iOS 12 Release Date & Time: What You Need to Know

Apple’s finally confirmed the iOS 12 release date and the new operating system arrives just ahead of the company’s new iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Plus.

iOS 12’s spent months in beta testing and Apple’s finally ready to deploy the final product for millions of iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models around the world.

As expected, the iOS 12 release date is confirmed for September and iOS 11 users only have to wait a few more days for the upgrade.

The final version won’t have Group FaceTime calls or new emojis on board, but the company’s new mobile operating system is packed to the brim with new features including Memojis, new Animojis, a new Screen Time function to help manage smartphone addiction, ARKit 2.0, and performance enhancements.

All iOS 11-powered devices are eligible for the iOS 12 upgrade including the iPhone 5s. iOS 12 will also power the new 2018 iPhone models.

If you own an iOS 11-powered phone or tablet, here’s everything you need to know about the iOS 12 release date and time for your device.

iOS 12 Release Date

Apple’s confirmed the iOS 12 release date for Monday, September 17th. This is the release date for all iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models capable of running the new operating system.

The iOS 12 release date falls between two other key dates: The start of iPhone Xs pre-orders on September 14th and the iPhone Xs release date on September 21st.

The release date falls a few weeks before Apple plans to put its new 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, dubbed iPhone Xr, on sale in the United States and countries around the world.

Like the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, the iPhone Xr will run iOS 12 out of the box.

iOS 12 Release Time

Apple didn’t confirm a specific iOS 12 release time on stage, but the company always releases its software updates around 10AM Pacific on release day.

This means if you live in London, England you should see the iOS 12 update around 6PM in the evening. If you live in Melbourne, Australia, you’ll need to stay up late or wake up early if you want to install iOS 12 right when it’s released. iOS software typically drop in Australia at 3AM.

Major iOS releases are often plagued with download issues as Apple’s servers get slammed with requests from eager iPhone, iPad, and iPod users. Those looking to avoid download issues and error codes should wait a few hours before installing the iOS 12 update.

Apple also plans to release watchOS 5 and tvOS 12 alongside the iOS 12 update on September 21st. macOS Mojave will launch a week later on September 24th.

Start Preparing for the iOS 12 Release Date

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We've still got a few days to go, but make sure you use this time wisely. Many of you will benefit from doing some prep work ahead of the iOS 12 update's arrival. You don't need to go all out just yet, but there are a few things you can do to make your life easier on release day.  First, if you're running out of storage, now would be a great time to do some cleanup. iOS 12 will likely be a sizable download and cleaning out your storage will make for a more efficient installation process.  If you don't have enough space to install iOS 12 you'll be forced to temporarily delete apps and other files to make room. If you use this time to get rid of files you no longer need, you won't have to deal with this. A little cleanup could also help speed up your phone or tablet.  Go into your device's storage and see if you can't find files (music, photos, videos, etc) you no longer want and delete them or move them somewhere like iCloud. You should also start backing up the data stored on your device(s). This is extremely important if you store important data on your device. If you haven't mastered the backup process, you'll want to dig into our guides covering the iCloud backup process and the iTunes backup process. You should also make sure you've got all of your logins saved or handy. When you install iOS 12, it'll likely ask you to login with your Apple ID and you may get logged out of some of your apps and services.  If you don't want to spend time tracking down all of those details, you'll want to make sure you have them ready on release day.

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