Apple has released new official figures showing the adoption rates of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. The statistics reveal how many iPhones and iPads worldwide are running the latest operating system versions. They also allow for a direct comparison with the adoption figures for iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 from last year. These figures are particularly interesting because they provide a realistic picture of actual usage, rather than simply representing installation data.
The current data is based on iPhones and iPads that made a purchase in the App Store on February 12, 2026. Apple is therefore only evaluating actively used devices. This is thus a snapshot of the active installed base.
For comparison, older figures are available that Apple published on January 21, 2025. These referred to devices that had also made an App Store purchase at that time and were running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18.
iOS 26 distribution
The current figures for iOS 26 are as follows:
- 74 percent of all iPhones released in the last four years run on iOS 26.
- 66 percent of all iPhones are running iOS 26.
This means that iOS 26 is installed on roughly two-thirds of all active iPhones. The percentage is particularly high on newer devices. Three out of four iPhones from the past four years are already running the current system.
iPadOS 26 rollout
Apple has also released specific figures for iPads:
- 66 percent of all iPads released in the last four years run on iPadOS 26.
- 57 percent of all iPads are running iPadOS 26.
This means that the installation rate for the iPad is slightly lower than that of the iPhone, but is still at a solid level.
Comparison with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18
For comparison, here are the figures from back then for iOS 18 and iPadOS 18:
- 76 percent of all iPhones from the last four years ran on iOS 18.
- 68 percent of all iPhones were running iOS 18.
- 63 percent of all iPads from the last four years ran on iPadOS 18.
- 53 percent of all iPads were running iPadOS 18.
At first glance, the values for iOS 26 and iOS 18 appear very similar. In some areas, they are even very close.
The crucial difference: the publication date
However, a direct comparison is only possible to a limited extent. The statistics for iOS 26 were published later than usual. The figures for iOS 26 are based on devices that were active in the App Store approximately 150 days after the update's release. For iOS 18, data collection began after about 127 days.
This means that iOS 26 was available for approximately three weeks longer before Apple recorded the relevant figures.
Taking this timeframe into account, it becomes clear that the official adoption of iOS 26 was somewhat slower than that of iOS 18. However, the difference is not as significant as earlier unofficial estimates had suggested.
Possible reasons for the slower spread
Apple itself hasn't given any specific reasons for the somewhat slower update rate of iOS 26. However, observations from the community suggest that some users initially wanted to avoid the new Liquid Glass design. Experience shows that major design changes often lead to delayed update installations. An exact cause cannot be determined, as Apple does not publish detailed data on update behavior.
Classification of the iPad figures
Technically, the adoption figures for iPadOS 26 are higher than those for iPadOS 18. The percentage is higher both on newer devices and overall. However, iPadOS 26 also benefits from the additional three weeks of availability. This time factor puts the apparent advantage into perspective.
iOS 26 reaches a broad user base
Current figures show that iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 have firmly established themselves within the Apple ecosystem. Two-thirds of all active iPhones and more than half of all iPads are already running the latest versions.
In direct comparison with iOS 18, the adoption rate was slightly slower, although the difference was smaller than previously expected. The later point in time when the data was collected plays a key role in this.
Overall, the statistics confirm that new Apple operating systems continue to be adopted relatively quickly, even though major design changes can somewhat affect the pace. (Image: Apple)
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