- According to StatCounter, traffic from iOS 26 is incorrectly logged as iOS 18.6/18.7 on Safari, which distorts the version-share statistics
- Apple’s Safari team has “frozen” the OS version in its browser ID string, a technical tweak that can disrupt analytics
- Opinions on iOS 26’s Liquid Glass design remain divided, with users voicing concerns about everything from readability issues to menu navigation and battery performance
On Thursday, web analytics company StatCounter reported that Apple devices running iOS 26 are being misidentified as older iOS 18 versions in Safari. This glitch has skewed popular narratives about the slow uptake of the new OS. “Apple are incorrectly declaring iOS 26 as 18.7 and 18.6 in their safari browser on iOS. We’re working on a fix for this,” the firm noted on its iOS version market share page. (Statcounter)
The reason this matters is straightforward: iOS adoption rates offer one of the clearest public insights into how fast iPhone users upgrade to new software. When adoption slows significantly, it means more devices stay stuck on older versions. That, in turn, forces app developers to maintain support for a wider range of software combinations and complicates security patch deployment.
Apple finds itself in a tricky spot with the debate, having promoted iOS 26 as a major visual overhaul for the iPhone. In September, the company described Liquid Glass, a new translucent material, as something that “reflects and refracts its surroundings” on controls, icons, and navigation elements. (Apple)
The measurement issue revolves around the “user agent” string — a brief text line browsers send to websites for identification. According to Apple’s WebKit team in the Safari 26.0 release notes, “the user agent string no longer lists the current version of the operating system.” They highlighted cases where Safari 26.0 still reports the iPhone OS 18_6 token. (Webkit)
Other trackers report iOS 26 adoption far above the low double-digit percentages that circulated earlier this month. TelemetryDeck, which gathers opt-in data from apps using its analytics, revealed that iOS 26’s share “has risen to 54.87%” by the end of December. Their figures combine iPadOS with iOS and merge overlapping version identifiers. (Telemetrydeck)
That hasn’t stopped critics from taking aim at iOS 26, particularly its Liquid Glass design. Macworld columnist David Price labeled iOS 26 a “failure,” warning that “release bad software often enough and even the most loyal users will lose patience.” (Macworld)
On Jan. 15, Tom’s Guide ran an opinion piece citing StatCounter data that pegged iOS 26 adoption at just 15.4% among iPhone users. Writer Josh Render attributed the slow uptake to design and usability gripes. He wrote, “Liquid Glass makes my iPhone screen harder to read,” highlighting issues like see-through elements, blur effects, debates over icon tinting, alongside frustrations with menus and battery drain. (Tomsguide)
Ars Technica tackled the question of whether iPhone users are steering clear of iOS 26 in a Jan. 15 piece, calling the issue “complicated.” They pointed out that adoption rates can look very different depending on which metrics you use and how you interpret them. (Arstechnica)
Elsewhere, Mashable claimed the “adoption numbers are wrong,” pointing to a bug Apple hasn’t addressed yet. Meanwhile, a Forbes column recommended that users thinking about updating should do it sooner rather than later. (Mashable Forbes)
Even if StatCounter’s correction boosts iOS 26’s reported share, the debate won’t simply vanish. Various data sources capture different subsets of iPhone users — and if Liquid Glass concerns or routine bugs are causing hesitation, Apple could see a lingering presence of older iOS versions longer than usual, while Android competitors continue rolling out updates and new AI capabilities.
