Though iOS 26 has been out for nearly three months, not everyone has upgraded to the latest version of Apple's iPhone software. And Apple, for one, thinks it's about time that they did.
At the start of this month, Apple began including an alert in the Settings app for iOS 18 users prompting them to move to the newer version of iOS. As if to drive the point home, the Software Update section of Settings now flips the order in which available updates appear — iOS 26 is now at the top of the screening, moving ahead of any iOS 18 update you can download.
Even though I've been using iOS 26 since the first betas rolled out this summer and I've had a generally positive experience with the upgrade, I can understand the reluctance to commit to a new version of iOS. My iOS 26 review praised the update, but still cautioned some users to wait for an update or two, as initial iOS releases can still have bugs and put a hit on battery life. And iOS 26 has been guilty on both counts.
Even though I've been using iOS 26 since the first betas and I've had a generally positive experience with the upgrade, I can understand the reluctance to commit to a new version of iOS.
Still, with iOS 26.1 having arrived in November and iOS 26.2 about to become widely available as well, Apple has decided that now's the time to take the leap if you've been holding out on an upgrade. And I think the company has a really point.
It's generally best to say up to date on operating system updates as that ensures you've got the latest features and security measures installed on your device. And even when it does make sense to hold off an upgrade – like right after a major software overhaul — there comes a time when upgrading suddenly makes lot of sense. Here's why we've reached that point with iOS 26.
iOS 26 is stable now
I ran into some bugs with iOS 26's initial release — nothing show-stopping but probably not the sort of thing you'd want to wrestle with if you don't write about phones for a living. Over time, updates from Apple have fixed the most noteworthy problems; I've been running the iOS 26.2 public beta on my iPhone since it first became available, and I haven't encountered any hiccups.
A more pressing concern would be diminished battery life, something that seems to happen with every big iOS release and certainly occurred with iOS 26. As Apple explained around the time of iOS 26's initial release, a lot of background activity happens when you upgrade your software — in addition to app updates, your phone is indexing data and files to help with future searches, and that can impact the battery. Some of that's temporary and disappears as the update process finishes; otherwise, subsequent updates tackle any lingering battery issues.
As of iOS 26.2, my iPhone battery life appears unaffected by the latest version of Apple's software, though I'm using an iPhone 17, which is not going to experience much of a hit on battery given how new the device is. A cursory internet search indicates that battery life complaints around iOS 26 have tailed off with Apple's subsequent updates, so if that's what's keeping you from updating, I'd argue that the concern has been addressed.
Liquid Glass transition
iOS 26 has proven to be a more contentious upgrade than usual, given Apple's decision to overhaul the interface for all of its software to provided a more unified experience between iPhone, iPads, Macs and more.
It helps that you can take steps to modify Liquid Glass's more jarring elements, such as adjusting the transparency to make things more opaque based on your preference.
The resulting look, dubbed Liquid Glass, certainly has streamlined some of the menus in iOS 26, but it's also drawn fire for making things folders too hard to see.
I'm not entirely sold on the merits of Liquid Glass, but after enough time working in the interface, I no longer struggle with it. And I think people upgrading now will experience a similar learning curve — an initial burst of "what's this all about?" eventually giving way to acceptance of the software's new look.
It helps that you can take steps to modify Liquid Glass's more jarring elements, such as adjusting the transparency to make things more opaque based on your preference. iOS 26.2 also includes a feature that lets adjust the transparency of the iPhone's clock when you customize your lock screen's look. That way, even if you're not a fan of Liquid Glass, you can dial back some of its more jarring visual elements.
New features keep coming
The initial debut of iOS 26 wasn't the end of new capabilities being added to your iPhone. Subsequent updates have brought more tools and tweaks.
I've mentioned the ability to make the clock on the iPhone lock screen look less transparent in iOS 26.2, but that's just one new feature added in that particular update. I've found the ability to add alarms to urgent to-dos in Reminders a worthwhile addition, and I've also been experimenting with an accessibility feature enhancement that makes incoming notifications more noticeable.
The focus of future upgrades will likely be on fine-tuning and optimizing existing features, but Apple will likely continue to work a few useful-if-minor improvements into subsequent iOS 26 releases. And if you've got an Apple Intelligence-capable phone, there's the prospect of a major Siri update coming in the first half of 2026.
iOS 26 already has some solid new features
Setting aside the improvements Apple has introduced in the iOS 26.1 and iOS 26.2 updates, let's not forget that the main iOS 26 release ushered in some important new features. I've already described how the call screening tools highlighting this update make iOS 26 worth the price of admission, and nothing's happened to make me back off that claim. I'm just as grateful for the ability to screen texts from unknown senders.
Photos get some welcome design changes in iOS 26, and the addition of Live Activities to the Wallet app figures to cone in handy on my next trip. And while the big Apple Intelligence improvements hinge on how well Apple updates Siri, I do think the Visual Intelligence tools on the iPhone feel more complete now that they can work with screenshots.
iOS 26 outlook
iOS 26 isn't a flawless update, and if you're upgrading now, you are going to still contend with some of the issues that early upgraders wrestled with a few months ago. But the increased stability of the updated coupled with ongoing improvements makes this the right time to take the iOS 26 plunge if you've been hesitant up until now.
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