Skip to main content

Less than a year after release, iOS 12 has reached 88% of all active iOS devices

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 12, has been out for just shy of a year, and a staggering 88% of all active iOS devices are running it.

The Cupertino, California-based company frequently updates the number of devices running its OS, and the latest numbers based on App Store data claim that 88% of active iOS devices run some version of iOS 12. As you might suspect, that means there’s a hefty drop for the previous version, iOS 11. Only 7% of active devices are running Apple’s previous OS, and a paltry 5% run a version of iOS older than that.

Recommended Videos

This continues to be great news for Apple, which had managed to update 50% of all active iOS devices to iOS 12 within a month of release. This new data proves Apple hadn’t peaked too soon, and is more than capable of sustaining upgrades across time. It helps that iOS 12 is compatible with the largest range of Apple devices ever, of course. The update was even available for the then 5-year-old iPhone 5S.

It means iOS 12 will be able to end on a high, as it will soon be replaced by iOS 13. Apple’s latest version of its mobile operating system is currently in public beta, and promises to bring a wealth of new features to compatible iPhones and iPods. There’s the usual performance improvements, but the most exciting additions include a new systemwide dark mode, a swipe-type keyboard, improved video-editing tools, and much more.

Keen-eyed users may have noticed we didn’t mention iPads back there — and that’s because iOS 13 sees the end of a combined iOS for iPhones and iPads. Starting with iOS 13, iPads will enjoy their own specialized version of the mobile OS, called iPadOS. While the two operating systems will share many features, iPadOS will feature a number of special features just for tablets, including mouse support, a new home screen, and windowed support for apps.

Both iOS 13 and iPadOS are expected to arrive in fall 2019. Expect a large number of devices to update to it as soon as it arrives. Apple maintains tight control over its operating system and hardware, which allows the company to see high adoption rates of its latest software. Google’s Android version updates, on the other hand, have to be released by a myriad of manufacturers and by carriers if the device is locked — a process which tends to lead to slow adoption of the latest OS version.

Updated on August 8, 2019: We’ve updated this article with the latest iOS distribution numbers.

Mark Jansen
Former Mobile Evergreen Editor
Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient &…
5 rumored iOS 26 features we could see at WWDC 2025
An iPhone 16 laying on a shelf with its screen on.

Apple’s upcoming WWDC 2025 showcase is going to be a busy one, even though the expected AI-powered software rebirth may not land until next year. In the meantime, reliable sources have spilled the beans on what we might expect for the next major iOS overhaul. 

Starting with the name, Apple could skip iOS 19 and could go straight from v18 to v26. We are also expecting a design overhaul, something that could draw inspiration from Vision OS. On the functional side, an AI health coach would be a huge draw for fitness enthusiasts. 

Read more
Why you shouldn’t care what number Apple puts on your iPhone’s software
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max's screen.

One number may change to another number at an important industry event on June 9, and despite some of the headlines that have been circulating around the news, this succinct explanation of what may happen allows you to guage its real importance. Apparently, Apple may use the WWDC 2025 keynote presentation to announce a change from the expected iOS 19 software’s name to iOS 26, and here’s why you shouldn’t worry about it. 

Many people won’t even know

Read more
iOS 19 isn’t coming this fall … because Apple is calling it something else
The back of the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Apple will unveil the latest version of the iPhone operating system at WWDC next month, but apparently it won’t be “iOS 19.”

The tech giant is going to shake up the naming system for iOS, with the next version set to be called iOS 26, according to a Bloomberg report by prominent Apple tipster Mark Gurman on Wednesday.

Read more