iOS 15 Nears Estimated 90% Adoption Ahead of iOS 16 Reveal Next Week

iOS 15 is nearing an estimated 90% adoption rate more than 250 days after its launch and nearly a year after Apple first previewed the update at WWDC 2021, according to mobile analytics company Mixpanel.

iOS 15 General Feature Purple
According to Mixpanel, at the time of writing, iOS 15 has an estimated adoption rate of 88.9%, an increase of nearly 10% from just ten weeks ago. Mixpanel bases its number on tracking visits to apps and websites that use its mobile analytics SDK, so the numbers are not entirely accurate. Apple last provided adoption numbers for iOS 15 in January, claiming that 72% of iPhones released in the last four years are running the company's latest iOS release.

iOS 15 adoption numbers shared by Apple in January 2022

iOS 15 had suffered from a slower adoption rate compared to iOS 14, partially due to it being a relatively smaller update and an initial handful of bugs that impacted users when the update first launched. iOS 15 included refinements to some system apps, introduced a redesigned Do Not Disturb and Focus Mode system, Live Text, and more.

Next week, Apple will preview iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 during its Worldwide Developers Conference that kicks off on Monday, June 6. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the new update is expected to be a significant update for users. Bloomberg has reported that Apple is planning a redesign of the Lock Screen and improvements to stock apps, new Apple apps, new ways of interaction, and more. Apple is also planning major changes to iPadOS to make it more Mac-like.

While Apple will preview iOS and iPadOS 16, alongside macOS 13, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16 next week, the updates will not be available to all users until later in the fall. Instead, Apple will beta test all the updates over the summer with members of the public beta testing program and developers. For everything we know about iOS 16, see our detailed roundup.

Related Forum: iOS 15

Popular Stories

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...

iOS 26.1 Beta Liquid Glass Battery Drain Test: Tinted vs Clear Mode

Friday October 24, 2025 2:30 pm PDT by
In the fourth iOS 26.1 beta, Apple added a "Tinted" option that reduces the translucency of Liquid Glass for those who prefer a more opaque look. I saw some comments wondering whether the setting might preserve battery life, so I thought I'd do some testing. Test Settings I did four separate tests using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and I kept the parameters as similar as possible. Here are the...

Apple Says U.S. Passport Feature on iPhone is Coming Soon

Monday October 27, 2025 7:41 am PDT by
You will "soon" be able to add a digital version of your U.S. passport to your iPhone, according to Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. Bailey reiterated that the feature is coming soon during her keynote at the Money20/20 USA conference in Las Vegas on Sunday. On its iOS 26 page, Apple says the delayed feature will be "coming later this year." Apple's...

Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:21 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week. The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included. macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio...

iPhone XX? 6 Features Rumored for Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday October 27, 2025 4:01 pm PDT by
For the 10th anniversary iPhone that came out in 2017, Apple introduced the iPhone X with Face ID, notch, and minimized bezels, providing more display space than ever before. The 20th iPhone anniversary is approaching and Apple wants to take the iPhone X design even further. We're two years away from the 2027 iPhone, but it's tough for Apple to keep major changes under wraps. We've rounded...

Top Rated Comments

45 months ago
That's encouraging!
Still, I support iOS 13 on almost all my apps.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
45 months ago

Tons of people using iPhone 5c and earlier, iPad 3 and earlier would stick to iOS 5/6 easier and with higher percentage, even if the app support is dropped.
I can't use a iPhone 4 or iPad 3 as my main driver in 2022. No way.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
45 months ago

Imagine iOS support doesn’t drop as aggressive as apple did, Tons of people using iPhone 5c and earlier, iPad 3 and earlier would stick to iOS 5/6 easier and with higher percentage, even if the app support is dropped.

Otoh, that 90% is mostly good for devs and apple, and that’s about it.
5c and earlier support was dropped cause they are 32bit devices and iOS moved to 64bit only.
iOS 15 supports 6S and newer which are almost 7 years old
I cant imagine people willingly use a almost 9 year old smart phone
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
45 months ago
Nope not me, kept my 12 Mini and iPad Air 4 on 14.8. Was not keen on upgrading to IOS 15 because of the CSAM thing (Apple scanning photos on your iphone). It looks like they are not going to implement it, but i will wait until the last version of IOS 15 to be sure.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
45 months ago
Why does it take an OS update to update stock apps or add new first party apps?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
45 months ago
The early months of iOS 15 were really bad for no reason. It was a train wreck. Just when iOS 15 becomes sort of dependable recently - iOS 16 will drop and all the BS starts over again.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)