and choose the iOS 26 developer beta. It'll request the update and then take some time to download it. Your iPhone will then automatically restart to install it, so make sure you set aside several minutes for the whole process. That's it! What Happened to iOS 19? AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron Apple's previous iOS version was iOS 18 in 2024, but the company has decided to revamp its naming structure so that all of its platforms are consistent. That means iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS, tvOS, and watchOS are all on version 26. Why 26? Apple is following the car maker's playbook, naming the update for the last two digits of the following year. Most people download the latest iPhone OS version in December, even though Apple releases it in September; this way it continues to feel fresh right as the new year rolls around.
Top iOS 26 Features
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