Apple Seeds First Beta of iPadOS 16.1, Confirms Delayed Launch - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Seeds First Beta of iPadOS 16.1, Confirms Delayed Launch

by

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iPadOS 16.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software available alongside the standard iOS 16 seventh beta that was provided today.

ipados 16 stage manager
Registered developers can download the iPadOS 16 profile from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the beta will be available over the air.

Apple has decided to delay the launch of iPadOS 16 in order to continue working out bugs and other issues with the Stage Manager feature that is coming to M1 iPad models.

In a statement to TechCrunch, Apple said that there will be no iPadOS 16.0 version at launch, with the company instead planning to ship iPadOS 16.1 following the launch of iOS 16.

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. This Fall, iPadOS will ship after iOS, as version 16.1 in a free software update.

iPadOS 16.1 introduces new ‌Stage Manager‌ features, according to TechCrunch.

The big update this time out is the ability to resurface the Stage Manager side rail with a gesture while the feature is full screen. The other updates with 16.1 are the standard spate of beta bug updates

Apple rarely splits iOS and iPadOS launches apart, but it has opted to do so in this case because the latest version of iPadOS is still riddled with bugs and seeing a number of complaints about the multitasking Stage Manager option.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
Read Full Article • 151 comments
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Read Full Article • 111 comments
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....
Read Full Article • 103 comments

Top Rated Comments

WhackyNinja Avatar
WhackyNinja
53 months ago
“This is an especially big year for iPadOS”

Me:


Attachment Image
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
klasma
53 months ago
“This is an especially big year for iPadOS.”

I don’t see it.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneMadRssn Avatar
oneMadRssn
53 months ago
iPadOS is the prime example what's bad about not having any direct competition. The OS has stagnated for years and years, because what are you going to do? Use an Android tablet? lol.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I
IMPOSSIBLEMAN
53 months ago
Very few journalists & websites hold Apple accountable when it underdelivers.

iPad OS & even MacOS in my opinion have been lagging in development lately with few features that are mostly focused on security-related matters and nothing meeting conudmers demand on UI & functions.

Even the Stage Manager in my opinion is a joke compared to the basic yet functional windows management on Win-11.

Add to it: no notification syncing, delayed iPad OS features coming 1 year after iOS and you see the whole picture is just not what you would expect from Apple.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S
siddavis
53 months ago
"we have the flexibility to deliver iPadOS on its own schedule."
But we must demonstrate this independence by keeping the version numbers in sync. :)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
w5jck Avatar
w5jck
53 months ago
Apple can take a decade to release iPadOS 16.x, and it will still be a garbage OS that doesn't turn the iPad into a workhorse. It merely makes it an incrementally better toy...
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments