As Apple rolls out iOS 26, users can expect additional tweaks and bug fixes in follow-up updates over the coming weeks. The company has not yet confirmed when Apple Intelligence will be available in all regions. The Live Translation feature is limited in the European Union for now.

Looking at the home screens, the primary difference you'll find is that in iOS 26, the dock background and the search option that sits between the dock and the home screen icons are more transparent and have a sheen to the edges, whereas in iOS 18, these are slightly darker.

Apple’s latest iOS overhaul sports a glassier design and includes useful features like live language translation.

Based on previous iPhone software releases, iOS 26 will likely be available around 1 p.m. ET. Since millions of iPhone users may be trying to download it at the same time, you may want to wait till tomorrow morning at least, or even a few days.

According to Apple, iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 are available today as free software updates. Some of the features associated with Apple's latest software update may not be available in all regions or in all languages.

When you first open Software Update in Settings, you'll notice two different upgrade options: iOS 18.7 and iOS 26. Apple released the former to address security issues, so you can at least download that one if you're unsure about all the big changes on iOS 26. It also gives you more time to wait for Apple to take care of any bugs on the new OS.

If the adjusted text is smaller than you’d like, you can experiment with turning Smart Display Zoom off or choose a larger size or bolder font within the settings. CarPlay in iOS 26 also brings new wallpaper designs— which, whatever —but I dig the new red one because it goes well with my car’s exterior.

Is it possible to jailbreak iOS 26 on an iPhone? Here’s the latest status update so that you have everything that you need to know ahead of time.