iPhones
iOS is the mobile operating system used by Apple for its iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch series. The platform dates back to 2007 when it was still known as iPhone OS. From 2010, Apple has been using the name iOS.

iOS is the second largest mobile operating system after Google's Android. Apple uses version numbers to indicate differences though the first version of iOS is version 4.0. Before that, the operating system was called iPhone OS but the name iOS was introduced in 2010.
Updates are made available for free to compatible devices. Apple is known for supporting products for a long time, unlike Android smartphones where there are more dependencies. In theory, this makes iPhones and iPads safer to use.
iOS versions
| Version | Announcement date | New Features |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone OS 1 | June 2007 | First version |
| iPhone OS 2 | July 2008 | App Store |
| iPhone OS 3 | March 2009 | Copy/paste, video recording, Voice memo |
| iOS 4 | June 2010 | Wallpapers, app folders, FaceTime |
| iOS 5 | June 2011 | Notification Centre, iCloud sync, Siri |
| iOS 6 | June 2012 | Apple Maps, Facebook integration |
| iOS 7 | June 2013 | New look, Control Center |
| iOS 8 | June 2014 | Alternative keyboard, Continuity |
| iOS 9 | June 2015 | Apple News, NIght Shift, iPad multitasking |
| iOS 10 | June 2016 | New lockscreen, HomeKit |
| iOS 11 | June 2017 | Augmented Reality (ARKit), more productivity for iPad |
| iOS 12 | June 2018 | Speed improvements, grouped notifications |
| iOS 13 | June 2019 | Dark mode, more privacy settings and launch apps faster |
| iOS 14 | June 2020 | New home screen, widgets, App Clips |
| iOS 15 | June 2021 | Notification Summary, privacy settings |
| iOS 16 | June 2022 | Personalised access screen, revamped Home app |
| iOS 17 | June 2023 | Contact posters, Live stickers, StandBy |
| iOS 18 | June 2024 | Personalise homescreen, Apple Intelligence (AI) |
| iOS 26 | June 2025 | Liquid Glass interface, Hold Assist, Live Translations |
Which iPhones are compatible with iOS 26?
Apple released iOS 26, which came out in 2025, for the iPhones listed below. That means you can use iOS 26 with the new Liquid Glass interface on the iPhones below;
- iPhone 17
- iPhone 17 Pro
- iPhone 17 Pro Max
- iPhone Air
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2022)
- iPhone SE (2022)











