iOS 26: Liquid Glass seemingly slows down adoption
Apple users often quickly switch to new iPhone operating systems. This was only limited with iOS 26.
iOS 26: Less popular than previous operating systems.
(Image: Apple)
Is iOS 26 a flop? Official figures, such as those Apple usually publishes relatively regularly, are not yet available, but external analyses now assume that users are updating to the new operating system significantly less quickly than is customary for the iPhone. The current data comes from the provider Statcounter, which counts website visitors and app users across platforms. The latest monthly figures from January 2025 state that iOS 26.1 and iOS 26.2 together account for 15.31 percent among iOS users (iPadOS is included).
iOS 18 was updated four times as often
iOS 26 is not listed individually – possibly because frustrated users quickly updated to the first major update from which they hoped for improvements. iOS 18.5, 18.6, and 18.7 remain absolutely dominant with a combined 64.43 percent. It is unclear how realistic Statcounter's figures are, but there are at least comparable values. In January 2025, all versions of iOS 18 already accounted for over 62 percent; this had also been released in September prior. This would mean Apple's adoption rate has quadrupled.
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Apple itself does not provide fresh data on its official figures website for iOS distribution; information from June 2025 is still being disseminated here. At that time, iOS 18 reached a considerable 88 percent among App Store users on iPhones from the last four years.
Liquid Design inventor moves to Meta
With iOS 26, Apple introduced its new liquid glass look, which quickly became controversial. The operating system was not only visually adapted in various places but also in terms of usability. Users who had little time to deal with the major overhaul therefore apparently updated significantly less quickly at the beginning than during iOS 18 times. Spicy: The manager ultimately responsible for the new system, Alan Dye, recently moved to Meta – presumably for (very) much money – to work on “AI as a new design material”.
With iOS 26.1 and 26.2, Apple had already tinkered with the look and settings. The worst blunders have since been fixed, such as unreadable icons or menus. The fundamental look, which also extends to iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, has not changed. Apple does not provide figures for their upgrade rates.
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