Apple releases versions for its different operating systems regularly, although the most striking one comes out once a year, in September, with the release of the new ones. iPhone. From there, we see minor updates, but also very important ones.
However, many users do not update their phones to these versions, and it is no longer that they lose small patches, but that the majority are still on iOS 18, when we already have iOS 26.1so we are going to see that data, and why it is important to always update.
How many users have iOS 26 on their iPhone?
Although Apple is already on iOS 26, the reality is quite simple: many people are still using iOS 18 on their iPhone and it doesn't seem like that is keeping them up at night. It's not that they don't know that there is a new version, nor that they are clueless. Simply, their cell phone works for them and they don't feel the need to change anything. That is why many chose iPhone, so they do not want trouble.
For many years, when a new version of iOSmost updated pretty quickly. It was almost automatic. The notification appeared, you installed it and that's it. But that has been changing. Now cell phones last longer, they are finer even with older systems and Apple continues to provide support for quite some time. So the urgency is gone.
On a day-to-day basis, for many people, updating does not contribute much. You still use WhatsApp, Safari, Instagram and four other apps, and everything works the same as before. If you don't notice clear improvements or any features that really interest you, it's normal to leave it for later. And that “later” sometimes never comes.
iPhones with iOS 18
- iOS 18.7 : 33.8%
- iOS 18.6 : 25.2%
- iOS 18.5 : 5.6%
iPhones with iOS 26
- iOS 26.1 : 10.6%
- iOS 26.2 : 4.6%
- iOS 26.0 : 1.1%
There is also the typical fear, although it is not always said out loud. There are those who prefer not to touch anything because they think that the battery may get worse, that the mobile phone may become slower or that something may stop working as before. It doesn't matter that it's not always true, that feeling is there and it outweighs the news.
On the other hand, iOS 26 does not seem to have generated much enthusiasm. It is not an update that everyone is commenting on or recommending installing as soon as possible. It's more of one of those versions that you know you'll end up playing one day, but without any rush.
In the end, what the data shows is something quite normal: people do not change what is already working well for them (they care little about the design, unless it is a change that they really like). Apple may release new versions every year, but that doesn't mean everyone has to keep up with that pace. While iOS 18 continues to work correctly and receiving support, it will continue to be on many iPhones. When we can no longer use an app that we open regularly, things will change, and we will be forced to do so.
So, although on paper Apple is very advanced in numbers, on the street the situation is much simpler. There are millions of people using their iPhone as always, with the version they already have, without giving it too much thought. And, given what we have seen, that is not going to change from one day to the next.
