If you’re a devoted iPhone owner like me, you’ll be excited to check out all the exciting new updates coming to Apple’s operating system this fall: iOS 26. The coolest change, in my opinion, is the new Liquid Glass design (think Windows Vista, but arguably more thoughtful), which looks to be Apple’s largest visual update in years. We spent two weeks test-driving it — you can check out our detailed hands-on iOS 26 preview, or you can try it out yourself by downloading and installing the public beta, available now. (While the beta is open to the public and stable, always remember there’s a degree of risk involved with beta software.) Not ready to upgrade your smartphone this year? No worries, we’ll help you find out if your phone will be able to run iOS 26.
Last year, Apple didn’t nix any iPhones from its eligibility list, but that’s not the case for 2025 — a few models are getting cut this time. All iPhone 8 models and the iPhone X were the last to get the boot in 2023, and this year the 2018 models are getting left behind. If you have an ineligible device, you won’t be able to download iOS 26 when it becomes available this fall.
We’ll get to the bottom of which iPhones will support iOS 26 this year. To see what’s coming with the latest OS and more, check out everything announced at Apple’s WWDC June 9 event. One thing you shouldn’t immediately expect is Apple’s updated version of Siri, though the company is reportedly working on a ‘stripped-down’ AI chatbot to compete with ChatGPT.
These three iPhones won’t be compatible with iOS 26
Unlike last year, several iPhone models won’t be eligible to download the newest iOS when it makes its debut this fall. This trio of models first released in 2018 won’t be coming to the iOS 26 party:
iPhones compatible with iOS 26
While we don’t yet know the new iPhones Apple will be dropping this fall — though there are iPhone 17 rumors — we do know, per Apple’s site, that the phones listed below will be compatible with iOS 26. Basically, if you have an iPhone that was announced in 2019 or later, you’re in the clear:
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iPhone SE (second generation or later)
What if I don’t want to buy a new iPhone?
If you want to continue using your older iPhone that isn’t supported by iOS 26, that’s fine. However, you’ll miss out on security updates which could potentially put your phone at risk for malware and other threats. Additionally, some apps may stop working if they require a certain version of iOS or later. And of course, you won’t…