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iPhone Q&A
Published June 12, 2025
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Which iPhone models support iOS 26? Do some models "partially" support iOS 26? Which ones?
Apple first previewed iOS 26 -- named for 2026 -- on June 9, 2025. A public beta is scheduled for release in July 2025 and the "final" consumer version is promised for "this autumn".
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iOS 26)
Apple mentions basic iOS 26 compatibility info in the company press release, but some specific feature support is tucked away in fine print elsewhere. Accordingly, independent evaluation can be especially worthwhile to understand all the details.
New iOS 26 Features
In the official press release, Apple promotes that iOS 26 "delivers a stunning new design, powerful Apple Intelligence capabilities, new ways to stay connected in the Phone and Messages apps, and exciting updates to CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet."
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iOS 26: Light, Dark, & Clear Look)
More specifically, Apple chose to emphasize these changes and additions in iOS 26:
- New "Liquid Glass" Design: The interface throughout the iOS appears translucent and seemingly reflects and refracts the background behind controls, icons, widgets, and other elements. The Home Screen and Lock Screen also gain a "Clear Look" option alongside the traditional "light" and more recent "dark" options. Most -- but not all -- models also gain a new "3D effect" on the Lock Screen to "bring wallpapers to life" when the iPhone is moved and angled, too.
- Improved Apple Intelligence: On the most recent iPhone models, Apple Intelligence brings "Live Translation" of audio and text, as well as improvements to "Visual Intelligence" to identify and take action on items viewed within apps, enhanced "Shortcuts" for writing and summarizing content, and more.
- Improved Phone & Messages: A more unified Phone app and enhanced Messages app. Most welcomed are new Call Screening and Unknown Sender options to endeavor to get rid of unwanted spam calls, fraudulent tax agent schemes, fake unpaid tolls texts, and pig butchering scams. Good riddance.
- Enhanced CarPlay: A variety of tweaks to make vehicle integration "more beautiful" and easy-to-use with an emphasis on hopefully improving safety.
- Improved Apple Music, Maps, & Wallet: A variety of smaller, but welcomed improvements like Lyrics Translation in Apple Music, "Visited Places" in Apple Maps for future reference, and "Live Activities" in Apple Wallet for real-time updates on a flight and other functionality.
There are dozens of other smaller additions and changes that you also may find useful, but these are the ones that Apple considered the most important. Not all features are supported on all compatible devices, though.
Compared to its predecessor -- iOS 18 -- iOS 26 drops support entirely for the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max models.
A full list of iPhone devices supported is below. However, there are some significant differences in terms of feature support documented further below, as well. A handful of older models do not support the minor "3D Effect Lock Screen" and only the most powerful and recent models provide Apple Intelligence and related features.
Identification Help (Skip)
If you are not certain which iPhone you have, a relatively convenient way to identify your device precisely is by Model Number.
Regardless of the age of your device, you can find this Model Number in the iOS "Settings" app on your iPhone under General > Regulatory > or General > Legal & Regulatory, depending on the version of the iOS. You also can find a general "Model Name" under General > About that is precise enough for this purpose.
These specific iPhone models support iOS 26:
iPhone Model |
Model No |
If your iPhone isn't listed above -- and it wasn't released after the final version of iOS 26 shipped but before the next major version of the iOS (iOS 27) -- it isn't compatible with iOS 26.
Although it is much more complicated (and precise), you might also consider using the Order Number for identification, which is specified as "Model" within the iOS "Settings" app under General > About.
For example, in the United States, this "Model" within the iOS looks like MTLX3LL/A, which specifically refers to an iPhone 15 (US/A2846) in light yellow with 128 GB of storage.
Everyi.com's Ultimate iLookup feature can identify these devices by order numbers from around the world and by other identifiers, too.
All of the above iPhone models support iOS 26, but in fine print, Apple specifies that some early models do not support the minor 3D Effect Lock Screen feature and only the newest iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max, iPhone 16/Plus/Pro/Pro Max, and iPhone 16e support Apple Intelligence.
The iPhone models in between the oldest and newest ones support the 3D Effect Lock Screen but not Apple Intelligence.
This, perhaps, can be most easily summarized accordingly:
| SE 2 | SE 3 | 11* | 12* | |
| Apple Intelligence | No | No | No | No |
| 3D Effect Lock Screen | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| 13* | 14* | 15† | 15+† | |
| Apple Intelligence | No | No | No | No |
| 3D Effect Lock Screen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 15P† | 16 | 16P | 16e | |
| Apple Intelligence | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3D Effect Lock Screen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
* Support is the same for the entire iPhone 11 line (iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max); and across all the models in each subsequent numbered line before the iPhone 15 series.
† The entry-level iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus do not support Apple Intelligence; the higher-end iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max do support Apple Intelligence.
It is hoped that this chart makes specific feature support for iPhone models that partially support iOS 26 straightforward.
iOS 26 Summary
Ultimately, iOS 26 provides a fresh, new interface -- albeit one that may detract from readability -- as well as some welcomed improvements to usability. Call Screening and Unknown Sender functionality alone is well worth the upgrade. However, the most major addition -- Apple Intelligence -- is restricted to only the fastest and latest iPhone models.
As always, EveryiPhone.com recommends that for those who use their iPhone for important tasks, it is wise to skip any public beta version entirely. It even is a good idea to resist the temptation to immediately upgrade to the "final" release to allow for a couple of "bug fix" updates, as well.
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