Anyone with a compatible iPhone (and the right region/account setup) can get iOS 26 once Apple rolls it out to the public.

Below is a user-style “Quick Scoop” that matches your post structure.

who can get ios 26?

Quick Scoop

If you’re wondering “who can get iOS 26,” the short version is: you need an iPhone with at least an A13 chip (iPhone 11 era or newer, plus recent SE models).

1. Eligible iPhones (full list style)

Most sources converge on this rule: iOS 26 supports iPhones with A13 Bionic or newer.

That translates roughly into:

  • iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPhone 16e (latest generation line).
  • iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max.
  • iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max.
  • iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max.
  • iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max.
  • iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max.
  • iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max.
  • iPhone SE (2nd gen and 3rd gen).

Some articles phrase it simply as: any iPhone 11 or newer, plus SE 2/3, can install iOS 26.

2. iPhones that cannot get iOS 26

A few older models just miss the cut and stay on earlier iOS versions.

Most notably:

  • iPhone XS
  • iPhone XS Max
  • iPhone XR

These were supported up through iOS 18 but are dropped for iOS 26, even though they still receive security updates for a while.

3. Who gets all the new AI stuff?

There’s a second layer to “who can get iOS 26”: not everyone who can install it gets every feature.

  • The OS update itself : available to all compatible iPhones listed above.
  • The full “Apple Intelligence” / heavy AI features: generally limited to the newest, higher‑end models like iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 16/17 families (plus certain “Air” models).

So someone on an iPhone 11 can still update to iOS 26, but they may not see every AI feature headlining the release.

4. Other basic requirements (non‑device)

Assuming your iPhone model is compatible, you also need:

  • Enough free storage space for the download and install.
  • A stable internet connection (Wi‑Fi is recommended).
  • An Apple ID in a region where iOS 26 is officially released.

Once iOS 26 is publicly available in your area, you’ll typically see it under Settings → General → Software Update.

Tiny TL;DR

  • Who can get iOS 26? Anyone with an iPhone 11 or newer, plus iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd gen).
  • Who can’t? iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, and anything older than that.
  • Who gets all the fancy AI? Mostly iPhone 15 Pro and newer flagship lines like iPhone 16/17 and select variants.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.