Sorry Apple, but I don’t think iOS 26 is fit for purpose

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Sorry Apple, but I don’t think iOS 26 is fit for purpose Opinion By Roland Moore-Colyer published 4 December 2025

My experience with iOS 26 hasn’t been slick – Apple should do better

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(Image credit: Apple)

While I wasn’t bowled over by Liquid Glass, the clutch of new features and updates Apple looked set to bring with iOS 26 grabbed my attention.

I waited for the full release, not wanting to expose my iPhone 16 Pro Max to any digital gremlins lurking in the iOS 26 beta versions. And so, not too long ago, I downloaded the full release of the next-generation iPhone operating system and hoped for big things.

Reader, I was disappointed.

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Sure, I wasn’t expecting profound visual or interface changes with the Liquid Material design, but it felt rather flat and undynamic. I’d sort of understand that if I were using my own images as a background, but I was and still am using a pre-loaded background of the Moon. I’d even go so far as to say Liquid Glass feels like a distraction.

The AI summary features for notifications can occasionally feel helpful, but too often they're a jumble of words and muddled text. Speaking anecdotally, I feel the summaries are only accurate 50% of the time.

Bugging me

(Image credit: Apple)

Keeping on the anecdotal side of things, I reckon I’ve encountered more bugs, pauses, and slowdowns with iOS than I did with iOS 18.o The latest update seemed to make things a little smoother, but I’ve encountered a bug that’s driven me mad, and I still can’t find a workaround.

The particulars of this bug center around the iOS contacts pulling in a contact from WhatsApp – this is usually a slick process, but I wanted to add a surname to the contact. I went to do that in the updated Contacts situation and found it to be a nightmare.

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Not only did this lead to multiple contracts under the same name, but I also wasn’t able to combine the contacts – the Contact list just kept the duplicates, only without some key information. Nor was I able to delete them.

While deleting and adding the contact’s name in WhatsApp pulls in the right details and format to Contacts, the duplicates remain; for someone who fusses over neatness, this is infuriating.

Oddly enough, when trying to replicate this bug, it doesn't seem to appear. I’ve read on various corners of the internet that this isn't an issue exclusive to me or, indeed, iOS 26. And as I wrote this article, I found that I needed to dig into iCloud on my desktop and delete the contacts there. Regardless of whether this was triggered by iOS 26, it occurred on that OS version’s watch.

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Sending out an SOS... for iOS

(Image credit: Future)

Add in what I feel is far faster battery drain since moving to iOS 26, and something others are reporting, I don’t feel this version of iOS is up to the standard I’ve long come to expect from Apple.

Sure, I’m not expecting fireworks, but I’ve previously written that iPhones are boring but brilliant, thanks to how they ‘just work’ despite being far more restrictive than the best Android phones.

While I can’t claim iOS 26 was a fumbled launch like Apple Intelligence, there are enough complaints out there to make me want Apple to take a step back and not feel it needs to push out new versions of iOS religiously each year.

Sure, we get new iPhones, that’s a given, and it makes sense that people go in cycles of upgrading their phones; there’ll always be some form of demand for a new iPhone, even if it's iterative. But I don’t feel software needs to be as iterative.

We are now at a time where iOS and Android both feel like slick, feature-packed mobile operating systems; as such, there’s not much that can be added beyond security patches to really make either platform feel notably better in everyday use. However, there's scope to add things on top by integrating AI.

Now, as much as AI is very much in the tech zeitgeist, I feel a careful approach is needed when integrating it into the tech and tools we use every day. And I think that means taking longer to add Google Gemini and ChatGPT elements to Android and iOS, even if that means waiting some 18 months to two years for a new version of the respective mobile platforms.

We’re at a time where AI could very much be a step change in consumer tech, if it’s approached carefully and integrated well. And taking a stutter step to really think through new software versions could help avoid things like the negative experience I’ve had with iOS 26.

Do you agree with me? Has your experience with iOS 26 been similar to mine, or have you had a smooth time? Let me know in the comments below.

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TOPICS Apple AI Roland Moore-ColyerSocial Links NavigationManaging Editor, Mobile Computing

Roland Moore-Colyer is Managing Editor at TechRadar with a focus on phones and tablets, but a general interest in all things tech, especially those with a good story behind them. He can also be found writing about games, computers, and cars when the occasion arrives, and supports with the day-to-day running of TechRadar. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face and a nose for food markets.

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