iOS 15 Nears Estimated 90% Adoption Ahead of iOS 16 Reveal Next Week

iOS 15 is nearing an estimated 90% adoption rate more than 250 days after its launch and nearly a year after Apple first previewed the update at WWDC 2021, according to mobile analytics company Mixpanel.

iOS 15 General Feature Purple
According to Mixpanel, at the time of writing, iOS 15 has an estimated adoption rate of 88.9%, an increase of nearly 10% from just ten weeks ago. Mixpanel bases its number on tracking visits to apps and websites that use its mobile analytics SDK, so the numbers are not entirely accurate. Apple last provided adoption numbers for iOS 15 in January, claiming that 72% of iPhones released in the last four years are running the company's latest iOS release.

iPhones on iOS 15 1 22

iOS 15 adoption numbers shared by Apple in January 2022

iOS 15 had suffered from a slower adoption rate compared to iOS 14, partially due to it being a relatively smaller update and an initial handful of bugs that impacted users when the update first launched. iOS 15 included refinements to some system apps, introduced a redesigned Do Not Disturb and Focus Mode system, Live Text, and more.

Next week, Apple will preview iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 during its Worldwide Developers Conference that kicks off on Monday, June 6. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the new update is expected to be a significant update for users. Bloomberg has reported that Apple is planning a redesign of the Lock Screen and improvements to stock apps, new Apple apps, new ways of interaction, and more. Apple is also planning major changes to iPadOS to make it more Mac-like.

While Apple will preview iOS and iPadOS 16, alongside macOS 13, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16 next week, the updates will not be available to all users until later in the fall. Instead, Apple will beta test all the updates over the summer with members of the public beta testing program and developers. For everything we know about iOS 16, see our detailed roundup.

Related Forum: iOS 15

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
apple news banner

Apple News Loses CNN

Monday November 24, 2025 7:56 am PST by
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports. CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...

Top Rated Comments

yellow8 Avatar
46 months ago
That's encouraging!
Still, I support iOS 13 on almost all my apps.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
exoticSpice Avatar
46 months ago

Tons of people using iPhone 5c and earlier, iPad 3 and earlier would stick to iOS 5/6 easier and with higher percentage, even if the app support is dropped.
I can't use a iPhone 4 or iPad 3 as my main driver in 2022. No way.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
1028475 Avatar
46 months ago

Imagine iOS support doesn’t drop as aggressive as apple did, Tons of people using iPhone 5c and earlier, iPad 3 and earlier would stick to iOS 5/6 easier and with higher percentage, even if the app support is dropped.

Otoh, that 90% is mostly good for devs and apple, and that’s about it.
5c and earlier support was dropped cause they are 32bit devices and iOS moved to 64bit only.
iOS 15 supports 6S and newer which are almost 7 years old
I cant imagine people willingly use a almost 9 year old smart phone
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
snipr125 Avatar
46 months ago
Nope not me, kept my 12 Mini and iPad Air 4 on 14.8. Was not keen on upgrading to IOS 15 because of the CSAM thing (Apple scanning photos on your iphone). It looks like they are not going to implement it, but i will wait until the last version of IOS 15 to be sure.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4jasontv Avatar
46 months ago
Why does it take an OS update to update stock apps or add new first party apps?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
46 months ago
The early months of iOS 15 were really bad for no reason. It was a train wreck. Just when iOS 15 becomes sort of dependable recently - iOS 16 will drop and all the BS starts over again.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)