iOS 26: Is Liquid Glass Making Users Hesitate?

Last week, reports surfaced regarding the adoption rates for Apple’s iOS 26 update. These reports claim the new update is being installed at dramatically lower rates than previous iOS releases. While it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons behind this hesitancy, a leading theory suggests iPhone users are reluctant to embrace the redesigned Liquid Glass user interface. This slower adoption rate has sparked considerable debate within the tech community, prompting a closer look at the data and the potential impact of Liquid Glass on user experience.

The Initial Numbers: A Cause for Concern?

The initial data paints a concerning picture. Statcounter data from January indicates that various versions of iOS 26 are running on only 16.6 percent of all devices, a stark contrast to the approximately 70 percent seen with various versions of iOS 18. Notably, the iOS 18.7 update – released concurrently with iOS 26.0 in September for users prioritizing security patches without wanting the new OS – is currently running on nearly one-third of all iOS devices. This suggests a significant portion of users are actively choosing to remain on older, more familiar versions of the operating system.

The initial reports gained traction because they hinted at a potentially significant story: that user aversion to the Liquid Glass design is so strong it’s actively discouraging updates. However, a deeper dive into traffic data and technical changes within iOS 26 reveals that Statcounter’s data may be significantly underreporting the actual number of iOS 26 devices in use.

GearTech's Data Analysis: A More Nuanced Picture

We conducted an analysis of all iPhone traffic across all GearTech websites for October, November, and December of 2025, comparing it to the same period in 2024. Our data indicates that iOS 26 adoption is indeed slower than iOS 18’s was the previous year – roughly 76 percent of all iPhone pageviews came from devices running iOS 18 in December 2024, compared to approximately 45 percent for iOS 26 in December 2025.

While this represents a noticeable drop, it’s not as dramatic as Statcounter’s figures suggest. Several mitigating factors come into play. For example, iOS 26 dropped support for the 2018 iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, while iOS 18 remained compatible with all iPhones that could run iOS 17. This hardware limitation naturally impacts the potential adoption rate of iOS 26.

Understanding the User Agent String Changes in iOS 26

The discrepancy in adoption rates stems from a change Apple implemented in Safari within iOS 26. Web analytics software, including services like Statcounter, rely on the browser’s user agent string – a short piece of information detailing the hardware, operating system, browser, and browser engine – to gather device data. This data is valuable for web developers to identify and address issues, and to tailor website experiences.

However, overly detailed user agent strings can lead to fingerprinting, allowing websites to identify specific users. To mitigate this, browser makers have taken steps to reduce the amount of information revealed. Occasionally, browsers even intentionally misrepresent their user agent string for compatibility reasons. For instance, Safari on iPadOS often claims to be running on macOS to ensure proper website rendering.

In iOS 26, Apple decided to freeze the iOS version in Safari’s user agent string to version 18 to further reduce fingerprinting (as explained by developer Niels Leenheer and confirmed by Apple engineer Karl Dubost). This means that most iOS users running Safari appear to be running iOS 18, even if they’ve updated to iOS 26. Consequently, Statcounter is primarily measuring the number of Chrome users who have updated to iOS 26, not the total number of users.

How GearTech Corrected for the User Agent Issue

Fortunately, there’s a workaround. While Safari on iOS 26 reports an iOS version of 18.6 or 18.7, it also reports a Safari version of 26.x. On iOS, Safari 26 exclusively runs on iOS 26, making the Safari version a reliable proxy for identifying the operating system version.

GearTech's Findings: A Closer Look at Adoption Rates

Here's a breakdown of our data, comparing Safari usage on iOS 18 and iOS 26:

	October 2024 (iOS 18 Safari Pageviews)	October 2025 (iOS 26 Safari Pageviews)
October	24.9%	22.1%
November	35.1%	26.3%
December	75.9%	45.3%

For these statistics, we grouped all devices identifying as running Safari 26 on an iPhone, regardless of whether the underlying iOS version was listed as 18.x or 26.x. We then compared these numbers to devices running Safari 18 on iPhones claiming to run iOS 18. This approach excludes users on third-party browsers, but Statcounter data suggests the Safari-to-Chrome user ratio on iOS hasn’t significantly changed.

Interestingly, adoption rates for October 2024 and October 2025 were relatively similar. Approximately 25 percent of iPhone pageviews across GearTech were served to devices running Safari on iOS 18, compared to 22 percent for iOS 26. This suggests early adopters weren’t overwhelmingly deterred by Liquid Glass or other changes.

However, the gap widened in subsequent months, indicating that mainstream users are taking their time to update. By December 2024, 76 percent of iPhone Safari pageviews were from iOS 18 devices, while only 45 percent were from iOS 26 devices in December 2025.

iOS version adoption typically plateaus over time. Our data shows iOS 18 reached 80 percent adoption in January 2025, eventually peaking at around 91 percent in August 2025. These figures align with Statcounter data (78 percent as of August 2025) and Apple’s published statistics (82 percent as of June 2025). We’ve requested updated internal stats from Apple and will update this article if we receive a response.

If Apple can achieve an 80 to 90 percent adoption rate for iOS 26, the slower initial uptake may not be a major concern. However, if usage settles significantly below this historical benchmark, it could signal a more lasting negative reaction to the iOS 26 update that requires addressing in future versions.

Why You Should Upgrade to iOS 26, Even If You're Not a Fan of Liquid Glass

Regardless of your feelings about Liquid Glass, upgrading is becoming increasingly necessary for security and functionality. Apple provides security patches for previous iOS versions for a limited time after releasing a new version. This practice began in 2021 with iOS 14 receiving patches after the release of iOS 15. However, these patches don’t last indefinitely.

Apple doesn’t formally announce when security updates cease, but you can determine this by checking their security updates page. Updates iOS 18.7, 18.7.1, and 18.7.2 applied to “iPhone XS and later.” However, the iOS 18.7.3 update released on December 12, 2025, only applies to the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. This subtle difference indicates Apple is only continuing to patch iOS 18 on devices that cannot run iOS 26.

This is standard practice for iPhones and iPads, but differs from macOS, where users can continue to receive security updates for macOS 14 Sonoma and macOS 15 Sequoia regardless of their eligibility for macOS 26 Tahoe.

Mitigating Liquid Glass Concerns

If you initially skipped iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 due to Liquid Glass, there’s good news. Apple has introduced options to adjust the effect. The iOS 26.1 update added a “tinted” option for Liquid Glass, increasing contrast and opacity to improve legibility. The company also added opacity controls for the lock screen clock in iOS 26.2. Additionally, switching the Tabs view in Safari settings from “Compact” to “Bottom” can restore a more familiar browsing experience.

While these settings may not fully satisfy those who prefer the previous design language, they can ease the transition for users who prioritize security and want to stay up-to-date. For modern iPhone and iPad users, these toggles (along with additional controls for motion and transparency in the Accessibility settings) can make Liquid Glass more palatable.