Apple's iOS 26 Comes Out Today

The iPhone 17 is officially here. Last week, Apple took to the virtual stage to announce its next generation of smartphones. There were some big updates, like the ultra-thin iPhone Air and redesigned camera bump on the Pro, as well as some more standard revisions across all models, like the base iPhone 17. But while Apple's new iPhones may be quite different, they all have at least one thing in common: They'll ship with iOS 26, Apple's latest and great(est?) iPhone OS, out of the box.

Apple has big plans for iOS 26, including the new Liquid Glass redesign, fresh messaging features, and updates to Apple Music, among many other changes. Of course, you won't need to buy an iPhone 17 series device to run iOS 26: Apple is supporting iPhone 11 and newer with this upcoming update. In fact, iOS 26 launches today, so any owners of existing iPhones will get a chance to try out the live version before the iPhone 17 line ships on Friday.

When will iOS 26 come out?

While Apple had been pretty cagey with iOS 26's official release date until now, we can confirm that it's finally dropping: iOS 26 will be available today, Monday, Sept. 15. Additionally, the company's other software updates, including iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26, are also slated to come out today as well.

Previously, I thought Apple would drop iOS 26 on the 16th. Wccftech had made that argument, since that was the strategy last year: Apple announced the iPhone 16 on Sept. 9, then dropped the official iOS 18 update on Sept. 16. The year before, Apple deviated from this pattern slightly, releasing iOS 17 six days after unveiling the iPhone 15 series. One year before that, however, Apple followed the one-week-later pattern for iOS 16. It seems the company has finally reverted to the strategy behind the iOS 17 timeline.

What time does iOS 26 come out?

While iOS 26 is set to come out today, that doesn't mean you can run off to your phone and install it as soon as you're done reading this article. Going by past releases and Apple's global websites, the operating system is set to go live at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, or 1 p.m. Eastern Time. If you're desperate, the iOS 26 beta is already available, but with scant few hours until the live release, I'd suggest holding off for the real thing.

How to install iOS 26?

Once iOS 26 goes live, you can install it as an over-the-air update, by simply navigating to Settings > General > Software Update. Before you start the download, you'll want to ensure that your phone is fully charged, as it could take a while. Also expect a potential delay as others try the same thing—Apple's servers might take a bit to get to you.

Alternatively, if you're not in a rush, you can simply enable Automatic Updates (in the same menu), which will choose a time to install iOS 26 for you, while your phone is connected to wifi, charging, and locked. In my experience, this usually happens overnight.

If you want to update using a wired connection, you can also plug your iPhone into your Mac, then select it in the Finder app, click General, and choose Check for Update.