82 percent: iPhone users update diligently to iOS 18

A few days before his developer conference WWDC has announced Apple numbersto what extent users installed the versions of iOS and iPados presented last year. As a result, iOS 18 runs to 82 percent of all iPhones and 88 percent of the models from the past four years. Ipados 18 is installed on 71 percent of all iPads and 81 percent of the devices of the past four years. The numbers are collected in the course of the app store use.

A comparison with the previous year is difficult: The numbers for iOS 17 and Ipados 17 had already raised Apple on the deadline 4th February 2024, i.e. exactly four months before the current key date 4 June 2025. At the time, iOS 17 was installed to 66 percent of all devices and 76 percent of all devices of the past four years. On Ipados 17 updated 53 percent of users of all devices and 61 percent on devices of the past four years.

Different measurement times

The later time of the current survey may have made a large contribution to the higher installation figures. Experience has shown that many users hesitate for new large versions and first wait for the first major bug fixes and the reactions of other users. In the higher adaptation rates, intermediate device purchases also pay in which the latest operating system is installed.

At the end of October 2024, Apple boss Tim Cook explained to an analyst call that iOS 18.1 was installed much more frequently at the time than in the previous year iOS 17.1. His hint that iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max support Apple Intelligence interpreted some media in such a way that Apple’s AI could have been the decisive factor. However, this would not explain why the number of installations on all devices is so significantly higher, because the intelligence only works from the 15 Pro and the devices of the 16 generation.

With iOS 18, Apple also enables a higher degree of personalization of the iPhone, through freely placeable icons and widgets on the homescreen and color adjustments. This could also have contributed to a higher interest.

App developer should be happy

Anyone who has not yet switched to iOS 18 and iPados 18 had at least installed the previous year’s version in many cases: on the iPhone to 9 percent of all devices and on the iPad to 14 percent of all devices. The rather high proportion of 15 percent that were still in use on the iPad is explained on the one hand by update fatigue. Ipados 18 could be installed on the 7 percent of the devices of the past four years that operate an older version than Ipados 17. On the other hand, it is also due to the larger intervals in which users replace their devices for newer models. A new version can then simply be installed on very old devices because Apple no longer offers upgrades for them.

App developer should also look forward to the high update freedom. The more users update to the current version of the operating system, the easier it is for you to rely on new APIs and technical options for operating systems at an early stage without excluding larger parts of your user. If you require the APIs of iOS 17, you can even reach 91 percent of all iPhone users raised. On the iPad with Stand Ipados 17, 85 percent of all users.