Apple has been testing the new operating system for the past four months, and now they have finally answered the big question everyone’s been asking for the past few weeks: when is iOS 26 coming out to the public?
Yesterday, Apple unveiled the iPhone 17 lineup at Apple’s annual September event. The company also revealed release dates for iOS 26, watchOS 26, and other operating systems.
iOS 26 is slated to release on Monday, September 15. The company has confirmed the rollout timeline in the press release for the new iPhone. Needless to say, it will be a free upgrade.
Liquid Glass design is one of the leading highlights of iOS 26, and Apple says, “it makes apps and system experiences more expressive and delightful, bringing greater focus to content while keeping iOS instantly familiar.”
Apple has already released nine betas of iOS 26, and yesterday, they rolled out a release candidate build to testers. If you’re a tester, you can upgrade your iPhone to iOS 26 rc. However, if you’re a normal user and want to know whether your phone is eligible for the next big iOS upgrade, here’s the complete list of eligible devices.
- iPhone 17
- iPhone 17 Pro
- iPhone 17 Pro Max
- iPhone Air
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- 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 (2nd generation and later)
If you own any of the above-listed iPhones, you can prepare your device for iOS 26 public release by taking a backup of important data and files. Please ensure your device has enough space for installation. The upgrade requires at least 20GB of free space for installation.
You can check for new software upgrades by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update > iOS 26 update. The installation will take around 15 to 30 minutes. Please charge your iPhone to at least 50%.
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