Skip to main content

Apple confirms iPadOS 16 is delayed because it’s a hot mess in beta

Apple has confirmed that the highly-anticipated iPadOS 16 update is delayed and will be rolled out widely later than the usual rollout cadence of major OS updates in the fall season. In a statement shared with TechCrunch, Apple notes that the public version of its tablet operating system will directly jump to the iPadOS 16.1 build (instead of starting with a stable iPadOS 16 update) and will be released after iOS 16.

Apple doesn’t explicitly mention why the update has been delayed, but it appears that the sheer scope of major changes and the well-publicized issues with the early beta versions are to blame. “This is an especially big year for iPadOS. As its own platform with features specifically designed for iPad, we have the flexibility to deliver iPadOS on its own schedule,” Apple said in a statement.

An iPad and an external display using Stage Manager in iPadOS 16.
Apple

The company usually details upcoming OS upgrades at its WWDC event in June and releases them in the fall to coincide with the arrival of new hardware. However, the case with iPadOS 16 has been somewhat of a tricky situation with a ton of confusion and UI optimization issues.

Recommended Videos

To start, Apple took its sweet time explaining why Stage Manager – iPadOS 16’s marquee multitasking feature – was exclusive to the iPads with the M1 chip inside. Stage Manager is one of the most interesting additions to iPadOS 16, yet it’s limited to only the most powerful (and expensive) iPads on the market.

But that’s not all, as iPadOS 16 has been riddled with issues ever since the first public beta was released in the second week of July. Special attention was directed toward the buggy mess that was Stage Manager.

iPadOS 16 doesn’t look ready for prime time

Earlier this month, MacStories chief Federico Viticci shared his disappointing experience with Stage Manager while running the beta builds of iPadOS 16. Viticci notes that it crashes every few minutes, there were a ton of UI irregularities, and the multi-window system was also broken. Viticci even went on to label it as “fundamentally misguided.”

The fact that going back to classic Split View and Slide Over feels *so* nice right now is…pretty telling.

If Stage Manager is the future of iPadOS for pro users, I hope Apple understands that it can't be rushed. We waited years for this; might as well get it in Spring 2023.

— Federico Viticci (@viticci) August 18, 2022

A quick look at Apple’s own developer forum suggests that iPadOS 16 is also riddled with random restart and app-specific issues. On Reddit, users running the beta build have complained about problems like their device getting stuck in recovery mode, random UI crashing, battery drain, issues with connecting to an external display, and screen mirroring woes, to name a few.

With such a rich portfolio of problems, it makes sense that Apple wants to delay the final public release of iPadOS 16 to offer a polished experience instead of the hot mess that beta testers have been served. As for the hardware ambitions, the M2-powered iPad Pro models are said to be in the line for a Fall debut, alongside the 10th-Gen vanilla iPad with a fresh design language.

Nadeem Sarwar
Nadeem is a tech and science journalist who started reading about cool smartphone tech out of curiosity and soon started…
You could be folding your iPad as soon as next year
A person holding the 13-inch iPad Air (2025).

The iPad Fold, as it's being touted, could arrive as soon as next year.

A new report suggests that the first folding iPad could be on track to land in 2026.

Read more
What’s the best iPad screen size: should you go 11-inch or 13-inch?
13-inch iPad Air (2025) with iPad Air 4 and iPad Mini 7 in the background.

The Apple iPad lineup is bigger than ever. Previously, when choosing an iPad Air, you just needed to consider storage capacity and cellular capabilities. Now, like the iPad Pro, you also get to choose between two screen sizes. I’ve received emails from readers confused about whether the 13-inch model is a better pick for watching movies. The short answer? No. A bigger iPad doesn’t necessarily mean a better screen for video consumption.

I recently switched to the 13-inch iPad Air (2025) from my 11-inch iPad Air (2020), and it made me realize that both tablets are made for different use cases. If you're confused about which screen size is right for your next iPad Air or iPad Pro, here’s a breakdown based on my experience.
Look at the aspect ratio, not the display size
13-inch iPad Air (2025) display Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

Read more
Even the iOS 19 leakers can’t agree on what the next iPhone update will look like
iOS 19 render from FPT YouTube chnanel.

Front Page Tech, the YouTube channel behind some of the most widely discussed iOS 19 leaks, has posted a new video showing off even more renders of the upcoming OS redesign. The last renders they posted a couple of weeks ago prompted Bloomberg's Mark Gurman to take to X and cast doubt on their accuracy -- a post that he has now reposted in response to the newest video.

https://twitter.com/markgurman/status/1904676788669690087

Read more