In case you’re not operating iOS 26 but, here is why you want to replace proper now

iOS 26 has been a controversial launch, primarily as a result of Liquid Glass UI unfold throughout your complete system. Whereas Apple has but to share official figures, third-party studies counsel adoption is considerably decrease than traditional.

In case you’ve been avoiding iOS 26, you might need to rethink. The OS has already acquired a number of updates that handle early bugs, enhance battery life, and provides customers extra management over the Liquid Glass aesthetic. Extra importantly, it contains essential safety fixes that you simply in any other case can’t apply.

Versatile Liquid Glass

Individuals typically are typically averse to vary, particularly when it impacts their on a regular basis gadgets. Whereas, arguably, there’s nothing basically flawed with how Liquid Glass seems to be and behaves, there’s no denying that it may be a jarring expertise at first. Thankfully, your eyes ultimately adapt, and it ought to turn out to be your new norm very quickly.

In case you discover Liquid Glass too clear, you possibly can alter its opacity by heading to Settings > Show & Brightness > Liquid Glass. You’ve obtained the default Clear look that emphasizes the brand new design language and another Tinted possibility that provides extra distinction to enhance readability.

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Choosing the Tinted possibility received’t fully kill the system’s Liquid Glassiness, nevertheless. To additional improve the opacity and distinction, you possibly can go to Settings > Accessibility > Show & Textual content Measurement, and toggle Enhance Distinction. It will give the glassy components a extra strong look that, to an extent, resembles iOS 18.

Steady efficiency and battery life

It’s broadly believed that new iOS variations trigger iPhone battery drain and slowdowns. Whereas that may be true at first, it doesn’t inform the entire story. Whenever you set up a significant launch, your iPhone reindexes information and runs related processes within the background that devour battery energy. Nevertheless, these duties usually conclude inside a couple of days, after which your battery life will return to regular. So, whilst you might expertise some atypical battery drain proper after updating, it’s hardly ever irreversible.

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That’s to not point out that sure individuals use their iPhones greater than traditional after a function replace to discover all the recent additions and instruments. This additionally contributes to the facility drain and notion of a shorter battery life.

As for the efficiency, it shouldn’t see a major, long-term hit, both. Apple restricts power-hungry options that require quick processors to newer iPhones. This minimizes lags and ensures that older fashions operating the most recent OS model nonetheless carry out fluidly.

Recent options

Whereas Liquid Glass is iOS 26’s most outstanding introduction, the OS replace provides loads of different non-cosmetic options that elevate the cell computing expertise. You’ve obtained instruments that choose up the telephone in your behalf, get solutions from callers, translate dwell speech, and filter out spam. Messaging has additionally been upgraded with dialog backgrounds, polls, inline translations, and extra.

Past communication, you’ve obtained most popular routes in Apple Maps, an all-new Video games app that makes discovering new titles and in-app occasions simpler, lyric translations and the AI-powered AutoMix transitions in Apple Music, and far more. By staying on iOS 18, you’re lacking out on a ton of good options which might be solely rising with every new replace.

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Upcoming AI perks

If these upgrades don’t imply a lot to you, this one may. With the upcoming iOS 26.4 replace, Apple will reportedly lastly introduce Siri 2.0. The digital assistant will make the most of Google Gemini’s superior infrastructure to ship detailed data and carry out duties extra reliably. It can additionally let you management supported first- and third-party apps utilizing your voice and effortlessly pull information from outdated conversations. Provided that the current Siri consistently struggles to course of fundamental instructions, you received’t need to skip its most outstanding improve later this yr.

Safety patches

Past the user-facing adjustments, iOS updates are inclined to patch safety vulnerabilities that stop hackers from accessing or monitoring your iPhone’s information. Traditionally, Apple would challenge safety fixes to all customers, together with these sticking to an older OS launch. That’s not the case, nevertheless.

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For instance, iOS 18.7.3 launched solely on the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, as they’re the one fashions to help iOS 18 however not iOS 26. Customers with newer iPhone fashions might not be capable of get their arms on the essential safety patches except they set up iOS 26.2 (though Apple is more likely to proceed to help iOS 18 for a little bit longer when it comes to safety patches). Protecting your iPhone on iOS 18 will stop it from receiving some well timed safety updates, making it extra prone to exploitation.

To replace your iPhone to iOS 26, go to Settings > Basic > Software program Replace, and hit the Replace Now button. Comply with the phrases of service after studying them and be certain that your iPhone is linked to an influence supply till the set up concludes.

For extra data on how iOS 18 compares to iOS 26 learn our comparability: iOS 26 vs iOS 18: What’s totally different, what’s new, and do you have to replace?