Got a tip for us?Let us know

a. Send us an email
b. Anonymous form

Apple Announces iOS 9.3 is Launching Today [Updated]

Monday March 21, 2016 11:53 AM PDT by Mitchel Broussard

At its media event in Cupertino today, Apple announced that iOS 9.3 will begin to rollout as a free update to users worldwide today. As previously announced thanks to betas of the software, the update will bring new features to iOS, mainly centering around Night Shift.

Updates to older apps like Apple News will see some small UI shifts to highlight breaking news stories, and the company announced that its CarPlay features will continue to appear on a wide array of vehicles in the coming year. Also briefly touched upon in iOS 9.3 was a featured called "Education," which will allow teachers and administration access to organizational features inside of classrooms on devices like the iPad.

Stay up-to-date with the event today on the MacRumors live stream.

Update: iOS 9.3 is now available for compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices.

Tag: March 2016 Event

Top Rated Comments

647156

128 months ago

Looks like the servers are being hammered after all these years of waiting for an update - getting this when trying to check for this OS 9.3 update currently:

Looking forward to the increased snappiness of Internet Explorer after the update! Shame they didn't announce the PowerBook/iBook G5 along with this long-awaited update though, guess we'll have to wait until WWDC for those...

Oh wait...iOS 9.3? :(

Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Voytech

128 months ago

Software update on iPhone says I'm up to date at 9.2.1 but iTunes says update available - 9.2.1

Odd.

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

vertsix

128 months ago

I hope you all enjoy 9.3 if you didn't jump on the betas. The performance is soooo much better with 9.3 than 9.2.1.

It's like night and day.

Especially on the iPhone 5s and 6 Plus.

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

576316

128 months ago

I was hoping they'd announce a few more features for the News app to be honest. I hate that there's no 'end' to the news stream. I used to love using Zite cause you'd eventually run out of stories and you felt like you'd seen everything and you'd return later. But Apple News just gives you endless lists of articles and you have to actively decide to abandon it.

Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

mdawid

128 months ago

Software update on iPhone says I'm up to date at 9.2.1 but iTunes says update available - 9.2.1

Odd.

I had the same issue - though, I plugged my iPhone into my Macbook last night and record the message then. Not a new thing. I just checked again - same. Letting it re-download and install or do whatever so I can update to 9.3 without hangup.

Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

cableguy84

128 months ago

Only part of the announcement i was looking forward to was 9.3.
The rest was very underwhelming

Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Read All Comments

Popular Stories

New, Higher End AirPods Pro Coming This Year

Tuesday January 20, 2026 9:05 am PST by Hartley Charlton

Apple is planning to debut a high-end secondary version of AirPods Pro 3 this year, sitting in the lineup alongside the current model, reports suggest. Back in September 2025, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to introduce a successor to the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual since Apple normally waits around three years to make major...

• 100 comments

iOS 27 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday January 18, 2026 3:51 pm PST by Joe Rossignol

iOS 27 is still many months away, but there are already plenty of rumors about new features that will be included in the software update. The first beta of iOS 27 will be released during WWDC 2026 in June, and the update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense...

• 102 comments

MacBook Pro Buyers Now Facing Up to a Two-Month Wait Ahead of New Models

Sunday January 18, 2026 6:50 pm PST by Joe Rossignol

MacBook Pro availability is tightening on Apple's online store, with select configurations facing up to a two-month delivery timeframe in the United States. A few 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations with an M4 Pro chip are not facing any shipping delay, but estimated delivery dates for many configurations with an M4 Max chip range from February 6 to February 24 or even later. At...

• 86 comments

smaller dynamic island iphone 18 pro Filip Vabrous%CC%8Cek

iPhone 18 Pro Leak: Smaller Dynamic Island, No Top-Left Camera Cutout

Tuesday January 20, 2026 2:34 am PST by Tim Hardwick

Over the last few months, rumors around the iPhone 18 Pro's front-panel design have been conflicted, with some supply-chain leaks pointing to under-display Face ID, reports suggesting a top-left hole-punch camera, and debate over whether the familiar Dynamic Island will shrink, shift, or disappear entirely. Today, Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital shared new details that appear to clarify the ...

• 56 comments

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by Joe Rossignol

While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...

• 74 comments