iOS 18 adoption steady as users explore AI & customization

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Apple's iOS 18 is improving the user experience with AI-powered tools, deeper customization, and enhanced privacy, driving strong adoption across iPhones and iPads.

Hand holding a black iPhone 15 showing the back with dual rear cameras and an Apple logo, on a blurred wooden floor background.
iPhone 15



The iOS 18 update brings AI-powered tools, deeper customization, and enhanced privacy. Currently, 76% of iPhones released in the last four years and 68% of all iPhones are running the latest OS.

The latest OS, iOS 18, has matched its predecessor in overall adoption, with 76% of iPhones from the past four years and 68% of all iPhones now running the software. In comparison, iOS 17 reached the same 76% adoption rate for newer devices in February 2024 but fell short of iOS 16's performance during a reflect a solid uptake, iOS 17 achieved higher adoption in the similar timeframe.

Meanwhile, over half of all iPads -- 53% -- are now on iPadOS 18, while 63% of newer iPads have upgraded. Despite these milestones, around 27% of iPads remain on iPadOS 17, and 10% continue to use older software.

What makes iOS 18 stand out to users



The success of iOS 18 stems from its blend of practical enhancements, personalization, and user-centric AI features. Apple Intelligence, the standout addition, introduces a suite of tools powered by machine learning.

Tasks like organizing photos, drafting messages, and curating personalized suggestions feel more intuitive and tailored than before. Customization is another major draw.

For the first time, users can freely arrange app icons, apply color themes, and tweak the Control Center with resizable buttons and third-party app integrations. The Lock Screen has also evolved, allowing users to replace default shortcuts with apps or functions that fit their routines.

Messaging has received notable updates, including the ability to schedule messages, apply animated effects, and respond with an expanded range of emoji reactions. Apple has also embraced Rich Communication Services (RCS), improving interactions with Android users through features like high-resolution media sharing and read receipts.

iPad home screen with purple-blue abstract wallpaper, app icons, widgets showing time, calendar events, and a settings menu for appearance and size adjustments.
Home Screen customization in iPadOS 18



Privacy remains a cornerstone of iOS. In iOS 18, users can lock or hide specific apps, requiring Face ID or a passcode to access them. Hidden apps are tucked into a secure folder within the App Library, further bolstering security.

A closer look at adoption trends



While iOS 18 has been widely adopted, its adoption rates are roughly comparable to those of iOS 17 at a similar point in its release cycle. Recent Apple statistics show 76% of iPhones released in the last four years are running iOS 18, a strong showing that aligns with previous versions.

Speculation about slower hardware upgrade cycles and cautious attitudes toward updates may have some merit, but there's no concrete evidence tying these factors to adoption rates. Meanwhile, iOS 18's ecosystem-specific integrations and privacy features maintain its edge over Android.

On the iPad side, iPadOS 18 shows steady adoption, with 63% of newer iPads running the latest software. Features like advanced multitasking, enhanced Apple Pencil support, and expanded widget options likely contribute to its popularity.

However, iPads often experience slower upgrade cycles compared to iPhones, reflecting their different usage patterns and upgrade habits.

For app developers, iOS 18's rapid adoption opens doors for apps that leverage new APIs. Features like enhanced machine learning capabilities in Core ML and improvements in ARKit for augmented reality experiences can offer new capabilities.

Overall, the numbers paint a positive picture for Apple, even if adoption rates for iOS 18 haven't outpaced previous versions.



Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    I am one of the people that bought an iPhone 15 thinking that as a recent model, it would be supported with full OS updates for a year at least. Not quite. iOS 18 without AI is not worth the update from 17 imo. Apple knew the 15 base did not have enough memory for AI but did not want to share that.
    edited January 24
    DAalseth
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  • Reply 2 of 13
    How do I turn it off? Mail is all mucked up with “features” that are useless to me and just get in the way. 
    DAalseth
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  • Reply 3 of 13
    And 90% of those iOS 18 users feel dumb to understand half-baked Apple Intelligence. Siri has become dumber. 
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 13
    Stability, Stability, Stability. iOS 17 and 18, also macOS Sequoia simply aren't stable enough. Memory leak all over the system, and Photo/Music App, coreaudio services, WindowServer constantly do that, all first-party apps or services. AirDrop sucks. New bug every day.
    jas99dewme
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  • Reply 5 of 13
    I am one of the people that bought an iPhone 15 thinking that as a recent model, it would be supported with full OS updates for a year at least. Not quite. iOS 18 without AI is not worth the update from 17 imo. Apple knew the 15 base did not have enough memory for AI but did not want to share that.
    iOS 18 has some updates that are not AI related. This user guide might be helpful in learning some of those features https://support.apple.com/en-us/121161.
    Supersillyus
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  • Reply 6 of 13
    DAalsethdaalseth Posts: 3,136member
    How do I turn it off? Mail is all mucked up with “features” that are useless to me and just get in the way. 
    In Settings go to Apple Intelligence and Siri. There’s a Master switch to shut it off, though at this point it should be off be default. 

    As far as the changes to Mail, yeah they suck big time. Here’s an article about returning Mail to the old design. 
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 13
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,288member
    AbcdEft said:
    Stability, Stability, Stability. iOS 17 and 18, also macOS Sequoia simply aren't stable enough. Memory leak all over the system, and Photo/Music App, coreaudio services, WindowServer constantly do that, all first-party apps or services. AirDrop sucks. New bug every day.
    Yes, however this is nothing new. Apple's software QA started declining ten years ago and rapidly headed into the toilet. This prompted me to delay upgrading the operating systems an increasingly longer period after initial release.

    This year -- like the past two years -- I will upgrade from iOS 17 to iOS 18 (and Sonoma to Sequoia) in June, somewhere around WWDC. This pretty much ensures that I will have a stable OS experience. All subsequent updates will be bugfixes/security patches with no new features (which generally increase instability).

    As for Apple Intelligence, Apple themselves clearly label it Beta. But many of Apple Intelligence's individual features are just alpha quality at this point. One thing the past few years has proven is that LLMs are as dumb as rocks. They are just probability estimators, but not like "this has the probability of being right" but more like "this has the probability of resembling something you might find on the general Internet". LLM-based chatbots have proven time and time again that they have A.) zero common sense, B.) no taste, and C.) no ability to discern sarcasm, satire, or humor.

    A lot of this instability comes from the fact that smartphones really took over as drivers of personal technology innovation 10+ years ago because smartphones are the primary computing modality for consumers. Apple -- with its predictable annual cadence of a fall iPhone refreshes -- is forced to march and deliver new functionality every year regardless of feature maturity or stability.

    Macs and macOS no longer lead innovation and are not forced into a fixed hardware release schedule. So there is less innovation both on the hardware and software side for Macs/macOS. So macOS Sonoma in its current state is pretty stable and its predecessor Ventura even more so.

    Siri is going to be especially big challenge to fix because Apple has utterly neglected their assistant for well over a decade where the competition has periodically worked on and improved their offerings. Apple had done nothing to Siri which is why AI-assisted Siri is taking such a long time to release. Hopefully it will not launch as a steaming heap of garbage but based on other consumer-facing AI chatbots, I'm not terribly confident in Apple's ability to create a meaningfully differentiated experience. After all, all of these LLMs are based on AI 'bots skimming the broader Internet which is mostly junk collection.

    Let's not forget the old consumer science expression GIGO: "Garbage In, Garbage Out." That's LLM-powered AI chatbots right now. Providing answers of a high probability of resembling Internet detritus.

    LLMs are pretty good at helping figure out mathematics and physics problems though.
    edited January 25
    zeus423muthuk_vanalingam
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  • Reply 8 of 13
    Pemapema Posts: 208member
    I have turned AI off. Not just with Apple's adoption, but also having attempted to utilise MS Copilot. Considering that it took nearly 15 years for the internet to become a useful info and research tool from the early days of Mosaic, I would suggest that it won't be anytime before 2035 before AI becomes a veritable tool in assisting users in their tasks, be it mathematical or alphabetical. 
    In the interim it is a kludgy, stumbling, mumbling piece of garbage that needs a heck of a lot more development. Consider it a challenged infant learning to walk and talk. 
    For the IT industry it has become a byword to invigorate sluggish sales from phones to electric toothbrushes. 

