The conversation around iOS 26 Things have been heating up over the last few months. What was presented in the summer as one of Apple's most anticipated updates, with record installations in the beta phase, has now become a supposed stumble that many are already calling a failure in terms of installation numbers.
Much of the debate revolves around whether or not users are updating their iPhones, especially in markets like Spain and the rest of Europewhere the adoption of new iOS versions is usually very rapid. The data that has come to light is so disparate that it's difficult to get a clear idea of what's really happening with iOS 26.
Liquid Glass and the aesthetic changes in iOS 26 haven't quite won everyone over.
One of the big new features of iOS 26 is its new interface design, known as Liquid GlassApple has sought to make a significant visual change, with more transparencies, reflections and animations, in an attempt to refresh a system that had been undergoing more discreet aesthetic changes for years.
However, this redesign doesn't seem to be generating the enthusiasm the company might have hoped for. Among some users, there's a certain sense of unease. lack of motivation to take the leapespecially for those who are comfortable with iOS 18, a well-established, stable version that continues to work without major problems on millions of devices.
Traditionally, the main versions of iOS that Apple will launch in September They achieve very high adoption rates in just a few weeks. The norm in recent years has been that within months, more than half of all compatible iPhones are already running the new version. That's precisely what's in question with iOS 26: there are reports suggesting that this trend has been broken.
According to some of that data, The Liquid Glass design is not proving to be a sufficient selling point. to convince those who doubt, and that fuels the narrative that iOS 26 "isn't taking off." But the story is much more complex than it first appears.
The alarming data: only 16% with iOS 26?
Much of the idea that iOS 26 is failing comes from the figures shared by StatCounter, one of the leading web traffic analytics firms. Their charts, based on browser usage, paint a bleak picture for the latest version of iOS.
According to this consulting firm, iOS 26 would have barely reached around 16% market share among compatible iPhones since its launch. The comparison with the previous year is devastating: in the same period, iOS 18 supposedly had an installation rate of around 60%. If this data is accurate, we would be looking at one of the worst adoption rates of an iOS version in recent history.
The StatCounter breakdown shows very specific percentages for each version. iOS 18.7 would be around 33,8%, iOS 18.6 at 25,2%, iOS 18.5 at 5,6%, while iOS 26.1 would be around 10,6%. iOS 26.2 4,6% and the "initial" iOS 26 barely 1,1%Adding it all up, the iOS 18 family would still exceed that 60% presence, leaving iOS 26 in a secondary role.
With those numbers on the table, it's no surprise that people are talking about failure. A platform accustomed to massive updates Such a low adoption rate in just a few weeks wouldn't fit well, especially in a context where there has been so much emphasis on visual improvements and integration with the latest iPhones.
However, all this data comes with an important caveat that should not be overlooked: Apple has not yet released official adoption figures for iOS 26The company usually updates this data a couple of times a year, typically appearing from January onwards or at the June developers conference, and so far there is no confirmed percentage from them.
Telemetry Deck debunks the drama: adoption is around 60%
At the opposite end of the story is TelemetryDeckAnother analytics platform measures operating system usage in a very different way. Instead of relying on website visits, its figures come from data collected within the applications themselves using SDKThis allows them to identify the actual version of iOS running on each device.
The percentages offered by TelemetryDeck have little to do with those of StatCounter. According to their public reports, Around 60% of active iPhones are already running iOS 26This figure fits much better with what is traditionally expected of a major Apple update: a clear majority within a few months and a segment of users who remain on the previous version because they prefer to wait.
This scenario, which is closer to the typical behavior of the iOS ecosystem, also aligns with internal data from some specialized media outlets. In the case of a technology website with a strong audience in Spain, such as iPadizate, More than half of the iPhone accesses during December came from devices with iOS 26 installed, compared to approximately 46% that remained on iOS 18.
If we analyze only traffic since January, the difference widens even further: Around 70% of iPhones visiting the website have already made the transition to iOS 26These figures clearly contradict the idea of a system that is "dead" or rejected by the majority of users.
Taking these TelemetryDeck estimates together with concrete examples of real traffic, many analysts consider It's more reasonable to think that actual adoption is around that 60%.Not so much to defend Apple, but simply for consistency with what has been observed year after year in previous updates.
The key is in Safari: why many iPhones with iOS 26 appear to have iOS 18
The big question is obvious: how is it possible that two reputable sources offer such contrasting figures for the same operating system? The answer lies in a technical detail that has gone largely unnoticed by the average user, but which has a huge impact on browsing-based statistics.
According to information extracted from WebKit development logs, and as explained by tests such as the invisible security updateApple made a peculiar decision last fall: Freeze the version identifier that Safari sends to web pagesEven if an iPhone is already updated to iOS 26, in many cases the browser still appears as if it were running iOS 18.6.
