How did you update from iOS 18/earlier to iOS 26?

[Flappy Dunk]

I'd like to know by which method you have updated to iOS 26 coming from iOS 18 (or any other older iOS version).

I have two devices on iOS 26:

One is on iOS 26.0 Beta 1, because I am actually preserving that specific iOS version on it because 26.0 Beta 1 is the very earliest iOS version that was released in any form with the new Liquid Glass design. In my opinion, 26.0 Beta 1 also has the best Control Center UI out of all iOS 26 versions.
This device was updated to it manually via Settings last June when Apple released the first iOS 26 beta.

My other device on iOS 26 is an iPhone 17 Pro, which falls into the "Got a new iPhone/iPad recently" option of this poll, as iOS 26 is the first version for this device.

 

[Mike Boreham]

Surely such a poll should include two big factors:
-OTA software update vs Finder install, ie delta update vs full IPSW.
-Set up from new vs migrate from old device.

 

[HouseLannister]

downloaded a patched version without liquid glass via Cydia. /s

 

[Cobold]

Since the invention of OTA-Updates, that has always been the way I updated, on all my devices. Mostly with beta versions between official releases, also updates via OTA-update to the betas and to the release again.

Never had a single issue with it.