It’s a big day for iPhone owners around the world today. That’s because Apple will release the iPhone’s new iOS 26 operating system to the public.
iOS 26 sports the most significant redesign to the iPhone’s software in more than a decade, thanks to its new Liquid Glass design language, which makes the iPhone’s interface elements look like they are made of glass.
But iOS 26 features more than just a visual redesign. The new operating system is packed with everything from new AI capabilities to a revamped calling experience. And best of all, iOS 26 is a free download.
Here’s what you need to know about iOS 26, including which iPhones support it and what time you can download it in countries around the world.
When does iOS 26 come out?
Apple never confirms an exact time that its new software will be made available to download on its devices. The company has only confirmed the date.
To that end, when Apple announced the new iPhones at last week’s annual iPhone event, the company also announced that the iPhone’s new iOS operating system would become available today, Monday, September 15.
However, based on Apple’s past software release schedules, we can also make a pretty good educated guess as to what time Apple will release iOS 26 to the public.
Apple generally likes to release its major software updates at 10 a.m. Pacific. We expect Apple to stick to this timeline today.
What time can I download iOS 26?
If Apple does indeed release iOS 26 at 10 a.m. PT today, most users in America will be able to install the update before the afternoon is over, if they so wish, since 10 a.m. PT on the West Coast is 1 p.m. ET on the East Eoast.
But if you’re located outside of the continental United States, iOS 26 will become available at a later local time due to the time zone differences between Cupertino and other countries around the world.
With that in mind, here are the times iOS 26 should release to the public in other time zones and countries around the world:
- Hawaii: 7 a.m.
- Alaska: 9 a.m.
- U.S./Canada Pacific (California, Arizona, Vancouver, etc.): 10 a.m.
- U.S./Canada Mountain (Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, etc): 11 a.m.
- U.S./Canada Central (Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, etc): 12 noon
- Columbia, Ecuador, Puru: 12 noon
- U.S./Canada East (New York, North Carolina, Florida, Toronto, etc.): 1 p.m.
- Bolivia; Manaus, Brazil; Venezuela: 1 p.m.
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina: 3 p.m.
- Iceland: 5 p.m.
- United Kingdom, Portugal, Mali, Guinea: 6 p.m.
- Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Algeria, Angola: 7 p.m.
- Moscow, Russia; Finland; Turkey; Zambia; South Africa: 8 p.m.
- Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Kenya: 9 p.m.
- India: 10:30 p.m.
- Laos, Cambodia, Thailand: 12 midnight, Tuesday, September 16
- China; Singapore; Hong Kong; Perth, Australia: 1 a.m. Tuesday, September 16
- Japan, South Korea: 2 a.m. Tuesday, September 16
- Adelaide, Australia: 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 16
- Sydney, Australia: 3 a.m. Tuesday, September 16
- New Zealand: 5 a.m. Tuesday, September 16
What iPhones can I download iOS 26 on?
As long as you have a compatible iPhone, you’ll be able to install iOS 26 on it today. But before you do so, check out Fast Company‘s guide on how to get your iPhone ready for iOS 26. Once you’ve done that, you can install iOS 26 via your iPhone’s software update mechanism.
iPhones that support iOS 26 are:
- iPhone 17
- iPhone Air
- iPhone 17 Pro
- iPhone 17 Pro Max
- 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 (3rd generation)
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Is Apple releasing other software today besides iOS 26?
iOS 26 isn’t the only operating system that Apple is releasing to the public today. The company is also releasing updated operating systems for its other devices besides the iPhone. These operating systems include:
- iPadOS 26 for the iPad
- macOS 26 Tahoa for the Mac
- tvOS 26 for the Apple TV
- visionOS 26 for the Apple Vision Pro
- watchOS 26 for the Apple Watch
You can download the above operating systems on their supported devices by running Software Update on those devices. These new OS’s should also become available at the same time that the iOS 26 update launches.