iOS 9 Adoption Rate Stalls at 77% of Active Devices - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iOS 9 Adoption Rate Stalls at 77% of Active Devices

by

Five months after launching to the public, iOS 9 has now been installed on 77 percent of active iOS devices as of February 22, according to the newest chart shared by Apple on the App Store support page.

That adoption rate has remained static at 77 percent since the last update on iOS numbers occurred on February 8. Compared to the first adoption rate status update of the year on January 11, iOS 9 has climbed a total of 2 percentage points from 75 percent of active device installations.

iOS 9 adoption rate february
Although adoption has stagnated right now, the numbers are expected to increase in the coming months with new device launches and activations surrounding the rumored mid-March media event. In a similar period last year, iOS 8 sat at 72 percent in early February, and rose to 81 percent in April thanks to the Apple Watch. Later in September, a few days ahead of the launch of the new iPhones and iOS 9, iOS 8 hit an adoption rate of 87 percent.

In the numbers posted this week, iOS 8 still holds a 17 percent share of device activations, dropping from 19 percent in January. Earlier versions of Apple's operating system now sit at 6 percent of the chart, down from 7 percent in the January 11 numbers.

Earlier in the week, Apple seeded the fourth beta for iOS 9.3 to public testers and developers. The incremental update will still be a notable one, with additions including a Night Shift mode, updates to 3D Touch's Quick Actions, the ability to pair with more than one Apple Watch, and a bunch of other all-new features.

Related Forum: iOS 9

Top Rated Comments

Pfunstuff Avatar
133 months ago
That 6% better update before the FBI can get into their phones easier.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Crosscreek Avatar
133 months ago
A lot of people that have older devices just don't want to upgrade software because it will slow down their devices and have stuff they really don't feel they need.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechZeke Avatar
133 months ago
I'm getting tired of the constant nagging to upgrade when an update is available.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
133 months ago
I miss iOS 6
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
133 months ago
I'm staying on iOS 8.4.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AFEPPL Avatar
133 months ago
I'm getting tired of the constant nagging to upgrade when an update is available.
I'm with you brother, but I'm not upgrading anymore.
I'm planning on keeping the OS that the device ships with, given anything else basically destroys the user experience.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple's Next Era Begins September 1

Thursday May 7, 2026 10:36 am PDT by
Apple recently announced that Tim Cook will be stepping down as CEO later this year, after 15 years of leading the company. Effective September 1, Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus will become the company's next CEO, while Cook will become executive chairman of Apple's board of directors. In his new role, Apple said Cook will assist with "certain aspects" of the company,...
Instagram Feature 2

PSA: Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8

Tuesday May 5, 2026 8:24 am PDT by
Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption for direct messages between users from May 8, 2026. When the date comes around, Meta will potentially be able to see the contents of all messages between users on the social media platform. Encrypting messages has been an optional feature in Instagram since 2023, but in March of this year the social media platform quietly updated a help page to say ...
macbook neo launch day

Apple May Drop Base $599 MacBook Neo as Chip, DRAM Costs Climb

Thursday May 7, 2026 4:55 am PDT by
Apple is considering dropping the cheapest MacBook Neo configuration as one possible response to the rising cost of building the popular laptop, according to Taiwan-based tech columnist and former Bloomberg reporter Tim Culpan. The Neo currently starts at $599 for a 256GB model, with a 512GB version at $699. Writing in his latest Culpium newsletter, Culpan says cutting the entry-level...