Forget iPhone 17, here's when iOS 26 will be available for your existing iPhone

Apple's Awe Dropping event was jam packed with announcements yesterday, with the iPhone 17 family unveiled – including the all-new iPhone 17 Air – as well as new AirPods and Apple Watch models. However, one thing that wasn't mentioned much was iOS 26 and, in particular, when it'll be available for existing iPhones.

Well, digging through the press releases we were sent by Apple, we've spotted an actual release date for the new software and its "Liquid Glass" design.

Apple has revealed that the final consumer build of iOS 26 will be available to download next Monday, 15 September 2025. There's no time mentioned, but it's arrived around 6pm in the UK in previous years (1pm East Coast, 7pm mainland Europe).

It is highly likely that all of the other OS updates will be available at the same time – so iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, macOS 26 and watchOS 26.

Will my iPhone run iOS 26?

The list of devices that will be compatible with iOS 26 is pretty extensive, so unless your iPhone is more than six years old, it's highly likely that it'll run the new software.

Basically, the compatibility chart starts with the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE 2nd gen.

Of course, not all iPhones will get all of the features. Apple Intelligence is only available on the iPhone 15 Pro models and above, after all. Apple also says that some new features "may not be available in all languages or regions".

Still, it's very exciting that we're getting the biggest design change in recent history, plus a whole stack of extra features – including dynamic controls, live translation in Messages, call screening for unknown numbers, and some much-welcomed new capabilities in CarPlay.

So check your updates on Monday and see if the new software is available to you. Just head to Settings > General > Software Update and start the process when it's ready.