Apple released updated adoption numbers for iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, shortly before starting testing iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. According to the company, 79% of all active iPhones already run version 26 of the system.
The data was collected based on devices that made transactions on the App Store on June 7, the day before the release of the first betas of the new operating systems. The measurement reflects the behavior of users engaged with the app store.
Compared to the previous year, the adoption of iOS 26 is slightly lower than that recorded by iOS 18 in the same period. Among iPhones launched in the last four years, the index reached 86%, compared to 88% for iOS 18. In the total base of iPhones, it was 79% compared to 82%.
Comparison with iPadOS
The scenario repeats itself on iPads. iPadOS 26 is installed on 79% of tablets launched in the last four years and on 71% of the entire active base. In the previous cycle, iPadOS 18 had achieved 81% and 71%, respectively.
The difference, although small, comes at a time when Apple is preparing the ground for iOS 27, whose betas have already started to be distributed to developers. This should be the company’s last official update on iOS 26 penetration.
What the numbers indicate
The adoption rate remains high, especially among newer devices, which reinforces the tendency for users of new models to update more quickly. Tablets tend to have longer replacement cycles, which explains the slightly slower adoption compared to iPhones.
