That happens with every major release. Do you know what confirmation bias is?
You, my friend, are the reason I hold AAPL 😉
You don't need to open the app store to cause a transaction. The App Store just checking for updates is also a transaction. When I say "interaction", I don't mean user interaction, I mean a device interaction.
I guess there always will be these kids that think they're some sort of righteous warriors by claiming their truth as the one and only path to salvation. But in my experience no rage is as pure as that of a middle-aged man that feel like they're not in control over something that's different.
Unless you and those others disabled app updates, you'll have had an transaction today.
The App Store includes updates to current apps. If you have an app on your phone, you transact on the App Store.
I run os 26 on ipad and os 18 on my phone. os 26 has an interface which adds nothing to the user experience, this is probably the first apple release (and i go back to the pre-multifinder days) where the graphics are just pointless fluff. Always in the past they had a functional use.
Apple has shared updated iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 adoption figures, revealing how many iPhones and iPads are running those software versions.
These adoption numbers are based on iPhones and iPads that transacted on the App Store on February 12, 2026, according to Apple.
The statistics are as follows:
Here is how that compares to the iOS 18 adoption figures that Apple shared based on iPhones and iPads that transacted on the App Store on January 21, 2025:
- 74% of all iPhones introduced in the last four years are running iOS 26.
- 66% of all iPhones are running iOS 26.
- 66% of all iPads introduced in the last four years are running iPadOS 26.
- 57% of all iPads are running iPadOS 26.
At first glance, the iOS 26 and iOS 18 adoption figures appear to be similar, but this is only because Apple released the iOS 26 statistics later than usual. iOS 26's statistics are based on devices that transacted with the App Store approximately 150 days after the update was released to the public, compared to 127 days for iOS 18. In other words, iOS 26 was available for around three weeks longer by comparison.
- 76% of all iPhones introduced in the last four years were running iOS 18.
- 68% of all iPhones were running iOS 18.
- 63% of all iPads introduced in the last four years were running iPadOS 18.
- 53% of all iPads were running iPadOS 18.
As was suspected, this means that iOS 26 adoption has officially been slower than iOS 18 adoption, but not to the extent that some earlier, unofficial estimates had claimed. There is no way of knowing exactly why iOS 26 adoption has been slower, but some users have opted to avoid the new Liquid Glass design for now.
iPadOS 26 adoption figures are technically higher than iPadOS 18, but again, note that iPadOS 26 benefitted from three extra weeks of availability.
Article Link: Apple Reveals How Many iPhones Are Running iOS 26
It all looks the same on the scorecard as the saying goes.
I'm not aware if there is a generally-accepted source of macOS adoption numbers, but I found this chart recently - https://telemetrydeck.com/survey/apple/macOS/versions/ - note at the bottom they do mention some factors that might skew the data.
It's not any less because you can't revert to iOS 18 after you have upgrade remorse. If you could, the numbers would be half or less!
I always hear about these exploit-this and security-fear-porn that, but I've never met a single person who has been affected by these things. It's all marketing and planned obsolescence. (This is why OCLP is so helpful in combating electronic waste when it comes to desktop mac life-extension.)
