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    Need to Upgrade to iOS 26? Check and See if Your iPhone Is Supported

    Apple has officially rolled out iOS 26.2, but don’t expect to see that update notification if you’re holding onto hardware older than the iPhone 11. In fact, you may not have access to the iOS 26 update at all. If that’s the case, it may very well be time to upgrade your phone entirely.

    The new software demands the processing power of the A13 Bionic chip, meaning many older popular models have hit their ceiling. While you won’t get to experience the new Liquid Glass redesign or the advanced spam call blocking without an upgrade, Apple isn’t abandoning you entirely — older devices will continue to receive critical security patches for iOS 18 and iOS 16.

    But is your device compatible with these updates? We’ve got everything you need to know below.


    Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source on Chrome.


    Every iPhone that supports iOS 26

    The phones left off this year’s list are the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR.

    Heads-up: Apple Intelligence isn’t on all iPhone models

    While all of the models above can install iOS 26, Apple Intelligence requires beefier hardware. Features such as Genmoji, Image Playground and the new Visual Intelligence search only work on:

    • iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max
    • iPhone 16 models
    • iPhone 17 models

    If you’re on an older device, you’ll still get all the design changes and everyday updates, but nothing involving Apple Intelligence.

    Not sure which iPhone model you own?

    On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > About and look at Model Name. If your phone isn’t on the compatibility list, it will keep receiving iOS 18 security patches for a while, but you won’t see any of iOS 26’s new features.

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