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Apple’s latest install-rate snapshot landed like a cold shower: iOS 26 hasn’t caught as much traction as its predecessor, even though it had more time to win over users. Numbers don’t lie, and these ones sketch a picture of hesitation rather than wholesale enthusiasm.
As of February 12, 2026, Apple reports that 74% of iPhones sold in the last four years are running iOS 26, while iOS 26 is active on 66% of all iPhones. On the tablet side, 66% of iPads from the last four years have moved to iPadOS 26, with the OS installed on 57% of all active iPads. Short sentences. Clear takeaway.
Put in context, those figures are slightly lower than the comparable numbers for iOS 18. When Apple released its January 2025 tally, iOS 18 was on 76% of iPhones sold in the prior four years and 68% of all iPhones; iPadOS 18 showed 63% and 53% respectively. The gap isn’t huge. But it’s real.
The timing matters. Apple’s iOS 26 data was logged roughly 150 days after the public release; iOS 18 was measured at about 127 days. So iOS 26 had roughly three extra weeks to build momentum and still didn’t match iOS 18’s uptake by the same point in its lifecycle. That suggests the daily installation rate for iOS 26 has been lower.
Why are people pausing? Apple hasn’t given an official answer. Analysts point to a few plausible causes. The most visible is the revamped Liquid Glass interface—polished, yes, but polarizing for some users. When an operating system reshapes familiar visuals, a slice of the audience prefers to wait and watch. There’s also the perennial worry about app compatibility and the odd bug that pops up in early updates. Trust matters. Trust takes time to rebuild.
Rumors and unofficial estimates painted a much darker gap between the two releases; Apple’s own numbers moderate those claims. Still, even a modest slowdown is significant when you’re dealing with hundreds of millions of devices worldwide.
Apple’s data shows a cautious user base: iOS 26 is adopted, but not embraced at the same clip as iOS 18.
For developers and product teams, this is a reminder: interface overhauls and major visual shifts demand extra communication, compatibility testing, and sometimes a gentler rollout. For users, the choice to wait is often practical—better to see how the first wave of updates land before committing the upgrade. Either way, the story of iOS 26 is still being written. Will the curve tilt upward as follow-up patches and clearer app support arrive? Time will tell.
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