The arrival of iOS 26.2 This is one of Apple's most talked-about software releases in recent months. The update combines urgent security patches, visual improvements, and minor day-to-day tweaks, but it's also facing unusual resistance from a large portion of users who remain comfortably settled on iOS 18.7.
While Apple is pushing towards a platform much more reliant on the intelligence on the device And with the new Liquid Glass design language, many iPhone owners think twice before tapping "Download and Install." The result is a curious scenario: a system with significant improvements, but with slower adoption than the company itself was used to seeing in Europe and the rest of the world.
A slow rollout: iOS 26.2 hasn't quite taken off
One of the most striking facts is the low adoption of iOS 26 overall and iOS 26.2 in particular. Estimates based on web traffic, such as those from StatCounter, place the entire iOS 26 ecosystem at around 15-16% of actual iPhone usage, several months after its release.
If broken down by version, iOS 26.1 is around 10%While iOS 26.2 is moving around 4-5% And the first version, 26.0, barely accounts for more than 1%. On the other side of the spectrum, iOS 18.7 and its sub-versions still concentrate more than 60% of active users, a dominance reminiscent of other generations considered "very stable" at the time.
Compared to previous cycles, the picture is even more striking: four months after its release, iOS 18 was already present on more than half of iPhonesexceeding 60% according to those same measurements. iOS 17 and iOS 16 also achieved similar figures in their first few months, so the slowdown of iOS 26 seems more profound than a simple temporary delay.
Even among the most enthusiastic users, traditionally quick to upgrade, the transition has been slow. Specialized media outlets, whose audience tends to always be on the cutting edge, report that, at this time of year, less than a third of their readers are using iOS 26, whereas a year earlier almost nine out of ten were using iOS 18. The contrast is hard to ignore.
iOS 18.7: a haven for those who prioritize stability
Much of this resistance has to do with the image of iOS 18.7 as a “refined and predictable” versionAmong users of recent models —especially in ranges like iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro— it is perceived as a point of equilibrium where the system works smoothly, the battery performs as expected, and surprises are minimal.
iOS 18.7 has established itself as the last stop before the more aggressive shift towards local AI that characterizes iOS 26. For those who value a phone that goes unnoticed and doesn't change its workflow overnight, sticking with that version is seen as a a prudent decision rather than a sign of inaction.
Another influencing factor is that Apple continues to publish security updates for iOS 18Previously, staying on an older version meant taking more risk; today, many users feel they can remain protected without having to immediately adapt to Liquid Glass or the new features linked to Apple Intelligence.
A simple idea is being repeated in forums and on social media: "If the phone works perfectly and does what I need, why change it?" A very practical approach that, this time, is carrying more weight than usual.
Liquid Glass, a more aggressive design, and doubts about the change
The great hallmark of iOS 26 It's their new visual language, Liquid Glass. Translucent panels, depth effects, blurred backgrounds, and smoother animations are coming to the home screen, control center, lock screen, and many system apps, aligning iOS with the look of iPadOS and macOS this generation.
This redesign, however, hasn't generated unanimous enthusiasm. A significant portion of users feel the system looks more cluttered, especially in daily use. For those who spend many hours looking at their iPhones for work or study, a stable and unobtrusive interface is usually the priority over flashy effects.
Furthermore, the transition is not uniform. While some popular apps—such as major browsers or music services—have quickly adopted the new style, Many applications are still stuck on the old design.This results in a mixed experience: some screens with Liquid Glass, others with the traditional look, and a sense of inconsistency that goes against the image of unity that iOS had been cultivating for years.
Initial criticism forced Apple to take action. New features have been added with iOS 26.2. controls to modulate the intensity of Liquid GlassEspecially on the lock screen, allowing you to adjust how opaque or translucent the clock and other elements appear. It's a way of trying to reconcile the new design language with those who prefer something more discreet.
Key new features in iOS 26.2: security, design, and everyday functions
Beyond the debate about visual style, iOS 26.2 arrives with a host of changes designed to both strengthen security and refine the daily user experience. The update is available for most recent models—from the iPhone 11 family onward—with a phased deployment by region which, in Europe, extends over several days.
