The 7 iOS 26 features only available for newer iPhones

Apple announced a whole host of new features at WWDC 2025 earlier this week for iOS 26, including its fancy new Liquid Glass design, live translations, and updates to CarPlay and Messages.

The newest iOS will be available to most users who have an iPhone, but according to Engadget, if you have the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or iPhone XS Max, all three of which were released in 2018, you won't be able to download iOS 26. If you have an iPhone released in 2019 or later, you'll be able to download the new iOS, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to use all of the features announced.

9to5mac reported that you'll need an iPhone 12 or newer to access the new Lockscreen 3D effect. As for the features listed below, you'll need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer:

• Visual intelligence with screenshots

• Live translation in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone

• Shortcuts actions with AI powers

• Reminders, suggestions, and organization powered by Apple Intelligence

• Apple Wallet order tracking

• New Genmoji and Image Playground upgrades

• Messages background creation and poll suggestion

"The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese," Apple's website reads.

While these new features might make you want to buy a new phone — or at least update it to get what you can — there's one really important reason users might want to ensure their iPhones are running on the latest iOS: security updates.