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  • Reply 9 of 13
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,679member
    I am one of the people that bought an iPhone 15 thinking that as a recent model, it would be supported with full OS updates for a year at least. Not quite. iOS 18 without AI is not worth the update from 17 imo. Apple knew the 15 base did not have enough memory for AI but did not want to share that.
    This is very shortsighted thinking, to put it mildly. For starters, you will absolutely get at least five years of major iOS updates. You may also be suffering from the illusion that your iPhone 15 has no AI-type features, which is mistaken.

    There are at least two major updates to iOS 18 (iPadOS 18, macOS 15, etc) yet to arrive. Each one will have changes, upgrades and features that do not require Apple Intelligence, as the majority of iPhones currently in use do not support the feature. Your current iPhone will also support iOS 19, iOS 20, iOS 21, and probably iOS 22.

    You're also overlooking what your iPhone can do right now, today. It has machine learning and it has a Neural Engine, This enables features that are considered "AI" features on other smartphones.

    Just as one example, Apple Notes can now make audio recordings (of let's say a lecture or meeting), and provide a transcription of that recording. No Apple Intelligence required (I still have an Intel-based Mac so I know this for a fact), and for me this feature is a godsend, because I serve on some community organization boards. That's an example of AI, but Apple differentiates what they call "machine learning" from the set of features they call Apple Intelligence. Your iPhone 15 absolutely has some AI in it, and this link outlines what those are.

    You are correct that the iPhone 15 lacks the 8GB of RAM needed for Apple Intelligence (and also doesn't have the A18 Pro or better chip needed). The iPhone 15 was introduced before Apple formally announced the feature set they call Apple Intelligence, but doesn't generally publicize the RAM amount of any iPhone, so not sharing that info (except on the iPhone product tech specs page on Apple.com, of course) is not unusual.

    What you got for your money is a great smartphone with a wonderfully private and secure OS that Android users can not make the same claim about, a 48MP camera, double the brightness of the iPhone 14, 3x better Find My location seeking, clearer voice calls because of machine learning, Emergency SOS via Satellite, and a USB-C port that opens many new opportunities for interfacing with other devices than any iPhone with a Lightning connector had, not to mention the reduced cost of third-party cables if you need one. And it has some useful (or what Wired calls "intuitive" AI as opposed to "generative") AI features -- sorry, I mean "machine learning features."

    But if you feel that you pulled the trigger too soon because you couldn't predict that Apple would bring out Apple Intelligence last June, you still have options.

    If you're like many people, you may have a two-year contract on that iPhone for your cell service, and perhaps bought the iPhone through your carrier as I did with my new iPhone. If so, you can sell or return the iPhone 15 in two years* and get the new hotness, the iPhone 17, when your contract expires.

    *of course you may also be able to just return or sell the iPhone 15 right now if you bought it outright, and get a 15 Pro or later model with Apple Intelligence if you really want it that bad.
    jas99muthuk_vanalingambestkeptsecret
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  • Reply 10 of 13
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,679member
    How do I turn it off? Mail is all mucked up with “features” that are useless to me and just get in the way. 
    I find it very useful, but if you want to turn it off in Mail you most certainly can:

    1. Open Mail on your iPhone.
    2. Tap the "three dots" menu in the upper right corner.
    3. Choose "List View"

    Done!
    zeus423jas99
     1Like 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 11 of 13
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,679member

    Pema said:
    I have turned AI off. Not just with Apple's adoption, but also having attempted to utilise MS Copilot. Considering that it took nearly 15 years for the internet to become a useful info and research tool from the early days of Mosaic, I would suggest that it won't be anytime before 2035 before AI becomes a veritable tool in assisting users in their tasks, be it mathematical or alphabetical. 
    In the interim it is a kludgy, stumbling, mumbling piece of garbage that needs a heck of a lot more development. Consider it a challenged infant learning to walk and talk. 
    For the IT industry it has become a byword to invigorate sluggish sales from phones to electric toothbrushes. 

    You are right that "AI" has become as much a marketing buzzword as much as a genuine technological innovation. This is quite specifically why Apple chose not to call it "AI," and instead hit on the clever but un-abbreviatable moniker of "Apple Intelligence." But sure, if you don't want to have it now (or ever), you can turn it off -- something Apple gives you that I doubt most other companies will. You can certainly ignore Gemini or Copilot -- for now -- but you can't really banish them completely.