In terms of aesthetics and interface, one of the most visible changes is in the lock screenA Liquid Glass slider is now available for the main watch face: you can make it blend almost completely with the background, give it a soft frosted look, or revert to a more solid style closer to previous versions. This addresses complaints from those who found the watch face too intrusive in their photos.
There are also adjustments in the Health app, specifically in the “Sleep Score” SystemApple has tweaked the ranges that define whether a night's sleep is labeled as very low, acceptable, or high quality, trying to make the score more like how users actually feel when they wake up.
In day-to-day use, the Reminders app gains the ability to associate complete alarms for specific tasksWhen a reminder marked as important expires, the iPhone can behave like a traditional alarm instead of just displaying a silent notification, which is useful for appointments or deadlines that can't be missed.
The Podcasts app also takes an interesting leap: iOS 26.2 is capable of Generate chapters automatically from the transcript of an episode, even if the creator hasn't defined them. This makes it easier to jump to the segment you're interested in, and the links included in the transcript make it easy to discover other related content.
More apps adapted to Liquid Glass and improvements spread throughout the system
The update continues the work of bringing Liquid Glass to more areas of the system. Applications like Measure now support it. translucent controls and a more modern lookreplacing flat elements with panels with depth and smoother animations.
In parallel, various animations in menus and transitions have been tweaked to make navigation feel smoother and faster. These are minor changes individually, but together they contribute to giving 26.2 a more polished feel than the initial iOS 26 release.
Another new development with practical impact is the advancement of the Live translation with AirPodsThis version expands to users in the European Union. By combining an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone with the latest AirPods, the system can translate conversations in real time, playing the translated audio directly into the ear, with processing done on the device itself.
Apple is also strengthening security for everyday use of features like AirDrop. iOS 26.2 introduces a new one-time code system to share with people who are not in our contacts, reducing the possibility of receiving unwanted or malicious files randomly in public spaces.
On Apple Music, the option to check offline letters It allows you to continue the song even without data or Wi-Fi. The Games section includes a filter for sort titles by sizeThis is useful when you need to free up space, and CarPlay offers the option to disable pinned messages for those who prefer a simpler driving interface.
Security in the spotlight: critical patches and pressure to update
The most significant aspect of iOS 26.2 lies in what you don't see: the security fixes. In the days leading up to and following the release, various sources have reported on these updates. cyber threat notifications sent by Apple and Google to specific users worldwide, alerting them to particularly sophisticated spyware campaigns targeting both iOS and Android.
These are high-level attacks that exploit unknown vulnerabilities and target a very small number of victims, but they force companies to react quickly to prevent these flaws from being exploited more widely in the future. As part of this response, iOS 26.2 is described as an update with critical patches potentially affecting over a billion iPhones.
In addition to strengthening the system's internal protection, the version delves deeper into the measures against scams, frauds and phishing, relying on the local analysis capabilities introduced with iOS 26. The handling of certain types of links is tightened and security alerts are refined to arrive more reliably in emergency situations.
For those still using iOS 18, this situation adds extra pressure. Although Apple continues to release security updates for that branch, various sources indicate that the focus will gradually shift towards iOS 26, so that Prolonging the jump too much may leave you out of some more advanced protections.
In this scenario, the widespread recommendation from experts and technology media is clear: back up and Do not indefinitely postpone the installation of iOS 26.2unless there are very specific reasons to wait.
Faster Wi-Fi on Mac, iPad, and iPhone thanks to 26.2
Beyond the iPhone, version 26.2 has revealed an interesting change in the Apple ecosystem: Improved Wi-Fi performance on devices with Wi-Fi 6EIn both macOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, it has been verified that the system no longer limits the channel width to 80 MHz in the 5 GHz band and allows the use of 160 MHz, provided the hardware supports it.
Until now, even if you had a Mac or iPad compatible with Wi-Fi 6E, the system only took advantage of those 160 MHz when connecting to 6 GHz networks, requiring a more modern and, generally, much more expensive router. With the change, The "good old" 5 GHz band becomes a four-lane highway, without needing to change routers if they already support those channel widths.
Translated into real-world experience, this can mean faster transfer speeds within your home, quicker network backups, and more robust high-resolution streaming, provided your network environment isn't congested. It's not a feature highlighted in the release notes, but it has been confirmed in independent testing.
