Slow performance and lag after iOS 26 update on iPhone

This works because after updating an app, your phone closes it and makes you reopen it.

A more general fix is therefore to close all apps once after updating. Afterwards you can continue using your phone as normal.

For more details you can check out my full solution here.

I had the same horrible experiences with the software. It seems Apple Intelligence is trying to be a part of everything and just doesn't seem to know what it's doing. It influences connectivity to other devices, keyboard, apps, and creates difficulties with things that were never a problem before. When I turned off Apple Intelligence, my experience was at least significantly more palatable. I rather have no AI than bad AI. It was so bad I was looking at android ecosystem alternatives to iphone.

Two things:

• Let us know when you updated.
• Post the screen shot you see at Settings > Battery, that shows the green battery graph with the last 24 hour option and the top apps using the battery.

Apple support and senior advisors have even noticed the issues themselves. And considering the amount of people that are reporting the issues after this update solidified it as the root cause.

Soloved lag by;

1. Reduced transparenty on
2. Battery save mode off
3. Adaptive battery on

Now 100% smooth

Turning off Apple Intelligence almost solved the issue for me on iPhone 17 Pro max

updated last Friday, the battery life is improving slightly, but the lag is unbearable, when you open an app or swipe up to go to home screen, it takes almost a second for the action to perform. Also the phone is overheating from normal use. It seems by the comments that its a common issue for all models bellow 15 ... I turned down transparency and turned off background refresh and it helped a little with the battery life, but THE LAG is the big problems here. I have never seen anything like that on a iPhone and i use it since model 6.

Same problem here. Lagging a lot and now deleting an app also takes full 5 - 10 seconds. Nothing of that before the update. Every time I switch screens the apps are displaying slowly one after another. Apple ! Please fix this. I contacted them and they said to wait 72hours after the update as the update requires time to update. It’s been 48 hours still same problem. Will wait the full 72 hours and see.

Since 26.0 my iPhone is lagging badly and I keep getting “message failed to send” errors, even though the messages do go through. Apple says it’s not the update, but too many people are reporting the same issues for that to be coincidence. These problems didn’t exist before 26.0.

Updates should fix bugs, not create them, and users should have the choice to disable features that drag performance down. Right now, it feels like we’re being forced into updates that slow our phones and eat storage, with no real help in return.

Nobody here cares if you purchase a Samsung Ultra today. Those nonsensical comments are not going to get an answer to any issue or get the attention of Apple. It just means you have spent no time over at the Samsung support site where you see those same kind of comments saying they are going to buy an iPhone. You have a couple of options:

• Post the screenshot of Settings > Battery that shows the green battery graph with the last 24 hour option and the top apps consuming the battery. In addition, let us know when you updated.
• Wait for iOS 26.0.1 that is currently in beta. We cannot comment on the issues that have been resolved as it is a violation of the user agreement for testing and not allowed on this Support Site.

I have the same problem today after updating my iPad A16 from iPadOS 18 to 26.

In my case (iPad A16 & iPadOS 26), that's enough for fixing. I tested with 3D game Critical Strike, lag issue has gone.

But if the problem is still not resolved, try again after a few days to let the OS finish processing background tasks.

Good luck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6zwVuDJ9cw

Have you contacted Apple Support. If not why? This is not Apple Support and Apple and Apple Support do not participate here. Everyone commenting and posting are fellow Apple users just like you.

If you’re in the US please call  1-800-MY-APPLE or outside the US, consult the support articles below. In Canada call 1-800-263-3394

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Contrary to what is said in the ' best answer' the ios 26 update ís horrible, buggy and laggy. It's a month now and I'm pretty sure it indexed and optimized whatever there was to optimize. The difference with my girlfriends 12 mini on 18.7 is shocking. I have an iphone 13 mini with a new original battery that lags and is empty earlier. I have 15 iOS versions and numerous devices to know that iOS 26 underperforms.

I would actually pay to be able to revert back to 18.7

[Edited by Moderator]

sma333 wrote:

Please do not blame jailbreaking, dropping heat etc. I upgraded as required to use new apple watch and immediately after upgrade iPhone 13 connects to wifi but not internet. Even if only on cellular, it is very very slow and almost useless.

Are you using a VPN? That is going to give you network issues and turning off will not help, they must be removed. Check at Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. Seeing a connection to Wifi just means you have connected to your router, it means nothing as far as internet connectivity.

Not sure why your referenced jailbreaking or dropping the phone. If that is the case you are likely experiencing problems that go far beyond the iOS 26 update and those conditions are likely not going to get resolved here.

Hi, this is not Apple Support. Apple and Apple Support do not participate here. Everyone posting and commenting are fellow Apple users, just like you. 

Please provide your feedback directly to Apple using the link I shared below.

Product Feedback - Apple