You know that little red notification bubble? The one sitting on your Settings icon like a judgey houseguest? Honestly, it’s becoming the most stressful part of owning an iPhone or a Mac. In the past, an apple operating system update was like Christmas morning. You’d get new emojis, maybe a cool wallpaper, and your phone felt "snappy."
Now? It’s different. We’re in January 2026, and the vibe around software updates has shifted from excitement to genuine hesitation. Apple recently overhauled their naming convention—ditching the Roman numerals for a year-based system—so we’re currently looking at iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe 26. But despite the fancy new "Liquid Glass" design and the promises of a smarter Siri, a huge chunk of users are just... staying put.
The Liquid Glass Problem (and Why It’s Polarizing)
Apple’s biggest gamble with the latest apple operating system update was the move to Liquid Glass. Basically, they took the translucent, depth-heavy look of the Vision Pro and tried to force it onto your 6-inch phone screen. It looks gorgeous in a keynote. Everything is blurred, layered, and dynamic.
But in real life? Users are complaining that it’s a usability nightmare. One person on the Apple Support Communities described the new interface as "visually loud." The transparency makes text harder to read against certain wallpapers, and the "click bubble" effect—a glowing halo that follows your finger—feels laggy to some.
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It’s a classic case of form over function. Apple wanted a unified look across the iPhone, Mac, and Vision Pro. Instead, they gave us a phone that tries to act like a headset it isn't.
Performance vs. Aesthetics
If you’re running an iPhone 13 or 14, you’ve probably noticed the lag. It’s not your imagination. The current apple operating system update is incredibly heavy on the GPU. Here’s a quick reality check on what people are actually seeing:
- Keyboard Lag: This is the big one. You type a sentence, and the letters appear three seconds later.
- Battery Drain: Because the "Liquid Glass" effects are constantly rendering shadows and blurs, older batteries are taking a massive hit.
- Bluetooth Glitches: Reports of AirPods failing to connect to macOS Tahoe are everywhere right now.
Is Apple Intelligence Actually Intelligent Yet?
We were promised the "Year of AI." Apple Intelligence was supposed to be the reason we all upgraded. And yeah, some of the features are genuinely cool. Writing Tools can summarize a 50-paragraph email into three bullet points, which is a lifesaver. Image Playground lets you make weird "Genmoji" of your friends.
But the "Siri 2.0" we were promised? It’s still a bit of a mess. It’s better at understanding context—like if you say "send that photo to Mark," it knows which Mark and which photo—but it still hallucinates. Last week, I asked it for a recipe, and it tried to give me instructions for a dish that required "2 cups of digital flour."
The Adoption Slump
According to StatCounter data from earlier this month, only about 16% of active iPhones are actually running iOS 26. That is historically low. Most people are sticking with the final versions of iOS 18 (like 18.7.3) because they just want their phones to work. Apple has also started doing something they rarely did before: they’re still pushing critical security patches to the older OS versions.
This is huge. It means you don't have to update to the latest apple operating system update to stay safe. You can stay on the "old" stable software and still get the security fixes.
macOS Tahoe: The Good, The Bad, and The Buggy
On the Mac side, the apple operating system update is a bit more stable, but it still has its quirks. macOS Tahoe (version 26) introduced a feature called Captive Wi-Fi Syncing. If you log into the Wi-Fi at a Starbucks on your iPhone, your Mac is automatically logged in too. No more "Join Network" pop-ups. It’s seamless.
However, the "Liquid Glass" design feels even weirder on a laptop. The icons are now smaller, more circular, and have these "glassy" edges that reflect your desktop background. It’s a lot of visual noise for a pro machine.
Why the Pro Users are Frustrated
If you’re a developer or a creative, you’ve likely run into the Finder Extension bug. Some users are reporting that they can’t enable or disable extensions in System Settings—the toggle just doesn't move. It’s these "paper cut" bugs that make people regret clicking that "Install Now" button.
Should You Actually Update Your Device?
I get asked this constantly. "My phone says there’s an apple operating system update, should I do it?"
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The answer isn't a simple yes anymore. It depends on what you value. If you want the latest AI tricks and you have a brand-new iPhone 16 or 17, go for it. The hardware can handle the "Liquid Glass" overhead.
But if you’re on an older device? Wait. Honestly.
Actionable Next Steps for a Smoother Experience
If you've already updated and your phone feels like it's melting, or if you're planning to take the plunge, do these three things first:
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- Check Your Battery Health: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health. If you’re below 80%, this apple operating system update will cripple your performance. Replace the battery before you update.
- Toggle Off the Transparency: If the "Liquid Glass" look is driving you crazy, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and turn on Reduce Transparency. It’s not as pretty, but the phone will feel 20% faster instantly.
- The "Nuclear" Option: If your update is buggy, don't just complain. Back up to iCloud, "Erase All Content and Settings," and then restore. It sounds like a pain, but a "dirty" update over old files is usually what causes the lag.
The reality is that Apple is in a transitional phase. They are trying to merge the world of spatial computing with the world of glass rectangles in our pockets. It’s going to be bumpy for a while. If you're someone who needs your device to be a reliable tool rather than a playground for new UI experiments, there is zero shame in staying on the previous version for another few months.
Stay safe, keep your backups current, and remember: that red notification bubble isn't a command. It's a suggestion.