Short answer: No. These A12-based models do not receive the iOS 26 upgrade. They remain on their last major iOS version, with Apple continuing limited security patches for a time. If you’re on XR or XS and want the new design and features, look at iPhone 11 or newer. Our version history explains the 2025 cut-off in plain terms: iOS 26 drops support for A12 devices.
Why the cutoff now? Apple’s 2025 release leans into a unified visual system and more on-device intelligence. While not every AI feature is everywhere, the base OS expects more headroom from the GPU, NPU, and memory than the 2018 chips comfortably provide. That doesn’t make your XR or XS unusable — it just means you won’t see Liquid Glass across the UI, the new Lock Screen, or the redesigned Phone and Messages apps on these phones.
If you’re deciding whether to upgrade, the iPhone 11 family is the most affordable entry point into iOS 26, and you can read our dedicated piece on how it performs there. If you do stay put, keep an eye on Settings > General > Software Update for any security releases, and spring-clean your storage and background app refresh to squeeze out some extra performance.
Bottom line: XR, XS, and XS Max sit on the wrong side of the 2025 line. For the modern iOS look and longer support runway, move to iPhone 11 or newer.
