How to Get Your iPhone Ready for iOS 26

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Apple is scheduled to merchandise iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 connected Monday, September 15, bringing a big of caller features to existing iPhones and iPads, specified arsenic a Liquid Glass plan overhaul, caller Home Screen customization options, a streamlined Camera app, caller Phone app features, and more.

This nonfiction covers immoderate of the things you tin bash to hole your ‌iPhone‌ oregon iPad for Apple's latest mobile operating system, including retention attraction tips, backup advice, and a fewer different utile tidbits to see earlier upgrading. First though, you'll request to marque definite your ‌device is compatible with the caller software.

Is My iPhone Compatible With iOS 26?

iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 bid and newer. In different words, the pursuing models are supported:

iPhone 16e

iPhone 16

iPhone 16 Plus

iPhone 16 Pro

iPhone 16 Pro Max

iPhone 15

iPhone 15 Plus

iPhone 15 Pro

iPhone 15 Pro Max

iPhone 14

iPhone 14 Plus

iPhone 14 Pro

iPhone 14 Pro Max

iPhone 13

iPhone 13 mini

iPhone 13 Pro

iPhone 13 Pro Max

iPhone 12

iPhone 12 mini

iPhone 12 Pro

iPhone 12 Pro Max

iPhone 11

iPhone 11 Pro

iPhone 11 Pro Max

iPhone SE (2nd procreation and later)

Note that this compatibility database does not mean that each iOS 26 features volition enactment with the supra models. Several of the update's features are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, since they trust connected Apple Intelligence. You tin learn much astir them here.

Note that iOS 26 volition travel pre-installed connected caller iPhone 17 models erstwhile they motorboat successful September 2025.

Is My iPad Compatible With iPadOS 26?

iPadOS 26 supports the pursuing iPad models:

iPad Pro (M4)

iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd procreation and later)

iPad Pro 11-inch (1st procreation and later)

iPad Air (M2 and later)

iPad Air (3rd procreation and later)

iPad (A16)

iPad (8th procreation and later)

iPad mini (A17 Pro)

iPad mini (5th procreation and later)

This means the lone iPad exemplary that supports iPadOS 18, but not iPadOS 26, is the lower-cost iPad (7th generation).

Note that this compatibility database does not mean that each iPadOS 26 features volition enactment with the supra models. Several of the update's features are exclusive to devices that enactment Apple Intelligence: these see iPad models with M1 oregon aboriginal chips, and the 7th procreation iPad mini with A17 Pro chip.

Reclaim Device Storage Space

Before you effort to marque the leap to iOS 26/iPadOS 26, you'll archetypal privation to marque definite your instrumentality has capable abstraction to download and instal the caller operating strategy implicit the air.

With that successful mind, it's worthy looking astatine what apps you presently person installed connected your devices and whether you truly request them. Swipe done your location surface and cheque wrong your folders to basal retired immoderate long-forgotten apps that are taking up precious retention space.

You tin delete apps by holding a digit connected them and tapping the X that appears astatine the country of their icon. Alternatively, spell to Settings ➝ General ➝ iPhone/iPad Storage, pat immoderate apps you don't use, and prime Delete App. Note that this enactment can't beryllium undone, but beryllium ruthless – you tin ever re-install removed apps astatine a aboriginal day if you alteration your mind.

Check connected the size of immoderate societal media oregon messaging apps you person installed, specified arsenic Facebook and WhatsApp. These apps tin often balloon successful size aft agelong periods of enactment due to the fact that of chat history, media caching and the like, truthful you mightiness privation to delete and reinstall them to commencement afresh.

Also, beryllium definite to heed immoderate idiosyncratic recommendations connected the ‌iPhone‌ Storage screen, similar keeping high-resolution photos successful iCloud and smaller-size versions connected your device, oregon letting iOS automatically offload immoderate apps you don't usage often.

Make an Archived Backup of Your Device connected Mac

It's champion signifier to person a section backup of your instrumentality stored connected your machine successful lawsuit thing goes awry, oregon the worst happens and installation of iOS 26 fails. If you request to downgrade soon aft installing a caller iOS/iPadOS update, making an archived section backup beforehand is necessary, different you won't beryllium capable to revert backmost to ‌iOS 18/iPadOS 18 if things spell wrong.

Plug your iPhone/iPad into your Mac utilizing the supplied cable.

Allow the accessory to link by clicking Allow successful the dialog prompt.

Open a Finder model by clicking the Finder icon successful the Dock.

Click your iOS device's sanction successful the sidebar.
If this is the archetypal clip connecting your instrumentality to your Mac, click Trust successful the Finder window.
Tap Trust connected your instrumentality erstwhile prompted, past participate your passcode to confirm.

In the General tab, click the ellipse adjacent to wherever it says Back up each of the information connected your iPhone/iPad to this Mac.

If you privation to encrypt the backup, cheque the container adjacent to Encrypt section backup, past participate a password to support your data.

If you don't privation to make an encrypted backup, oregon you've already acceptable up encrypted backups, click Back Up Now. When the backup is finished, you tin find the day and clip of the past backup successful the General tab, conscionable supra the Manage Backups button.
Lastly, archive the backup: Select Manage Backups ➝ Select Backup, past right-click the backup and take Archive. This protects it from being overwritten by the adjacent section backup oregon automatically deleted if your Mac is debased connected retention space.

Remember that this backup volition not beryllium overwritten erstwhile you manually oregon automatically backmost up your iPhone successful the future, truthful you tin reconstruct it astatine immoderate clip by utilizing the Restore Backup... enactment successful the aforesaid Finder screen.

Make an Archived Backup of Your Device connected Windows

The Apple Devices app is present the main instrumentality for managing a connected iPhone connected a Windows PC.

Plug the iPhone/iPad into your Windows PC. (You whitethorn besides request to pat Trust connected your Apple device.)

Go to the Apple Devices app connected your PC, past prime your Apple instrumentality successful the sidebar.

Click General successful the sidebar.

Use the bullets to prime wherever to backmost up your data. (If you privation to encrypt the data, prime the Encrypt section backup enactment and acceptable a password.)

Click Back Up Now.

After the backup is complete, prime Manage Backups to spot the backup file.

Right-click the backup you created and take Archive. This other measurement prevents the backup from being overwritten by the adjacent section backup oregon automatically deleted if the machine runs debased connected retention space.

Installing iOS 26

When iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 go disposable connected September 15 arsenic an over-the-air update (likely astir 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time/1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, based connected past releases), marque definite your instrumentality is afloat charged earlier you commencement the process implicit Wi-Fi, arsenic it whitethorn instrumentality immoderate clip to complete.

To cheque that the update is available, spell to Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update, and hold a infinitesimal for your instrumentality to interaction Apple's servers. If you're successful nary rush, you tin hold for iOS 26/iPadOS 26 to beryllium delivered to your iPhone oregon iPad erstwhile you adjacent plug it into your computer.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26

Related Forum: iOS 26

This article, "How to Get Your iPhone Ready for iOS 26" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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