The reason for this change was not arbitrary. Apparently, during testing, Apple detected that A considerable number of websites did not handle the numerical jump from “18” to “26” well.Some version detection systems misinterpret these changes and may treat a higher number as if it were lower, or even block functions by not recognizing the new string.
To avoid serious conflicts in navigation, the company opted for a pragmatic solution: Make Safari "lie" to websites and identify itself as iOS 18.6even if the user is actually on iOS 26. As a bonus, this measure slightly reduces the device's digital footprint, but the main motivation was to prevent thousands of sites from breaking when loading.
This decision has a clear consequence: all tools that rely on the browser's user agentApplications like StatCounter are registering many devices as running iOS 18 when they actually run iOS 26. However, those who measure the system version directly from the applications do not experience this problem and see a more accurate picture.
Is adoption really blocked, or is there more fear than rejection?
Once the potential flaw in the web statistics has been clarified, another reasonable question remains: beyond the data, Is there a real backlash against iOS 26 from users? Factors ranging from psychology to the inertia of daily life come into play here.
To begin with, the jump in numbering from 18 to 26 is not trivial. Apple has adjusted the nomenclature to align with the year 2026, but for the average user, what they see is that their iPhone goes from offering an update from "18" to one that says "26". That Such an abrupt change can give the impression that it is something radical or potentially problematic..
Many users who don't follow the latest technology news in detail tend to be cautious: if their iPhone is working well, it's understandable that they think that way. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"In this context, any indication that the update involves a major change, whether due to the number or the new design, may prompt a postponement.
The Liquid Glass redesign also adds its own layer of doubt. Within Apple's most enthusiastic circles, there has been much talk that this new look isn't appealing to a certain segment of the public, who see it as too cluttered or unnecessary. However, For the average user, the experience hardly changes in essence.The applications are still in the same place, the basic gestures are the same as always, and the overall operation is instantly recognizable.
In reality, many of those who haven't updated yet usually do so because lack of information, laziness, or simply because the automatic update has not yet been installedIt's also true that iOS 18 has aged remarkably well: it's stable, fast, and continues to receive security patches, so there's no palpable urgency to abandon it. Furthermore, there are internal concerns about Siri which have fueled doubts about some new features.
The models that are falling behind and the wait for official figures from Apple
Another element to consider is the list of supported devicesWith iOS 26, Popular models like the iPhone XR or iPhone XS have remained stuck on iOS 18This means that a significant portion of the iPhone market cannot update even if they wanted to.
In markets like Spain, where there is a significant volume of users who extend the useful life of their phones for several years, this detail matters. Those devices continue browsing, using apps, and generating trafficHowever, they will always be associated with iOS 18. This contributes to artificially inflating the perception that the previous version dominates even more than it actually does among the devices that can make the jump.
For now, no one outside of Apple can offer an absolute and definitive figure. The company usually publish their official adoption data only a couple of times a year, often coinciding with communications to developers or with presentations where he is interested in highlighting how quickly users update.
Until those percentages appear, all we have are rough estimates. Even so, considering the platform's history, the experience of media outlets with high mobile traffic, and the metrics from companies that measure performance through apps, It seems unlikely that iOS 26 is actually “stuck” at 16%..
Meanwhile, discussions on forums and social media will continue to fuel the idea that iOS 26 has been a flop, at least in terms of public perception. This narrative, for now, doesn't quite align with the data from those less affected by the Safari trick.
iOS 27, Apple's attempt to calm the waters
Looking ahead, much of the attention is already focused on iOS 27The next major update that Apple is expected to unveil in June. Various leaks and rumors, supported by reliable sources within the company, suggest that it will be a version focused on refinement rather than revolution.
Internally, many describe iOS 27 as an update in the style of what Snow Leopard was once on MacsLess emphasis on flashy visual changes and more focus on performance, stability and consolidation of features already introduced, including the artificial intelligence part and associated services.
This approach can be key to to convince those users who are still on iOS 18 or who have viewed iOS 26 with some skepticismA version that promises to "work better" rather than "look different" is usually better received by those who prioritize the phone continuing to function like a clock over aesthetic innovations.
Be that as it may, iOS 27 will arrive in a peculiar context: with a previous update that some have labeled a failure and with a community divided between those who embrace the Liquid Glass design and those who would prefer something more continuity-based. Apple's challenge will be to demonstrate that the transition to the new version cycle has not broken user trust in updates..
What is perceived as the "failure" of iOS 26 has a lot to do with a number of factors: Misinterpreted metrics due to Safari, a numbering change that imposes more than it seems, a controversial design, and a lack of official data by Apple. All of this has fueled the impression that nobody wants to install it, when the most reliable figures indicate that, with some nuances, it behaves quite similarly to other recent major iOS versions.
