After a summer of testing, Apple has officially announced that the final version of iOS 26 will be released to the public on Monday, September 15.
The confirmation came during Apple’s iPhone 17 launch event on September 9. Ahead of the public rollout, the “Release Candidate” (RC) build is now available for developers and public beta testers. Barring any last-minute critical issues, this RC version is expected to be the same software that all users receive next week.
iOS 26 is a significant update, headlined by the new “Liquid Glass” design language. This represents the most substantial visual refresh to the iPhone’s interface in years, introducing dynamic, reflective effects that make interactions feel more immersive. The update also packs a suite of new features powered by Apple Intelligence, a dedicated Apple Games app, and refinements across the system.
This wave of new software doesn’t stop at the iPhone. The public releases of iPadOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, visionOS 26, tvOS 26, and watchOS 26 are also scheduled for September 15.
While these updates were first previewed at WWDC in June and have been refined through beta programs, a note of caution for some users: those who rely on their devices for mission-critical work may want to wait for the first round of minor point updates (e.g., iOS 26.1) for the most stable experience before upgrading.