Apple has released its first official data on iOS 26 adoption And with these figures, the company has sought to dispel the perception that the latest version of its mobile operating system was receiving a particularly lukewarm reception. These numbers, which come after several weeks of rumors and imprecise estimates, provide a more accurate picture of the extent to which users have decided to update their iPhones and iPads.
The percentages show that iOS 26 is progressing somewhat more slowly than iOS 18, but without pointing to a dramatic drop in interestIn fact, in Europe and in Spain the picture that emerges is still that of a very homogeneous ecosystem, with a large majority of devices running recent versions of the system, although with more doubts than usual due to design changes, compatibility and the staggered arrival of some features.
Official iOS 26 adoption figures for iPhone
Apple's data is based on the iPhones that made transactions in the App Store February 12, 2026, that is, on devices that were active and connected to the company's services. With that sample, the company calculates that the 74% of the iPhones released in the last four years It already runs iOS 26.
If the focus is enlarged and observed the entire fleet of iPhones in useIncluding older models that are still working, iOS 26 is present in approximately 66% of devices. Or, to put it another way, Two out of every three active phones have made the leap to the latest available version of the operating system.
These numbers are very similar to those Apple itself shared for iOS 18, although with important nuances. In January 2025, and also using App Store traffic as a reference, iOS 18 reached a 76% market share on recent iPhones and 68% in the set of active terminals.
The comparison puts iOS 26 at a two percentage points below iOS 18This applies both to recent devices and the total number of devices in the fleet. The difference may seem small, but it becomes significant when you consider that the measurement period is not exactly the same.
A longer measurement period than with iOS 18
One of the key points of the report is the time elapsed between the iOS 26 public release and data collection. In the case of this version, Apple has measured adoption approximately 150 days after the update arrived to the first users.
With iOS 18, however, the first official report was based on the 127 days from launchThis means that iOS 26 had about three extra weeks to grow before the final figures were released, which makes the difference in pace even more apparent.
Despite that more generous time window, iOS 26 has failed to match the initial momentum of iOS 18. The takeaway from this situation is that there is a bit more caution or resistance to updating, although the absolute volume of phones that have already made the jump remains very high.
The company itself emphasizes that, even with this slight slowdown, Apple maintains the ability to to bring together three-quarters of its modern base in a single version in less than six months. Compared to the degree of fragmentation typically seen in Android, the iOS ecosystem's position remains very advantageous.
In markets like Spain or the rest of Europe, where the Intensive use of mobile phones for banking, administration, and work This level of homogeneity in software is very widespread and especially relevant when it comes to ensuring compatibility and security updates.
Which versions are still being used by those who haven't updated to iOS 26?
The report also clarifies what happens to phones that haven't yet installed iOS 26. Most of them are concentrated in the immediately preceding versions of the systemwith iOS 18 as the main refuge for the most cautious users.
According to internal data, Around 20% of recent iPhone owners are still on iOS 18Despite having the option to upgrade. Looking at the entire device fleet, around 24% of active terminals are still on that version.
El The remaining 10% is divided among older editions of iOS, where both phones that are no longer compatible with iOS 26 and users who have decided not to keep up with updates coexist, whether out of habit, for performance reasons, or due to distrust of design changes.
This group is particularly influenced by models that have been left off the iOS 26 support listAmong them are very popular generations like the iPhone XS and other devices from its time, which had a notable presence in Europe and Spain and which can no longer be upgraded to the latest version.
The fact that these devices remain in circulation but do not count towards the iOS 26 count means that, organically, the adoption rate cannot grow beyond a certain limit, even if most compatible phones do end up updating.
iPadOS 26: a somewhat stronger adoption on tablets
The other half of the story has to do with the iPad and the adoption of iPadOS 26The data here is somewhat different, although the general pattern remains one of high update rates when compared to other manufacturers.
Apple indicates that the 66% of iPads released in the last four years It already works with iPadOS 26. That is, two out of every three modern tablets have made the switch to the current version of the operating system.
If all active iPads are considered, without filters for age, iPadOS 26 reaches approximately 57% of the marketAlthough this figure is lower than what happens with the iPhone, it improves on the records of iPadOS 18 at the same point in the cycle.
In the previous report, iPadOS 18 was at around 63% adoption on recent models and in approximately 53% of all tablets in use. The jump of a few percentage points suggests that, in the iPad segment, the transition to the latest version is happening with somewhat more enthusiasm.
One possible explanation is that many users in Spain and Europe use the iPad as support device for leisure, study or teleworkingand not as the sole or primary tool. This makes it a little less daunting to encounter visual changes or operational adjustments that affect critical tasks.
Initial doubts and the error in external statistics
Before Apple published these figures, several studies had already been released that pointed to a surprisingly low adoption of iOS 26Some external reports placed the market share of this version at around 15% of iPhones, a figure that clashed head-on with the usual experience of the ecosystem.
As the weeks went by, it became clear that much of that data was distorted by the way in which Safari identifies itself to web pages on iOS 26To improve privacy and hinder techniques of fingerprintingThe browser began to present itself as if it were running on iOS 18.7 instead of directly showing that it was iOS 26.
