Here’s When IOS 26 Will Most Likely Come Out
The iPhone 17 is almost here. Next week, Apple will take to the virtual stage to unveil its next generation of smartphones. There will be some big upgrades, like the ultra-thin iPhone Air and the updated camera bump on the Pro, as well as some standard models, like the iPhone 17.
But while Apple’s new iPhones may differ significantly, what they all have in common is that they’ll all likely ship with iOS 26 — Apple’s latest and greatest iPhone OS — right out of the box. Apple has big plans for iOS 26, including a new Liquid Glass design , new messaging features , updates to Apple Music , and more .
Of course, you don’t have to buy an iPhone 17 series to run iOS 26: Apple is supporting the iPhone 11 and newer models with this upcoming update. That means iOS 26 will need to be released at least by the iPhone 17 release date to sync with the rest of Apple’s iPhones.
When will iOS 26 be released?
No one can predict the future, and leaks and rumors revealing a release date are few and far between. However, we can look to recent history to make an educated guess about when Apple plans to release the new OS this year.
Wccftech believes that Apple will ditch iOS 26 a week after announcing its latest iPhones. This is because the company followed this strategy last year: Apple announced the iPhone 16 on September 9, and then officially stopped updating iOS 18 on September 16. It would make sense for Apple to repeat this chronology with the iPhone 17 and iOS 26, and if so, the iOS 26 release date would also be set for September 16.
A year earlier, Apple deviated from this pattern slightly, releasing iOS 17 six days after the iPhone 15 series was unveiled. However, the year before that, Apple stuck to the pattern of a week-long delay for iOS 16. While anything is possible, I wouldn’t be surprised to see iOS 26 a week after Apple’s Tuesday event, although historical precedent might allow for a Monday launch.
When Apple releases iOS 26, it will likely release other software updates as well, including iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and watchOS 26, unless the company encounters issues with any of the updates that require additional time to fix.
You can run iOS 26 right now
In fact, you don’t have to wait for iOS 26 to officially release to try out all these new features and changes. The company has been beta testing the software since June (though the public beta only came out in July), ironing out bugs and kinks to optimize the system for the general public.
Installing any beta on your device comes with risks, as the software is not yet complete. But if you want to try iOS 26 before most of your friends and family, you can. As we approach the end of the beta cycle, the risks are lower than when Apple was still hunting for more serious bugs. However, if you decide to install the beta on your iPhone, be sure to back up your phone to a safe place like a Mac or PC, as you could lose your data if you downgrade to iOS 18.