While recent data confirms a minor deceleration in upgrade cycles compared to prior years, it’s a long way from the steep decline some reports suggested.
Apple has published the official adoption rates for iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 on its developer portal. While these figures indicate a slightly slower adoption pace than in prior years, this is far from the significant drop-off suggested by StatCounter earlier this year, following a modification in its data collection methodology.
What do the most recent adoption statistics reveal?
The company states that its figures are derived from iPhones and iPads that conducted transactions on the App Store as of February 12, 2026. These statistics largely align with those observed in previous years:
- Approximately 74% of all iPhones released within the last four years (since 2022) are operating on iOS 26.
- A total of 66% of all iPhones currently run iOS 26.
- 66% of all iPads introduced over the past four years are utilizing iPadOS 26.
- Overall, 57% of all iPads are running iPadOS 26.
How do these numbers stack up against previous years?
For context, here are Apple’s iOS 18 adoption figures from around the same period last year:
- 76% of all iPhones launched in the preceding four years (dating back to 2021) were running iOS 18.
- Globally, 68% of all iPhones were powered by iOS 18.
- Among all iPads introduced in the last four years, 63% were on iPadOS 18.
- For all iPads, the adoption rate of iPadOS 18 stood at 53%.
It’s also important to highlight that iPadOS adoption has seen a year-over-year increase.
Focusing specifically on iPhones: in 2024, iOS 17 was present on 76% of all iPhones introduced in the prior four years (since 2020). Earlier, by June 2023, iOS 16 had achieved 90% adoption among iPhones released in the previous four years (since 2019). This represented an increase from the 89% adoption seen in the prior year (2022) for iPhones, while in 2021, iOS 14 was installed on 81% of Apple smartphones introduced since 2017.
Is adoption truly slowing down, and if so, why?
Essentially, Apple’s own adoption figures demonstrate a rather consistent pattern. While there appears to be a slight slowdown compared to some earlier years, it is clearly not as dramatic as what the StatCounter data had indicated:
- This trend might simply be attributed to the sheer scale, with millions more iPhone users than ever before—and a corresponding increase in second-hand devices that may not support the newest operating systems.
- It could also reflect evolving user preferences regarding updates, or potentially Apple’s enhanced proactive measures in ensuring security patches are applied even without full major OS upgrades. The ultimate goal is that users update eventually.
- Apple has adopted a more iterative approach to its updates; while it occasionally delivers significant, compelling upgrades, it typically rolls out major feature enhancements incrementally throughout each primary point upgrade cycle. This strategy implies that at some point during an OS version’s 12-month lifespan, Apple will release an enhancement compelling enough to finally motivate hesitant customers to upgrade.
While Apple Intelligence and Liquid Glass might have had some impact on adoption—particularly among users who had higher expectations for the former and less enthusiasm for the latter—Apple’s most recent data indicates that the influence of both these factors is considerably more constrained than what social media narratives might suggest (a familiar pattern). Another element at play is that the pace and timing of the company’s major updates appear to be slightly extended this year, likely a reflection of its broader product introduction strategies, which will be further detailed in March.
Apple’s distinct ecosystem versus Android
So, has the adoption of Apple’s latest system upgrades truly slowed? Not meaningfully, and any observed deceleration can be readily explained by other entirely acceptable factors.
Ultimately, the specific figures are less critical than the reassurance they provide to developers: Apple consistently encourages hundreds of millions of users to upgrade to new operating systems with relative speed. This allows developers to prioritize building for the most recent versions, rather than expending significant effort supporting older ones.
Apple’s platforms operate differently from others; developers don’t have to alienate millions of customers by focusing exclusively on current operating system versions. This benefits developers, enhances the user experience, and, if your business is mobile-centric, it likely benefits you too.
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