This change in the Safari's user agent caused analytics services like StatCounter to and similar tools attributed a large portion of the actual iOS 26 traffic to iOS 18.7. The result was a very inaccurate picture of the real situation, suggesting that almost no one was installing the update.
Once this issue is clarified and with the official figures in hand, the interpretation is considerably more moderate: iOS 26 is being adopted a little more slowly than iOS 18But far from the catastrophic scenarios that had been raised based on those initial studies.
In practice, what Apple's numbers show is a slight slowdown in the update pace, not a break from the trend of previous versions. The ecosystem continues to maintain a level of cohesion that many rival manufacturers cannot match, especially when looking at the European market.
Liquid Glass and the role of design in resistance to upgrades
Beyond statistics and measurement errors, one of the main protagonists of this version is Liquid glass, the aesthetic redesign of iOS 26This is one of the most profound visual changes Apple has implemented in recent years, and that always introduces a degree of uncertainty among users.
From the first months after launch, forums and surveys showed that A significant number of iPhone owners preferred to stay on iOS 18 For convenience. The feeling of "I already know everything" outweighed the curiosity for new things, especially when the phone is used for work, study or managing daily tasks.
Among the most frequently repeated reasons are the reservations about some visual elements of Liquid GlassFrom different animations to changes in icons or transparencies. Although some of these effects can be adjusted in settings, there are users who aren't entirely convinced by the system's new look.
In addition to that aesthetic component, there are Common questions about battery performance and consumption After each major update. In Spain, for example, it's common for many users to wait a few weeks or months before updating their iPhone, waiting to see if there are widespread complaints about battery life, overheating, or problems with banking and e-government apps.
That waiting period, repeated year after year, may have been somewhat more intense with iOS 26 due to the very visible redesign. However, as minor versions are released and details are refined, most of those reservations tend to dissipate, and the adoption rate continues to grow.
Security updates and a sense of "pushing" towards iOS 26
Another point that has influenced the conversation is the way Apple has managed the relationship between security updates and the move to iOS 26With the arrival of iOS 26.2, the company adjusted its policies and, in practice, limited the possibility of staying on iOS 18 if you wanted to receive the latest patches.
In practice, this meant that iPhones compatible with iOS 26 that were still running on iOS 18 They had restricted access to the latest independent security patches. To remain protected against the most recent vulnerabilities, the most direct route was to install iOS 26.
This movement was interpreted by some in the community as a form of force the adoption of the new versionUsers who preferred to stay on iOS 18 by design or out of habit felt that the only way to keep their phone truly protected was to accept the system change.
From Apple's point of view, the strategy makes sense: to maintain Too many active branches complicate patch management and prolong exposure to security vulnerabilities.But, from the user's perspective, it reinforces the perception that the decision to update is less optional than it might seem at first glance.
In Europe, where regulations and data protection authorities are particularly sensitive to digital security, many people end up prioritizing staying up-to-date with patches, even at the cost of accepting visual or functional changes that they don't find entirely convincing.
Delayed features and expectations for future versions
Alongside all of the above, iOS 26 has arrived with some of its most striking new features planned for later versionsThis is the case with certain advanced Siri features and tools linked to artificial intelligence, which will not be fully implemented until releases like iOS 26.5.
This phased roadmap has led some of the most enthusiastic users to wait for the system to mature a little more Before making the final leap. If many of the most desirable features are going to arrive a few months later, many prefer to wait a little longer on iOS 18 and upgrade when the experience is more polished.
At the other extreme are those who, beyond the additional functions, prioritize above all stability and security flaw correctionThis group is usually the one that updates first, trusting that Apple will quickly fix any problems that may appear in the first few weeks.
Looking ahead to the next cycle, attention is already focused on iOS 27, a version that, according to various leaks, I would seek to significantly improve performance and battery consumptionThere is even talk of rewriting parts of the system and using more efficient algorithms, with the aim of refining precisely the points that generate the most doubts when updating.
If those promises are kept, it wouldn't be surprising if within a year the adoption rate of iOS 27 exceeds that of iOS 26supported by a more positive perception of the impact on autonomy and fluidity, both in Spain and in the rest of the European market.
An ecosystem that remains far ahead in device updates
With all of the above in mind, the picture painted by the figures is quite nuanced. On the one hand, iOS 26 lags somewhat behind iOS 18 in terms of adoption percentage in the same time period, even with a few extra days of margin.
On the other hand, Apple continues to succeed in a very high portion of their iPhone and iPad fleet is on the latest available version just a few months after its launch. That ability to concentrate the majority of users at a single point in the operating system's lifecycle remains one of the ecosystem's distinguishing features.
In the specific case of Spain and other European countries, where phones and tablets are increasingly used for official procedures, payments, and sensitive transactions, have a broad base of updated devices It helps reduce compatibility issues and improve overall security.
Between the Liquid Glass redesign, the exclusion of older models like the iPhone XS, the delay of some key features, and the usual concerns about performance and battery life, The adoption of iOS 26 has encountered more friction than usual.Even so, official data refutes the idea of ​​an update crisis and paints a picture in which most users end up making the switch, albeit a little more calmly than with previous versions.
