When Will iPadOS 16 Be Released? [Update: It's Out!]

Update: iPadOS 16 is rolling out now, though it may take a few minutes before it shows up for some users.


First announced in June at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, iPadOS 16‌ is Apple's next-generation operating system for iPad. Developers and public beta testers have spent the past few months trying out the new versions while Apple has been refining them, and a full public release is now right around the corner.


The update includes a number of new features and changes such as updates to apps like Notes, Mail, and Messages, Live Text, Visual Look Up, and Dictation enhancements.

‌iPadOS 16‌ gets a Weather app for the first time, and also offers a range of "pro" features that are exclusive to recent ‌iPad Pro models and the latest iPad Air. For example, Stage Manager brings a new way to multitask with multiple overlapping windows and full external display support.

iPadOS 16 Release Date and Time

Both iOS 16‌‌ and ‌‌iPadOS 16‌‌ became available for registered members of Apple's developer program immediately following the WWDC keynote on June 7, and Apple released the public beta on July 11. Apple originally said iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 would be officially be released in "the fall" of 2022, without specifying a precise date.

In early August, Bloomberg reported that Apple was planning to delay the launch of iPadOS 16 until October, which meant the ‌iPad‌ software would not launch alongside the new iOS as it typically does. Apple later confirmed that iPadOS 16 would indeed be launched sometime in October, some weeks after iOS 16 launched on September 12.

Alongside a spate of hardware updates via press releases on October 18, Apple finally announced that iPadOS 16 will launch on Monday, October 24.

Apple's operating system releases typically happen around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, but the company has not announced an exact time for the iPadOS 16 release. Assuming the typical 10:00 a.m. Pacific launch time, iPadOS 16 will be available at approximately these times around the world:

  • Honolulu, Hawaii — 7:00 a.m. HST
  • Anchorage, Alaska — 9:00 a.m. AKDT
  • Cupertino, California — 10:00 a.m. PDT
  • Phoenix, Arizona — 10:00 a.m. MST
  • Vancouver, Canada — 10:00 a.m. PDT
  • Denver, Colorado — 11:00 a.m. MDT
  • Dallas, Texas — 12:00 noon CDT
  • New York, New York — 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Toronto, Canada — 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Halifax, Canada — 2:00 p.m. ADT
  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — 2:00 p.m. BRT
  • London, United Kingdom — 6:00 p.m. BST
  • Berlin, Germany — 7:00 p.m. CEST
  • Paris, France — 7:00 p.m. CEST
  • Cape Town, South Africa — 7:00 p.m. SAST
  • Moscow, Russia — 8:00 p.m. MSK
  • Helsinki, Finland — 8:00 p.m. EEST
  • Istanbul, Turkey — 8:00 p.m. TRT
  • Dubai, United Arab Emirates — 9:00 p.m. GST
  • Delhi, India — 10:30 p.m. IST
  • Jakarta, Indonesia — 12:00 a.m. WIB next day
  • Shanghai, China — 1:00 a.m. CST next day
  • Singapore — 1:00 a.m. SGT next day
  • Perth, Australia — 1:00 a.m. AWST next day
  • Hong Kong — 1:00 a.m. HKT next day
  • Seoul, South Korea — 2:00 a.m. KST next day
  • Tokyo, Japan — 2:00 a.m. JST next day
  • Adelaide, Australia — 3:30 a.m. ACDT next day
  • Sydney, Australia — 4:00 a.m. AEDT next day
  • Auckland, New Zealand — 6:00 a.m. NZDT next day

Device Compatibility

‌iPadOS 16‌ is compatible with the ‌‌iPad‌‌ (5th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), ‌iPad Air‌ (3rd generation and later), and all ‌iPad Pro‌ models.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

Apple Creator Studio

Apple Introduces New 'Creator Studio' Bundle of Apps for $129 Per Year

Tuesday January 13, 2026 6:11 am PST by
Apple today introduced a new Apple Creator Studio bundle that offers access to six creative apps, as well as exclusive AI features and content, as part of a single subscription. In the U.S., pricing is set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. Here are the six apps included with an Apple Creator Studio subscription:Final Cut Pro on the Mac and iPad Logic Pro on the Mac and iPad Pixelmator...
Verizon New

Verizon is Down: iPhones Show 'SOS' Mode Due to Network Outage [Resolved]

Wednesday January 14, 2026 10:18 am PST by
Verizon is experiencing a major outage across the U.S. today, with hundreds of thousands of customers reporting issues with the network on the website Downdetector. There are also complaints across Reddit and other social media platforms. iPhone users and others with Verizon service are generally unable to make phone calls, send text messages, or use data over 5G or LTE due to the outage....
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...
iOS 26

Here's What's New in iOS 26.3 So Far

Monday January 12, 2026 1:15 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second beta of iOS 26.3, nearly a month after the first beta. So far, the update includes a couple of new features for iPhones. iOS 15.3 through iOS 18.3 were all released in late January over the years, so it is thereby likely that iOS 26.3 will be released towards the end of this month as well. The update is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer. Below,...
airpods pro 3 design

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 3 Firmware Update

Tuesday January 13, 2026 11:29 am PST by
Apple today released a firmware update for the AirPods Pro 3. The latest firmware has a version number of 8B34, up from the previous version 8B30. Apple has a support document for AirPods firmware updates, and it indicates that the 8B34 update contains unspecified "bug fixes and other improvements." No other AirPods models received firmware updates today. How to install AirPods Pro...