To take advantage of it, several conditions must be met: having a Apple device equipped with Wi-Fi 6E (such as MacBook Pro with M2 Pro or higher, MacBook Air with M3 chip, Mac mini M2 and later, iMac M3, later Mac Studio or iPad Pro and Air with M2 and above, as well as iPad mini with A17 Pro) and have a router that offers 160 MHz on 5 GHz.
In Europe, many Wi-Fi 6 routers installed by ISPs in recent years already include this option, although it is sometimes disabled or set to automatic. It's advisable to check the device's label to identify the model, consult its specifications, and, if possible, access the advanced settings to verify that the 5 GHz channel width is set to 160 MHz or a compatible setting.
Battery problems and background processes: what some users are encountering
As is often the case with any major iOS update, not everyone is having a seamless transition. After installing iOS 26.2 Numerous complaints have appeared on social media and forums regarding an apparently disproportionate battery consumption, even with moderate phone use.
Rapid drops in load level are described, and in some cases, a unusual heating of the deviceThis is a classic symptom that something is working intensively in the background. These experiences are reported on various models, from older iPhones that support 26 to recent generations.
It is true that, after a version change of this magnitude, the system carries out several heavy tasks: reindexing all the data for the search, analyzing the photo library for recognition functions, optimizing third-party apps for the new architecture… All of this can increase consumption for one or more days.
What worries some users is that, in certain cases, This "adjustment" phase is lasting longer than usual.Without an official explanation, hypotheses are being considered ranging from a bug in power management to a temporary poor adaptation of certain apps, which could be keeping the processor active longer than necessary.
Given this scenario, the usual recommendations remain valid: check which processes are responsible for the highest consumption in the Battery section of Settings, limit background updates of non-critical applications, reduce brightness and disable functions such as "raise to wake" if not in use, as well as resorting to low power mode when it is necessary to extend battery life for a few more hours.
White borders on icons and the role of accessibility settings
Another side effect that has caused confusion has to do with the thick white borders around icons and buttons which some users have seen after updating first to iOS 26.1 and then to 26.2. At first glance it may seem like a graphical glitch, but it is actually related to an accessibility setting that becomes much more prominent with Liquid Glass.
The cause is usually the choice “Show borders” in the Display and text size sectionMany users activated it to highlight elements, sometimes following tricks seen on social media, and then forgot about it. With the new translucent design, that outline goes from being almost imperceptible to becoming a very pronounced border surrounding icons, text fields, and buttons throughout the system.
The solution is relatively simple: go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Display & Text Size, and turn off Show Borders. The change takes effect instantly. It does not require reinstalling or waiting for a new versionChecking other contrast settings or color filters while you're at it can help avoid combinations that, with Liquid Glass, appear visually excessive.
For those who need some kind of visual reinforcement, it may be preferable to opt for less aggressive options—such as bold text, increasing the font size, or simplifying the background—rather than resorting to striking outlines, especially in this new stage of design.
How to update to iOS 26.2 with a head
For those who haven't yet made the switch, the iOS 26.2 installation process is straightforward, but it's advisable to follow certain guidelines. The first thing is Perform a recent backup of your iPhoneWhether in iCloud or via an encrypted copy on a computer, it's a basic safety net against any unforeseen event.
The second step is to make sure the device has enough battery power and is connected to a stable Wi-Fi networkbecause the update package easily exceeds one gigabyte and the installation may take longer depending on the model and the load of the servers.
From there, the process involves going to Settings → General → Software Update, where iOS 26.2 should appear as soon as the rollout reaches your region. Once finished, it's a good idea to open your most critical apps—such as online banking, messaging, or work tools—to verify that everything is working correctly.
Given the vulnerabilities it addresses, most experts recommend not delaying the update for weeks. It's better to wait a day or two to see if widespread serious problems appear, something that, so far, doesn't seem to have happened with version 26.2.
Between security enhancements, design tweaks, expanded features like AirPods Live Translate in the EU, and the unexpected boost to Wi-Fi on compatible devices, iOS 26.2 is shaping up to be a significant, albeit divisive, update. While some users continue to cling to iOS 18.7 as a safe haven, the combination of critical patches and practical improvements means that, sooner or later, most will make the switch to this new stage of Apple's operating system.