Apple iOS 26: Will It Work On Your iPhone And How Do You Get It?
The public beta of iOS 26 is now available for selected iPhones.
iOS 26 Public Beta: Which iPhones Work With It?
The final version of the software won't be on general release until September, around the same time as the new iPhones go on sale — read this for full details of the timetable. But the list of compatible iPhones won't change between now and then.
If you have any iPhone from the iPhone 11 (released in 2019) onwards, you're good to go. To be clear, here's the full list: iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max and the latest generation of iPhones. These are the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16e. If you have the iPhone SE 2nd-generation or iPhone SE 3rd-generation, you're also covered.
If you have a phone running the latest general-release software, iOS 18, almost all such iPhones can upgrade to iOS 26. The only iOS 18-compatible phones that won't run the new software are the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR.
All earlier iPhones, which are capable of iOS 17 or below, won't work with the new OS.
Apple iOS 26 public beta is here.
iOS Public Beta: How To Get It
Please note, although the current public beta is pretty solid, it's not final software and so not recommended for your main iPhone. Do you have a secondary device on the list above? Use that. While my use of the beta suggests that battery life is not badly diminished, there are always upsets when individual apps don't work, for instance.
It's also worth making an archived backup of your iPhone, too. Then, go to beta.apple.com and sign up. Then, on your iPhone go to Software Update, which is under General in the Settings app. Click Beta Updates to choose the iOS 26 Public Beta. It's a big download — 17.4GB on my iPhone 16 Pro Max — so be patient.
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