    You are also right that 10 years from now, "AI" will be as much a natural part of all technology as a home screen. I'd say more like within two years.

    I disagree that it is any form of "garbage." I've demonstrated MS' Copilot feature to many people, and they love how it just answers the damn question rather than just showing them a list of websites where they may or may not find the answer as Google Search does. Of course, this currently still depends on your ability to form an articulate question, which sadly many people are shockingly bad at.

    Since I work with both platforms, I often demonstrate Copilot to people by asking them to give me a simple question they don't actually know the answer to, like "why is the sky blue" or "how can I brew my own beer at home?"

    Copilot gives me a quick, articulate, simple answer to both those questions with no hassle, because it is leveraging ChatGPT. I just tested this with Siri on my iPhone 16 Pro with iOS 18.2.1, and it instantly gave me the correct answer on the sky question. For the beer question, Siri had to reach out to ChatGPT first, but a few seconds later it also gave me a full answer, including the equipment needed, the ingredients needed, and step-by-step instructions.

    Not what I'd call "garbage," but yes it will only get better from here.
    edited January 25
    muthuk_vanalingam
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 12 of 13
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,288member
    This issue isn't whether or not Apple Intelligence or any LLM-powered AI chatbot can provide the correct answers.

    The issue is the fact that these chatbot assistants will provide the wrong answers occasionally. Let's take this example from 9to5Mac:

    https://9to5mac.com/2025/01/24/siri-failed-super-easy-super-bowl-test-getting-38-out-of-58-wrong/

    The problem is unless you have the knowledge yourself about Super Bowl winners, you don't really know whether or not Siri (or any other chatbot) is actually correct or hallucinating badly. Which means you really have to do your own due diligence after Siri and/or a chatbot(s) provides their answers to make sure they aren't smoking dope.

    Worse, the Super Bowl queries had different results depending on how they were worded. This shouldn't be the case. If you ask an intern to find out who won Super Bowl XXXI, Super Bowl 31, or the 31st Super Bowl, or the one after Super Bowl XXX, the answer should all be the same regardless.

    Incorrect answers, inability to answer questions, inconsistent responses, hallucinations, et cetera ad nauseam all contribute to loss of confidence and trust in the AI technology. It's alpha quality software/service at best right now.

    Do you know why I've never actively used Siri? Because it has sucked from the beginning. I tried it when it was still a third-party service back in 2010 (before Apple's acquisition) and periodically tried it since then. It has ranged anywhere from uselessness to laughably bad to unreliable over its 14+ year lifespan. Over half the time, I need to follow up with a search engine query because Siri's results are wrong. I needed to double check anything I asked it to do.

    Today's consumer facing AI tools risk losing all consumer confidence before the technology is actually mature enough to do what companies say it can do. A lot of this stuff is completely underbaked because everyone is rushing things out the door.

    It was the same train wreck with a lot of early GPS navigation tools. Some of these tools/services simply sent you the wrong direction. It took years to fix this and there are still occasional errors. Hell, we're seeing this with autonomous driving tech where cars are being navigated onto train tracks.

    All of these AI tools need to be turned off by default. And people who choose to use them must be aware that the answers might be wrong (again GIGO) and that they might be wasting time because they need to double check AI's accuracy (which in many cases is appallingly bad).

    Consumer facing AI will get to the point where it is useful and accurate enough to be operated without suspicion or unintended hilarity. But it appears that we are still years away from that. There have been some instances of regression in recent AI data models, it is not linear growth.

    I believe that many people are most frequently using the most unreliable forms of consumer-facing AI tools -- LLM-powered chatbots -- to do things that those services simply aren't ready to handle in 2024-2025. Some of the image processing tools are actually worthwhile because not everyone is a Photoshop guru and even if you are one of the few in that league, some of the things that AI tools can do are far quicker than a human doing them.

    For sure 2025 will NOT be the Year of the AI Chatbot. It will likely take about five years for this technology to reach maturity. Already we are seeing a dramatic slowdown in improvements between LLM model generations, at least in the consumer-facing versions.

