Apple’s naming shift from iOS 18 to iOS 26 reflects a new calendar‑aligned strategy—so iOS 26 simply marks its expected release year, not the previous sequence. Apple previewed iOS 26 at WWDC on June 9, 2025 , and released developer and public betas throughout June and July. ⏳ Why September 2025 Is the Prime Window for the Official Release Looking at past iOS launches—from iOS 18 on Sept 16, 2024 , iOS 17 on Sept 18, 2023 , and iOS 16 on Sept 12, 2022 —Apple consistently releases major iOS updates in mid‑September, shortly after unveiling new iPhones. Specifically for iOS 26 , multiple sources converge on mid‑September 2025 , with one reporting September 15, 2025 , as the expected public launch date just after the iPhone 17 event. 🧪 What You Can Get Now: Public Beta Access If you're eager to test iOS 26 early, Apple offers the public beta via beta.apple.com. Beta 4 and now Beta 5 (released on August 4, 2025 ) bring refinements—includ...