The iOS 26 Adoption Rate Is Not Bizarrely Low Compared to Previous Years
13 days ago
- #Apple
- #Software Updates
- #iOS 26
- Reports claim iOS 26 has low adoption rates, but the methodology behind these claims is flawed.
- Statcounter's analytics incorrectly reported iOS 26 adoption due to changes in Safari's user agent string behavior.
- Safari 26 no longer reports the current iOS version in its user agent string, leading to misleading data.
- Wikimedia's stats show iOS 26 adoption is lower than previous versions but not as low as Statcounter suggested.
- Apple is slow-rolling automatic updates for iOS 26, controlling the adoption rate deliberately.
- iOS 26 is a more significant and buggier update compared to previous versions, contributing to slower adoption.
- Most iPhone users rely on automatic updates, forming opinions about iOS 26 only after it's installed.