iOS 26 arrives on Sept. 15. The newest version of Apple’s mobile operating system was announced during Apple’s September event, and it’ll be available to the general public in just a few days. There are plenty of new updates to look forward to, including the translucent “Liquid Glass” look, new Apple Intelligence features like smarter Visual Intelligence search, and even new built-in call screening.
Unfortunately, not everyone will get a chance to test out the new software.
iOS 26 requires, at the very least, Apple’s A13 Bionic chip, so some older devices will get left behind. Not sure where your phone stands? Check the full compatibility list below before you try to download iOS 26.
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Every iPhone that will get iOS 26
The phones left off this year’s list are the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR.
Heads-up: Apple Intelligence isn’t for everyone
While all of the models above can install iOS 26, Apple Intelligence requires beefier hardware. Features such as Genmoji, Image Playground and the new Visual Intelligence search only work on:
- iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16 models
- iPhone 17 models
If you’re on an older device, you’ll still get all the design changes and everyday updates, but nothing involving Apple Intelligence.
Not sure which iPhone you own?
On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > About and look at Model Name. If your phone isn’t on the compatibility list, it will keep receiving iOS 18 security patches for a while, but you won’t see any of iOS 26’s new features.
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