Apple to Delay iPadOS 16 Launch Until October

Apple is planning to delay the launch of iPadOS 16 until October, which means the iPad software will not launch alongside iOS 16 in September as it typically does, reports Bloomberg.

iPadOS 16 Header
Apple has been developing a new multitasking feature for the ‌iPad‌ called Stage Manager, with the option designed to offer a more Mac-like multi-window multitasking experience. The delayed launch of iPadOS 16 is said to be partly due to the implementation of ‌Stage Manager‌ as Apple is still working out bugs. A delayed launch will allow Apple to devote more time to finishing iOS 16, and then the company will be able to shift to working on iPadOS 16.


‌Stage Manager‌ is limited to the M1 iPad Pro and iPad Air models, and it is not available on older iPads, which has caused some controversy. Apple maintains that it is not possible to offer an acceptable multitasking experience on older iPads, hence the limitation.

Since Apple split iPadOS into its own operating system in 2019, iPadOS releases have largely been tied to iOS releases, with software updates for the iPhone and the ‌iPad‌ launching at the same time. The delayed launch of iPadOS 16 will mark a departure from Apple's standard release plans.

Introducing iPadOS 16 in October means the software will be timed to launch closer to new iPads. Apple is developing a new M2 version of the ‌iPad Pro‌ with an ‌M2‌ chip, and an entry-level ‌iPad‌ that features a USB-C port, both of which are expected to debut later this year.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

M5 MacBook Pro

Apple Announces New 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M5 Chip

Wednesday October 15, 2025 6:07 am PDT by
Apple today updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, which is also available in updated iPad Pro and Vision Pro models. In addition, the base 14-inch MacBook Pro can now be configured with up to 4TB of storage on Apple's online store, whereas the previous model maxed out at 2TB. However, the maximum amount of unified RAM available for this model remains 32GB. Like...
Apple iPad Pro hero M5

Apple Debuts New iPad Pro With M5 Chip, Faster Charging, and More

Wednesday October 15, 2025 6:16 am PDT by
Apple today announced the next-generation iPad Pro, featuring the custom-designed M5, C1X, and N1 chips. The M5 chip has up to a 10-core CPU, with four performance cores and six efficiency cores. It features a next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerator in each core, allowing the new iPad Pro to deliver up to 3.5x the AI performance than the previous model, and a third-generation ray-tracing ...
apple oct 2024 mac tease

Apple Expected to Announce These Two to Three Products 'This Week'

Sunday October 12, 2025 7:05 am PDT by
Apple plans to announce new products "this week," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple's "Mac Your Calendars" teaser last October In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the products set to be updated this week include the iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and "likely" the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, with all three likely to receive a spec bump with Apple's next-generation M5 chip. Gurman...
maxresdefault

Here's Everything Apple Announced Today

Wednesday October 15, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We didn't get a second fall event this year, but Apple did unveil updated products with a series of press releases that went out today. The M5 chip made an appearance in new MacBook Pro, Vision Pro, and iPad Pro models. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up our coverage and highlighted the main feature changes for each device below. MacBook Pro M5...
joz macbook tease

Apple Teases Upcoming M5 MacBook Pro Launch: 'Something Powerful is Coming'

Tuesday October 14, 2025 11:59 am PDT by
Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak today teased the launch of an upcoming product, saying "something powerful is coming" on social media. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. A short animation accompanying Joswiak's teaser reveals a brief glimpse of a MacBook Pro along with the words "coming soon." The shape of the MacBook Pro is a V, which is the Roman numeral...
airpods max 2024 colors

AirPods Max 2: Everything We Know So Far

Tuesday October 14, 2025 8:43 am PDT by
Apple's AirPods Max have now been available for almost five years, so what do we know about the second-generation version? According to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new AirPods Max will be lighter than the current ones, but exactly how much is as yet known. The current AirPods Max weigh 0.85 pounds (386.2 grams), excluding the charging case, making it one of the heavier...
Vision Pro M5 Announcement

Apple Updates Vision Pro With M5 Chip, Dual Knit Band, and 120Hz Support

Wednesday October 15, 2025 6:14 am PDT by
Apple today updated the Vision Pro headset with its next-generation M5 chip for faster performance, and a more comfortable Dual Knit Band. The M5 chip has a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine, and we have confirmed the Vision Pro still has 16GB of RAM. With the M5 chip, the Vision Pro offers faster performance and longer battery life compared...
macbook pro blue

Apple's M5 MacBook Pro Imminent: What to Expect

Tuesday October 14, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is going to launch a new version of the MacBook Pro as soon as tomorrow, so we thought we'd go over what to expect from Apple's upcoming Mac. M5 Chip The MacBook Pro will be one of the first new devices to use the next-generation M5 chip, which will replace the M4 chip. The M5 is built on TSMC's more advanced 3-nanometer process, and it will bring speed and efficiency improvements. ...
MacBook Pro M5 Screen

New MacBook Pro Does Not Include a Charger in the Box in Europe

Wednesday October 15, 2025 6:59 am PDT by
The new 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip does not include a charger in the box in European countries, including the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, and others, according to Apple's online store. In the U.S. and all other countries outside of Europe, the new MacBook Pro comes with Apple's 70W USB-C Power Adapter, but European customers miss out....
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple's Next Rumored Products: New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and More

Thursday October 16, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year. The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...

Top Rated Comments

tagsaid Avatar
42 months ago
Rather a little later more polished, than on time with larger bugs. No OS is perfect, but if Apple themselves are delaying it, it is for good reason.
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
42 months ago
Continuity!

Is it really delayed tho since new iPads will be introduced in Fall October's event?

It would make sense to release the new iPad OS with the launch of new iPads on the lineup.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sniffies Avatar
42 months ago
Not surprised. It's hard to perfect Stage Manager from home.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fbr$ Avatar
42 months ago
Tried Stage Manager on my M1 iPad Pro 11", didn't like it, turned it off.

I just want to use windows on my iPad the same way I always used windows on macOS and Windows:

- Let's supose I have Safari already opened, then I click on Mail to open it. The way I expect it to work is Mail to be opened alongside Safari. But this is not what happens with Stage Manager: it opens Mail on another app group, then I need to drag Mail to the Safari group, kind of merging the two app groups. That's a huge waste of time

- macOS and Windows remember the size and the position of each app/program, so every time I open the same app I know it will be opened with that same size and at that same place. But Stage Manager doesn't remember windows' sizes and positions, in fact it resizes and repositions each app depending on how much windows are opened at the same time. That really sucks.

Really, this is just a gimmick with small practical usage, at least for me. I don't want to resize and reposition the same app every time I open it.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DMG35 Avatar
42 months ago
Surprising since iPadOS 16 is pretty much iPadOS 15. Kind of a weak update.

Weather app though!

Not hating, but after being on the latest beta there really isn’t much to it.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
siddavis Avatar
42 months ago
The forced yearly release is wearing thin
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)