Apple
iOS 16 Release Date & Time: What You Need to Know
Apple’s finally confirmed the iOS 16 release date and the new operating system arrives just ahead of the company’s new iPhone 14 models.
iOS 16’s spent months in beta testing and Apple’s finally ready to deploy the final product to millions of iPhone users around the world.
The official iOS 16 release date is confirmed for September 12th which means iPhone users only have to wait a few more days for the upgrade.
The final version of iOS 16 is packed to the brim with changes including lock screen enhancements, big changes to Messages and Maps, and a whole lot more. Some features are limited to newer iPhone models and some devices won’t make the move too iOS 16.
iOS 16 will be available for the following devices:
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)
Popular devices like the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone SE will get left behind on iOS 15. This won’t change so if you want access to iOS 16, you’ll need to upgrade.
If you own a compatible iPhone, here’s everything you need to know about the iOS 16 release date and time for your device.
iOS 16 Release Date
Apple’s confirmed the iOS 16 release date for Monday, September 12th. This is the release date for all iPhone models capable of running the new operating system.
The iOS 16 release date lands ahead of two other key dates: The iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max release date on September 16th and the iPhone 14 Plus release date on October 7th.
All four of these models will run iOS 16 out of the box.
iOS 16 Release Time
Apple hasn’t confirmed a specific iOS 16 release time, 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 16 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 16 right when it’s released.
Major iOS releases like iOS 16 are often plagued with download issues as Apple’s servers get slammed with requests from eager iPhone users. Those of you looking to avoid download issues and error codes should wait a few hours before installing the iOS 16 update.
Apple also plans to release watchOS 9 and tvOS 16 alongside the iOS 16 update on September 12th. The macOS Ventura update for Mac and iPadOS 16 for iPad will launch sometime in October.
Install iOS 16.7.7 for Better Security | |||||||||||||||
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If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's iOS 16.7.7 update on your iPhone right away. iOS 16.7.7 has new security patches on board, but Apple hasn't revealed them yet. It's likely waiting to release additional software before doing so. If you want to protect your device from harm, you should install the upgrade sooner rather than later. If you missed older versions of iOS 16, you'll get the fixes and features from updates you missed when you upgrade to iOS 16.7.7. iOS 16.7.6 delivered several security patches to iPhone users. iOS 16.7.5 had nine security patches on board and they're important if you want to keep you device and its data safe from harm. iOS 16.7.3 delivered several security patches including one that patches up an issue with the Find My app. iOS 16.7.2 brought several security patches to iPhone models still running iOS 16. Learn more about them here. iOS 16.7.1 carried two important security enhancements including one that addressed a kernel vulnerability. You can learn more about the pair over on Apple's website. iOS 16.7 had three security patches on board and you can learn more about them right here. iOS 16.6.1 brought two important security patches to iPhone. If you're interested in what they patch up, here's Apple's guide. The iOS 16.6 update featured 16 security patches. For more information about the changes, check out Apple's rundown. iOS 16.5.1 brought two security patches to iPhone users If you want to learn more, head on over to Apple's website. The company's iOS Security Response 16.5.1 (c) update also included a security update and you can learn more about it right here. iOS 16.5 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. You can find out more about them over on Apple's security site. iOS 16.4.1 included two security upgrades . You can learn more about the pair right here. Apple's iOS 16.4 update had a substantial number of patches on board. You can read about them in detail over on Apple's security site. The iOS 16.3.1 update had three security patches on board including one for an actively exploited vulnerability. For more on the security contents of iOS 16.3.1, check out Apple's security page. iOS 16.3 brought 10+ new security patches with it and you can learn more about all of those right here. In addition, the software came with support for physical security keys for Apple ID. These will beef up your account security by requiring a physical security key as part of the two factor authentication sign in process. Learn more about the change right here. If you skipped iOS 16.2, you'll get its changes with iOS 16.7.7. iOS 16.2 brought a ton of important security patches with it and you can dig into the details on Apple's security site. The update also brought end-to-end encryption to iCloud, iMessage, iPhone backups, Notes, Photos, and more. If you want to learn more about it, head over to Apple's guide. If you decided to missed iOS 16.1.2, you'll get its solitary security patch with your upgrade. Learn more about it right here. If you skipped iOS 16.1.1, you'll get its security patches when you upgrade. You can learn more about them right here. If you missed the iOS 16.1 update, it brought 19 security patches to the iPhone and you can learn about the particulars of those over on Apple's website. If you failed to download iOS 16.0.3, it had one security patch on board, a fix for a potential exploit within the Mail app. For more about the fix, check out Apple's security site. If you're still running iOS 15 your iPhone, you'll get a bunch of other patches when you upgrade. iOS 16.0 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website. In addition to those patches, iOS 16 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including Safety Check which, according to Apple, will help "people in domestic or intimate partner violence situations review and reset the access they’ve granted others." The feature also resets system privacy permissions for apps and restricts Messages and FaceTime to the device on hand. Apple's also made some improvements to Passkeys in Safari. iOS 16 brings a brand new sign-in method that's end-to-end encrypted and safe from phishing and data leaks. | |||||||||||||||
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