Apple is rolling out iOS 26 today (September 15). In line with past iPhone software launches, the update is expected to start appearing around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. That schedule aligns global availability so most regions see the over-the-air download at a predictable local time.

When to expect iOS 26 in your time zone

  • 10:00 a.m. PT (Los Angeles, Vancouver)
  • 11:00 a.m. MT (Denver, Calgary)
  • 12:00 p.m. CT (Chicago, Mexico City)
  • 1:00 p.m. ET (New York, Toronto)
  • 2:00 p.m. BRT (São Paulo)
  • 5:00 p.m. UTC
  • 6:00 p.m. BST (UK)
  • 7:00 p.m. CEST (Central Europe)
  • 8:00 p.m. EEST (Finland, Greece)
  • 9:00 p.m. GST (UAE)
  • 10:30 p.m. IST (India)
  • 12:00 a.m. WIB Tuesday (Jakarta)
  • 1:00 a.m. HKT/SGT/CST Tuesday (Hong Kong, Singapore, China)
  • 2:00 a.m. JST/KST Tuesday (Japan, South Korea)
  • 3:00 a.m. AEST Tuesday (Sydney, Melbourne)
  • 5:00 a.m. NZST Tuesday (New Zealand)

Note: Major updates can take a little while to propagate across Apple’s servers. It’s normal if the update doesn’t appear right at the top of the hour—check again after a short delay.

How to install (and what to do first)

  • Back up your iPhone (iCloud or computer). This gives you a restore point if you hit issues.
  • Charge to at least 50% and connect to reliable Wi‑Fi.
  • Free up several gigabytes of storage—major updates are large and need extra room to unpack.
  • On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update, wait for the check to complete, then download and install.

Tip: If you don’t see the update but you’ve used betas before, open Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and switch beta participation off. If you’re on the release candidate, you may already be on the public build.

Which iPhones get iOS 26

Compatibility covers iPhone 11 and newer, plus iPhone SE (2nd generation and later). If your device ran recent versions of iOS but predates iPhone 11, it’s likely not eligible for iOS 26.

What’s new at a glance

iOS 26 brings the largest visual refresh in years with the Liquid Glass design applied to the Lock Screen, Home Screen, Control Center, and core apps. It also adds system features like call screening, Hold Assist in Phone, polls and backgrounds in Messages, Live Translation across communication apps, a new Games app, updates to Photos and Maps, and deeper Apple Intelligence integrations. Some capabilities depend on device model, language, or region; feature availability details and the full device list are on Apple’s iOS page linked above.

Not seeing it yet? Try this

  • Force-quit Settings and reopen Software Update after a few minutes.
  • Restart your iPhone and check again.
  • Wait an hour and retry—day-one demand can slow server responses.

Installing a few hours or a day later can avoid peak congestion, resulting in faster downloads and fewer installation hiccups.

Once the update appears, give yourself 30–60 minutes and a stable connection. After the reboot, spend a moment in Settings to tailor the new design tweaks and communication controls to your preferences.