iOS 15 Now Installed on 72% of iPhones From the Last Four Years

Apple today updated its iOS 15 installation numbers for the first time since iOS 15 was released in September, giving us an idea of how many devices are running the latest update four months after it launched.

iPhones on iOS 15 1 22
iOS 15 is installed on 72 percent of all iPhones introduced in the last four years. 26 percent of devices continue to use iOS 14, and two percent run an earlier version of iOS. When counting iPhones released more than four years ago, 63 percent of them run iOS 15, 30 percent run iOS 14, and seven percent run an earlier version of iOS.

Installation numbers are lower on the iPad. 57 percent of all iPads introduced in the last four years are running iPadOS 15, while 39 percent continue to run iPadOS 14. Four percent run an earlier version of iPadOS. Counting all iPads, including those released more than four years ago, 49 percent of devices are running iPadOS 15, 37 percent are running iPadOS 14, and 14 percent are running an earlier version of iPadOS.

iPads on iOS 15 1 22
Apple splits its installation numbers into separate groups because there are still devices in the wild that are not capable of running iOS 15 or iPadOS 15, but even when counting only devices released in the last four years, the number of devices running iOS 15 lags behind prior operating system installation rates.

iOS 14, for example, was installed on 81 percent of iPhones released in the last four years in December 2020, marking a much higher update rate a month earlier. Even iOS 13, another update that saw slow installation, was installed on 77 percent of devices by the end of January 2020.

iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 had several features that did not arrive as expected when the operating systems launched, such as SharePlay, and Digital Legacy, and other features like iCloud Private Relay remain in beta. People were also put off by Apple's anti-CSAM measures, which have been indefinitely delayed. Key iOS and iPadOS 15 features like digital IDs in Wallet and Universal Control are still unavailable, but could spur people to update when launched in the future.

When iOS 15 was first launched, Apple did not spur people to update and allowed them to remain on iOS 14, offering a choice between iOS 14 and iOS 15 in the Settings app. This could also be a reason why iOS 15 adoption has lagged behind adoption rates of earlier operating system updates, and Apple is now pushing iOS 14 users to upgrade to iOS 15.

iOS 15 used to be listed as an optional update on devices running iOS 14, but now it is front and center on devices that still have iOS 14, and it is the only available update option as Apple has now stopped making security updates available for devices running iOS 14. Those who want the latest security fixes need to upgrade to iOS 15, as all devices capable of running iOS 14 also support iOS 15.

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
30 months ago

Honestly, I've stayed on iOS 14 because I prefer the older cartography on Maps. ;)
Really? Maps in iOS 15 has come a long way. Apple maps continues to get updated by Apple. I'm sure there is more cities roll out on the line in the future. Check it out!

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/12/20/apple-city-maps-update-philadelphia/
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Vol Braakzakje Avatar
30 months ago
Could be much higher if they didnt sell those ridiculously tiny storages of 16GB for way too long.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gator5000e Avatar
30 months ago
I am sticking with 14.8 on my iPads as the home screen layout on 15 looks awful, in my opinion. I will stick with 14.8 as long as I can or until Apple lets us utilize the 14 home screen layout on 15 or they change it back. I have upgraded to 15 on my iPhone Pro 15.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KaliYoni Avatar
30 months ago
If I had to choose a cause for the lagging rate of adoption, I'd say it's the combination of the ability to remain on iOS 14, a broader spread of device generations in the wild compared to past iOS launch periods, and Apple's current reputation for terrible software QA.

Personally, my iPhone is on 15 but I have two iPads and two iPod Touches that are too old to run 15 (I would update them if I could).
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeepIn2U Avatar
30 months ago

Could be much higher if they didnt sell those ridiculously tiny storages of 16GB for way too long.
Conversely ... considering the whole CSAM push and back peddling a lil too late just weeks prior to iOS15 release by Apple I think the damage was already done. I'm sure many iPad Pro users started with 256GB and up and have MORE of their photos sync'd on there and probably moved pics to ON device storage vs iCloud and thus not upgrading.

Yet yes I fully agree that ridiculou 16GB up to 2020 was just abysmal.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
30 months ago

People were also put off by Apple's anti-CSAM measures

When iOS 15 was first launched, Apple did not spur people to update ('https://www.macrumors.com/2021/06/07/apple-wont-make-you-upgrade-to-ios-15/') and allowed them to remain on iOS 14, offering a choice between iOS 14 and iOS 15 in the Settings app.
I'm sure these are 2 of the biggest reasons people haven't been quick to update.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Silicon AI Optimized Feature Siri

Apple Releases Open Source AI Models That Run On-Device

Wednesday April 24, 2024 3:39 pm PDT by
Apple today released several open source large language models (LLMs) that are designed to run on-device rather than through cloud servers. Called OpenELM (Open-source Efficient Language Models), the LLMs are available on the Hugging Face Hub, a community for sharing AI code. As outlined in a white paper [PDF], there are eight total OpenELM models, four of which were pre-trained using the...
iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Rumored to Add These 10 New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday April 24, 2024 2:05 pm PDT by
Apple is set to unveil iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, so the software update is a little over six weeks away from being announced. Below, we recap rumored features and changes planned for the iPhone with iOS 18. iOS 18 will reportedly be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, with new ChatGPT-inspired generative AI features, a more customizable Home Screen, and much more....
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Apple Vision Pro Dual Loop Band Orange Feature 2

Apple Cuts Vision Pro Shipments as Demand Falls 'Sharply Beyond Expectations'

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
iPad And Calculator App Feature 1

Apple Finally Plans to Release a Calculator App for iPad Later This Year

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:08 am PDT by
Apple is finally planning a Calculator app for the iPad, over 14 years after launching the device, according to a source familiar with the matter. iPadOS 18 will include a built-in Calculator app for all iPad models that are compatible with the software update, which is expected to be unveiled during the opening keynote of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC on June 10. AppleInsider...
macbook pro purple february

Best Buy Introduces Record Low Prices on Apple's M3 MacBook Pro for Members

Thursday April 25, 2024 7:41 am PDT by
Best Buy is discounting a collection of M3 MacBook Pro computers today, this time focusing on the 14-inch version of the laptop. Every deal in this sale requires you to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, although non-members can still get solid second-best prices on these MacBook Pro models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a...