Apple Reveals How Many iPhones and iPads Are Running iOS 16 and iPadOS 16

Apple today provided iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 adoption statistics for the first time since the software updates were released to the public last year.

General iOS 16 Feature Yellow
The data reveals how many iPhones and iPads are running iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, as measured by devices that transacted on the App Store on February 14. iOS 16 is compatible with the iPhone 8 and newer, while iPadOS 16 is compatible with all iPad Pro models and select iPad Air, iPad mini, and entry-level iPad models released since 2017.

Apple's website says iOS 16 is installed on 72% of all iPhones and on 81% of all iPhones introduced within the last four years. 20% of all iPhones are still running iOS 15, while 8% are running iOS 14 or earlier, according to Apple.

ios 16 adoption iphone feb2023
iPadOS 16 adoption is at 50% overall and at 53% for all iPad models introduced in the last four years, according to Apple. iPadOS 15 usage remains fairly high at 35% across all compatible iPad models, while 13% are running iPadOS 14 or earlier.

ios 16 adoption ipad feb2023
Apple shared its first iOS 15 adoption statistics in January 2022, whereas these iOS 16 adoption figures were released in February, so the difference in timing does not allow for a direct comparison. However, accounting for the extra month of availability, it appears that iOS 16 adoption has followed a similar trajectory as iOS 15.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

raziel101 Avatar
19 months ago
I wonder how many of the 81% regret updating.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GMShadow Avatar
19 months ago

iPadOS nearing Android fragmentation stats.
87% of devices on the current or n-1 OS is not remotely Android tier.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr Todhunter Avatar
19 months ago
My 3 iPads will stay forever on iPadOS 15 because Apple destroyed iBooks which is the app I use the most on my iPads.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fromgophonetoiphone Avatar
19 months ago

As a boomer, I'm unamused with your implication that boomers are more reluctant to adopt new technology than younger people. I'm on IOS 15 because I've read numerous reports that IOS 16 causes battery drain, and I happen to be happy with the battery life I'm getting with IOS 15. Conversely, I bet there's plenty of boomers who get a new iPhone every year, so they can keep up with technology. Heck, Johny Srouji himself is a boomer, using an inclusive definition.
I understand there are exceptions but i think my generalization is fair.

With regards to iOS 16 causing battery drain, rewind to 2022 and the same can be said for iOS 15. Rewind to 2021, and it's iOS 14, and keep going. I can also predict the future. iOS 17 will cause battery drain in 2024, and iOS 16 will be golden.

I think this kind of behavior of bias is actually more psychological more than anything else. What this is implying is that each year battery gets worse, which I don't believe is the case. Today's battery life is far better than the original iPhone. If we are to believe each new iOS version is so terrible, we would've dropped exponentially from great battery life to 1 second of screen on time now. The alternative explanation is iOS 16 is crappy today, but then somehow when iOS 17 comes out, iOS16 magically becomes good again so that iOS 17 looks bad. I don't think that's realistic either.

The realistic take is battery life hardly changes year to year. Battery life is a product of the apps you use and your usage behavior. I suspect what happens is people using old apps that don't get updated over time or have proper modern APIs break and start crashing a lot or have negative impacts on battery.

I have updated iOS on Day 1 on practically every phone I've gotten and have NEVER noticed a significant drop in battery. This whole blaming the current OS version is a cognitive bias.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
webkit Avatar
19 months ago

Is Apple surveying users about why they aren't upgrading? I think 100% of iPads released in the last four years are eligible for iPadOS 16 so why is it 53%?
I think typical reasons would be user concerns that upgrading will change functionality or appearance for the worse (in their opinion) or bugs/glitches will screw things up and it's not worth the risk.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
19 months ago

Also, I'm sure tons of active iPads out there stuck on iOS 12 and iOS 15. They tend to last way longer than phones.
Could be that, but I have another theory on why there’s a huge discrepancy between iPhone software upgraders and iPad software upgraders.
Apple’s default auto updates feature installs updates overnight when your device is connected to power and Wi-Fi.
The majority of people charge their phone overnight, every night.
That means every night that phone has the opportunity to download, install and update itself.
Meanwhile, since the majority of people don’t use the iPad as often as their iPhone, it usually doesn’t have that same consistent “overnight, every night” charging pattern.
Same with the Mac, which is probably even further behind in software upgrades than the iPad.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)