I absolutely loathe iOS 26

[martint235]

It’s impossible for me to state just how much I HATE ios26. I hate absolutely every single last god forsaken thing about it. I hate using my brand new iPhone air now because every time I pick it up I have to have the HORRIBLE experience of this vomit inducing nightmare of an OS. This will absolutely be the thing that moves me to Android. I can NOT use this.

You knew the Air runs ios26, you’ve read the reams of comments on here about how everyone hates ios26, so why did you spend $1000 on the Air?

 

[martint235]

My unpopular opinion: this is the best update and redesign in ages.

I’m not sure it’s the best but I do quite like it.

 

[tgwaste]

Alternatively we should continue to publicly lambast Apples dei turn of their UX that’s ushered in an “I can’t hear the smoke alarm chirp so you’re the idiot” cognitive regress arrogance as experience that seems to be pitted against their majority of their userbase and driving a legacy (competent) consumer revolt.

A M E N !

 

[nonns]

Well when it comes to UI design my first impression of it was and still is days later that it seems over busy. The visual cues cause my eyes to flick over the screen far more than previously and that's just for basic usage. In UI design typically distraction is bad. Simple beats complex and there's something about it I personally find complex. I'm happy to embrace change but I'm not sure what this has added in terms of usability. I don't think its been their best IOS update. I also think there are inconsistencies in various areas but I accept other people like it. I may go off and investigate new pastures. If it wasn't for the sheer accuracy of the AWU/AW in terms of fitness tracking I would be with Apple anymore.

 

[auxbuss]

Is 18.7 likely to get many if any security updates?

Yes. And if the threat is severe, Apple has, in the past, provided emergency updates. For example, iOS12, which was released in 2018, received an update in 2023. See here for more details: https://endoflife.date/ios

 

[Nik]

Slightly out of focus (Calculator in particular is driving me crazy) and also... slightly tilted and slightly crooked? I don't understand how this is even possible... how are my icons tilted like this?

Is it just me or do the app icons seem to be tilted a bit? Looks super strange.

 

[Sital]

It’s impossible for me to state just how much I HATE ios26. I hate absolutely every single last god forsaken thing about it. I hate using my brand new iPhone air now because every time I pick it up I have to have the HORRIBLE experience of this vomit inducing nightmare of an OS. This will absolutely be the thing that moves me to Android. I can NOT use this.

So are you returning your Air in the next 2 weeks and moving to Android? Or just venting?

 

[nonns]

View attachment 2554268

Is it just me or do the app icons seem to be tilted a bit? Looks super strange.

I think it may be to do with the top LHS edge highlighting which make them look like the tops are slightly brought forwards and the bottom is in shadow (recessed) - some of the icons notably the phoner message browser and mail icons have no highlighting on the right bottom whilst others do. Also due to the colouring of the icons, the bottom left rim highlighting is a bit less obvious on some plus as we tend to scan in a z from top left to right when you look at the icon the top left highlighting tends to dominate. Well it does for me.

 

[ibookemo]

Y’know, I disliked iOS 26 all summer long - with a passions really. Kept deleting the beta from my phone after a few hours of use.

Now that I’ve actually kept with it and given it a proper try on the new iPhone, I think I might actually like it. It’s definitely a bit more ‘fun’ in its presentation style, but since I’ve gotten used to that, it’s actually quite good.

 

[super chimp]

I saw some iPhone 17s in a mobile shop today running iOS 26 and I thought the text looked fuzzy and less legible. But obviously those screens have been setup for demos under shop lighting.

 

[AsherN]

Do you think this is a good customer experience?
View attachment 2551781

I like it, for now. You know you can change the look of the buttons in a couple of clicks, right?

 

[Pangalactic]

The problem with this redesign is that there is absolutely no reason for it. It makes a lot of things worse, and none of the things better.

Reminds me of the Jony Ive era of MacBooks with form over function.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Yes. And if the threat is severe, Apple has, in the past, provided emergency updates. For example, iOS12, which was released in 2018, received an update in 2023. See here for more details: https://endoflife.date/ios

To be completely clear though, that is only for devices that can no longer update.
For devices that can update to 26, by December Apple will stop signing all versions of 18, and if you want any security updates going forward, you will have to update to 26.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Plan B worked. No one that bought an iPhone 16 to get AI is talking about being misled by Apple.

What is "Plan B"? And FWIW, literally everyone who bought an iPhone 16 and got screwed on AI is talking about being misled by Apple.

 

[StuBFrost]

To be completely clear though, that is only for devices that can no longer update.
For devices that can update to 26, by December Apple will stop signing all versions of 18, and if you want any security updates going forward, you will have to update to 26.

Given that 17 is still receiving security updates, I don’t know why you would presume that.

 

[UliBaer]

Given that 17 is still receiving security updates, I don’t know why you would presume that.

...but ONLY on devices, that don't support iOS 18 or 26!
If your device is declared iOS-26-ready by Apple, you won't get ANY further update on iOS 18!

[edit] That's the Apple-way to get high adoption rates (only on paper and for shareholder value though)!

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Given that 17 is still receiving security updates, I don’t know why you would presume that.

17 is only receiving security updates for devices that can’t run 18.
That being the iPad sixth generation and the 2017 iPad pros.
But for all devices compatible with 18, they stopped receiving 17 security updates last December, and the only path forward is to 18.7 or 26.0.