Four months after launch, iOS 26 continues to struggle with adoption rates that lag dramatically behind those of previous iOS versions. Data from StatCounter reports that only around 16% of iPhones run iOS 26, with over 60% of users still on iOS 18. This is a severe slowdown compared to iOS 18, which reached 63% adoption within the same timeframe a year earlier.
Though StatCounter is a useful gauge of iOS 26’s popularity (or lack thereof), adoption rates can be difficult to measure. Apple froze Safari’s user agent string in iOS 26 to protect privacy, causing devices running iOS 26 to report as iOS 18 when tracked through web analytics, Kochava reports. This means StatCounter likely misses some iOS 26 devices entirely.
Beyond the usual design criticism, iOS 26 launched with bugs that turned many users away. Complaints mentioned faster battery drain, excessive overheating, app crashes, and Wi-Fi connectivity failures. While Apple did release iOS 26.0.1 and subsequent updates to address these issues, the perception of iOS 26 as an unfinished release persists, and these updates were more like partial improvements.
Siri makes things worse. The improved Siri that Apple promised in 2024 remains absent from iOS 26, with an expected arrival timeline of spring 2026 via iOS 26.4. To power the updated smart assistant, Apple has partnered with Google Gemini, which will provide a new foundation for Apple Intelligence.
In the meantime, Apple has released the second iOS 26.3 beta for iPhone. The beta introduces a native tool that can transfer photos, messages, notes, and other data to Android devices, as well as notification forwarding for third-party wearables in the European Union. Apple expects to release iOS 26.3 publicly at the end of January or early February.