    We can't be asking 8 different AI chatbots "who was the American League batting champion in 1968?" and getting 4 different answers. There is only one correct answer and unless you do your own independent research, you aren't going to know what the correct answer is. And we know today's AI chatbots don't double check their work. We also know that in 2025 there is no one AI chatbot that is correct all the time. Being a little more accurate than the competition in a battery of questions isn't helpful to Joe Consumer if he asks one of the questions that the AI chatbot got wrong.

    General intelligence also includes the notion of the answers "I don't know" or "I'm not sure" or "let me research this some more" or "I'm seeing conflicting data" or "Ask someone who knows more about this than I do." AI chatbots are presenting answers as fact when they are not. They are just probability estimates: "This answer has a higher probability of being something you might find on the Internet if you searched for it yourself."
    edited January 25
    muthuk_vanalingam
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  • Reply 13 of 13
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,864member
    It would be interesting to know what percentage of iOS 18 adoption includes iPhones that are Apple Intelligence capable. I'm sure it's lower than the numbers stated because a lot of fairly recent iPhones cannot run Apple Intelligence. This is not a knock on Apple Intelligence but it does lower the influence Apple Intelligence has had on iOS 18 adoption. There are also likely a number of people who bought the latest iPhones that were very heavily marketed by Apple and all of the carriers with "Apple Intelligence" being a really big deal who are now wondering where and what it really is. I am a believer in the massive potential of Apple Intelligence but it is only now starting to bring value to the owners of products purchased months ago.

    One commenter noted that much of Apple Intelligence is still considered "beta" level as if we need to cut it some slack. I would be totally cool with that if Apple wasn't promoting it to the degree that they are. Promoting a feature set that is still baking in the oven isn't that unusual today. Microsoft's done it for years and Tesla does it too, but it still stinks because it's fundamentally changing what buyers should expect when they purchase what they believe is a ready to use "product" and soon discover some of the advertised feature aren't there yet. It would be like buying a new pickup truck and it arrives without a cargo bed. Yeah, you can still drive it but it's not all there - yet. Maybe in a few months the bed will get delivered and you now have a complete product that matches what you thought you paid for.

    I totally understand that sophisticated hardware/software products like the iPhone are always being updated, software defects fixed, and enhancements added. Despite that, I still believe that Apple overemphasized the immediate impact Apple Intelligence was bringing to the iPhone 16 when it hit the market. Promoting "beta" features to mom & pop buyers is disingenuous in my opinion. They're not going to be installing Developer or Public beta versions of software on their devices so they can experience not ready for prime time features that are still in development. I am signing up to be a beta tester, they are not. To Apple's credit, they did not turn on Apple Intelligence by default up until now. The next release of iOS 18 will have Apple Intelligence turned on by default. But Apple still promoted the *&%$ out of Apple Intelligence on the new iPhones since day one.

    Which leads me to the software quality related question. Is Apple's software more defect ridden today than it's been in the past? I don't know, but my gut tells me that as a percentage of the code base I bet their defect ratio is less. However, their code based has been growing substantially. At the same time Apple is effectively following a continuous integration, continuous release software development process. Unlike in the past their release cycles are now in days and weeks and they ship whenever they feel they have to get the currently most severe defect fixes resolved and their codebase is stable and tested to the degree that they can test it. I'm certain they use regression testing to give them a level of confidence that the newly added features aren't breaking the existing features. 

    What I have personally experienced now more than in the past is that things that were working fine are suddenly broken or no longer working. If I were overseeing the testing process I would question whether the regression tests are getting adequate test coverage. It's not uncommon at all that regression tests, especially automated ones, do not achieve total (100%) test coverage. Some things require human interaction or special test fixtures outside of the software environment. The newly introduced features may have exposed new dependencies or gaps in test coverage that were not obvious in the previous builds. Maybe the previously working code was refactored and new defects were injected. It happens. Perhaps something in the build process got broken or weren't updated properly when the new features were integrated. It happens. Whatever the reason, when something that was working is suddenly broken, it should be traceable to a root cause.  As long as Apple keeps growing the size and functional scope of the code base they will continue to introduce new defects and uncover latent defects that slipped through unnoticed in previous releases. 
    muthuk_vanalingam
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