iOS 12 Now Installed on 46% of Devices, Close to Overtaking iOS 11

A little over two weeks after launch, iOS 12 is installed on 46 percent of iOS devices, according to data collected by analytics company Mixpanel.

iOS 12 adoption will soon overtake iOS 11 adoption, as iOS 11 is also installed on just over 46 percent of devices in Mixpanel's daily iOS 12 adoption calculation.

mixpanelios12adoption
At the time this article was written, iOS 12 was installed on 46.25 percent of devices, while iOS 11 was installed on 46.57 percent of devices. 7.18 percent of devices continue to run an older version of iOS.

It's worth noting that Apple has not yet released official iOS 12 installation numbers. Mixpanel's data has historically overestimated iOS adoption rates compared to Apple's own numbers, but the data is not usually too far off. Even if there's a discrepancy between Mixpanel and actual installation rates calculated by Apple, Mixpanel's data still offers solid insight into adoption rates comparative to the adoption rates of earlier versions of iOS.

iOS 12 adoption rates have outpaced iOS 11 adoption rates at the same time last year. On October 3, 2017, which was two weeks after the launch of iOS 11, the operating system was installed on 38.5 percent of devices, according to Mixpanel data, almost 8 percent less than the 46 percent of devices running iOS 12 at the two week mark.

Customers are adopting iOS 12 at rates that are similar to the adoption rates of iOS 10 in 2016, which was installed on 48.16 percent of devices two weeks after it launched.

It's not surprising that customers are choosing to install iOS 12 at a more rapid pace given the significant speed improvements introduced with the update. On older devices, performance enhancements can make iPhones and iPads feel much faster.

On the iPhone 6 Plus, for example, apps launch up to 40 percent faster, while the keyboard can appear up to 50 percent faster. Opening the camera on the Lock screen to take a photo can be done 70 percent faster.


Apple has made animations smoother and more responsive across the operating system, so accessing Control Center, scrolling in apps, or swiping up when multitasking feels more fluid.

iOS 12 also includes optimizations for when the operating system is under load. Apps launch up to twice as fast under a heavy load, as does the Share Sheet.

MacRumors readers in particular were heavy early adopters, and in a Twitter poll conducted shortly after the launch of the operating system, 85 percent of those surveyed had already installed the update.


iOS 12 has a few bugs, such as a problem that can cause some devices running the operating system not to charge over Lightning if plugged in while the display is off, but for the most part, it's a stable update that offers up some serious improvements on older devices that felt slow on iOS 11.

Related Forum: iOS 12

Top Rated Comments

chucker23n1 Avatar
65 months ago
Wonder if Android has 10% on the newest OS.
Current numbers show Android 9.0, released in August, at less than 0.1%.

Android 8.1, released in August 2017, is at 5.8%.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mi7chy Avatar
65 months ago
iOS adoption will always be higher than Android since it's required for app compatibility and higher # of bug fixes.

Android apps are written to be 100% backwards compatible with Android 5.x Lollipop from 2014 and have fewer bugs overall. Even 2013 4.4 Kit Kat has >90% compatibility and had features that iOS has yet to get like placing icons anywhere on home screen, swipe away incoming calls, split screen multitasking on phones, background multitasking, emulation (backwards compatible with 2010 Gingerbread 2.3), etc.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
the-msa Avatar
65 months ago
Wonder if Android has 10% on the newest OS.
wonder if ios 8 has the newest updated apple apps?

because android 4.x devices do have the current Google apps.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
avanpelt Avatar
65 months ago
I love iOS 12 for the most part. Makes my iPhone 7 behave like a device that's actually less than two years old. The one thing I loathe about iOS 12 is the new FaceTime UI/UX. That's a four alarm dumpster fire. Whoever thought it was smart to bury the camera flip under a menu that obscures the video when it's accessed must not use that feature very often (unlike me and most people I know).
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BaltimoreMediaBlog Avatar
65 months ago
If I could have downgraded my iPhone 5s to IOS 10 I would have. Apple chose to force IOS 11 on me during a repair request, which I think should be illegal. Apple sent me a phone back SLOWER and with IOS 11 and even worse, with a lot of apps disabled without my permission. So yes, I installed IOS 12 on my iPhone 5s hoping to solve the IOS 11 debacle of a SLOW phone. :(

But with that said, I was happy to install IOS 12 on my iPhone 8. Forced upgrades simply should NOT HAPPEN. :(
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chucker23n1 Avatar
65 months ago
More than it being Google's business model, Google has little control over if and when OEMs choose to roll out the update.
That's Google's problem, not ours.

So, if you compare iOS install base vs. Android's, it's like comparing apples and oranges. That's why look at the number of Android update on Pixel phones
Google can't have it both ways. Either Android has a large market share, in which case the cheap devices that never get any upgrades absolutely do matter, or only good™ Android phones count, in which case Android's market share is pitiful. Google sells roughly as many Pixel phones in a year as Apple sells iPhones in a week. That's really not a useful comparison.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Mock Header With Dynamic Island

Skipping the iPhone 15 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 16 Pro

Friday September 22, 2023 9:29 am PDT by
Are you skipping the iPhone 15 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 16 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap new features rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models so far:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain...
Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17

Warning: Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17.0.2 Before Transferring Data From Another iPhone

Friday September 22, 2023 6:36 am PDT by
If you are unboxing an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max today, make sure to update the device to iOS 17.0.2 before transferring data to the device from another iPhone, or else you might encounter issues. iOS 17.0.2 is only available for the iPhone 15 lineup. Apple says the update fixes an issue that may prevent transferring data directly from another iPhone...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 With Bug Fixes, Plus iOS 17.0.2 for iPhone 15 Models

Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 double tap gesture 230912

watchOS 10.1 to Enable Apple Watch's New 'Double Tap' Gesture

Thursday September 21, 2023 12:52 pm PDT by
The new Double Tap gesture for the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be enabled starting with watchOS 10.1, according to Marques Brownlee, host of the popular tech-focused YouTube channel MKBHD. The first beta of watchOS 10.1 will likely be available by next week, and Apple announced that the software update will be released next month. Brownlee shared his impressions...