iOS 26: When can we expect Apple's major iPhone update to be released?
Apple follows certain rules when it comes to the release of its operating systems. The Mac & i forecast shows when iOS will be released this year.
iOS mit Icons.
(Image: Mac & i)
Want to keep your iPhone up to date? Then you should install the latest operating system on your Apple smartphone—also for security reasons. The most recent major update was iOS 18, released in fall 2024 and updated regularly since then. It runs on iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, 15, 15 Plus, and SE (second and third generations), as well as the iPhone 16e, which was released in spring 2025.
How Apple normally proceeds
For years, Apple has relied on an annual release cycle for iOS. The new operating system is always presented to the public in the summer at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which typically takes place in early June. Immediately after the event, a beta version is released for developers, followed a few weeks later—usually in July—by a public beta for all interested users who want to test it.
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This year was no different: WWDC 2025 took place on June 9. In addition to iOS 26, Apple also unveiled iPadOS 26 and macOS 26, aka Tahoe, for the first time. Developers were able to start testing on the evening of the WWDC keynote, and the first public beta of the new operating system was released at the end of July. This year's updates are particularly exciting: Apple has developed a new design language called Liquid Glass, which will be found on all platforms – it changes the user experience with more transparent glass surfaces, new icons, and numerous other minor and major changes.
When will iOS 26 be available this year?
Testing began after the release of the iOS 26 beta. Five public betas and eight developer betas were released by August 26. During the beta phase, the features are put through their paces by external users, and Apple often makes important adjustments during the process. After the beta phase, the operating system should then be ready for the public.
Apple usually releases iOS together with new iPhones. The company likes to unveil these in September – usually in the first half of the month. This year, September 9 has been chosen as the date, with iOS 26 likely to be released a week later. Even in the coronavirus year of 2020, Apple stuck to its schedule and delivered iOS 14 in September, although the iPhone 12 was not released until October. iOS 26 will no longer support several models. The iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR will no longer be supported, and Apple's A13 Bionic chip, installed in the iPhone 11 and later, is now the minimum requirement.
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