iOS 26 lands today – here’s exactly when it’s coming to your iPhone, and which models are compatible

• Apple’s iOS 26 update becomes available to download today
• It will launch at various times around the world
• We’ll tell you when you can expect to get the update where you are

The iOS 26 update^[1] is the biggest change to Apple^[2]’s iPhone operating system^[3] in years, brining with it a new Liquid Glass design^[4] and tons of new features. If you’ve been waiting to get the iOS 26 update on your phone, now’s the time, as it will be rolling out to users around the world as the day progresses.

Apple usually opens the floodgates and makes its annual iOS upgrades available at around 10am Pacific Time. The company hasn’t officially stated that that will be the case with iOS 26, but some careful sleuthing suggests that it could be.

As MacRumors^[5] has noticed, Apple’s Indian website says iOS 26 is coming on September 15, while its Indonesian page lists September 16 as the launch date. The 10am PT launch time straddles the two dates in those locations – in India it falls on September 15, while it comes on September 16 in Singapore – suggesting that this predicted launch time could be accurate.

Want to know when you’ll be able to download iOS 26 where you live? We’ve put together the following table to help you quickly see when the update should be available where you are.

Which iPhones are compatible with iOS 26?

If you own an iPhone that came out in the last five or six years, you should be fine to install iOS 26.

Apple’s latest software upgrade is compatible with the following models: iPhone 17^[6], iPhone 17 Air^[7], iPhone 17 Pro^[8], iPhone 17 Pro Max^[9], iPhone 16^[10], iPhone 16 Plus^[11], iPhone 16 Pro^[12], iPhone 16 Pro Max^[13], iPhone 16e^[14], iPhone 15^[15], iPhone 15 Plus^[16], iPhone 15 Pro^[17], iPhone 15 Pro Max^[18], iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE (2020), and iPhone SE (2022)^[19].

The main models missing out this year are the iPhone XS, the iPhone XS Max, and the iPhone XR – which will be left on iOS 18. Got one of the compatible models? The install process will be pretty straightforward, when iOS 26 does land in your region…

How to update your iPhone

When the time comes, open the Settings app on your iPhone and head to General > Software Update (note: we’d always recommend backing up your iPhone^[20] before installing a major update). Wait for the download to appear, then tap Update Now. It’s best to do this while your iPhone is connected to a charger and using Wi-Fi, as the download can be large and the installation process may take some time.

The download might not appear straight away, and it may be best to wait a while before attempting to update your device. That’s because huge numbers of people will probably be looking to install iOS 26 at the same time, which can put strain on Apple’s servers, leading to slow download speeds or the update being temporarily unavailable.

If you’re in no hurry, it might be worth waiting a few hours before attempting to install iOS 26, or even waiting a day or two to be on the safe side. No matter how long you give it, though, it won’t be long until you get to experience the latest iPhone enhancements as part of the software upgrade.

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