When Will iPadOS 16 Be Released? [Update: It's Out!] - MacRumors
Skip to Content

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

Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Monday June 15, 2026 12:07 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced new perks for its Sapphire Preferred credit card, and one of them is a complimentary one-year Apple TV streaming subscription. To get the free year of Apple TV, which typically costs $12.99 per month in the U.S., you must activate the card by December 31, 2026. If you are already subscribed to Apple TV directly through Apple, the complimentary subscription from...
iCloud iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Get Two New Perks on iOS 27

Tuesday June 9, 2026 11:29 am PDT by
If you pay for extra iCloud storage on your iPhone, beyond the 5GB included for free, you might receive two more perks on iOS 27 at no additional cost. First, Apple said there will be daily usage limits for some of the new and enhanced Apple Intelligence features on iOS 27, including image generation. However, the company noted that "increased access" is available with "most" iCloud+ storage ...
iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 This Year, Apple Supplier Comments Seemingly Confirm

Monday June 15, 2026 10:51 am PDT by
Apple's standard iPhone 18 model will launch in early 2027, based on comments from a partner in the company's supply chain that appear to corroborate rumors of a delayed spring release for the base model. Apple typically works on an annual smartphone launch cycle where it releases the entirety of its latest flagship iPhone series in the fall, usually around mid-September. That appears set to ...