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iPadOS 17 release window prediction: when does iPadOS 17 come out?

When will iPadOS 17 release? Plus everything else we know about the update following Apple's preview at WWDC 2023

Updated: Aug 9, 2023 11:17 am
iPadOS 17 release window prediction: when does iPadOS 17 come out?

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Although there has been no confirmed iPadOS 17 release date, this is perfectly normal behaviour from Apple, and we can make a fairly reasonable prediction as to the likely release window through looking at previous iPadOS release dates. Previous versions of iPadOS have consistently released around the September/ October months and we expect to see iPadOS 17’s release window to follow suit.

Apple first showcased a preview of the upcoming iPadOS 17 during their WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) keynote, detailing a couple of the new features that will be included in it during the event. We’ve had additional looks at the operating system through the beta releases that have come out since then. Read on to take a look at all current speculation around the likely features that will be bundled in the new iPadOS 17 version.

iPadOS release date history

To reach a verdict on the release date for iPadOS 17, some of the best research you can do is by going back and looking at previous version releases. The reason for this is that we tend to see a pattern developing which helps us determine an approximate time frame for when iPadOS 17 arrives.

iPadOS releases invariably coincide with those of iOS (the mobile/smartphone counterpart of the operating system, which shares many features) i.e. the release dates for the previous iPadOS versions have the same history as iOS, which is important to note. Below is the list of previous official / full public version releases of the last four iPadOS versions:

  • iPadOS 13: September 19th 2019
  • iPadOS 14: September 16th 2020
  • iPadOS 15: September 20th 2021
  • iPadOS 16: October 24th 2022 (as iPadOS 16.1)

So, you’ll notice that the trend of mid-late September is strong. iPadOS 16 wasn’t fully released to the public until 16.1 however, so this meant that there was a delay to account for. The releases for iPadOS 13, 14, and 15 coincided with the release for iOS 13, 14, and 15 respectively. We of course expect to see this again as mentioned.

iPadOS 17 release date window prediction

Based on the above release date history, our current prediction therefore is that the iPadOS 17 release date will be at some point in mid-September 2023, provided the 17.0 version is fully released to the public as usual. Like with the release of iPadOS 16, we can always see slight deviations if Apple feels it must be done (possibly meaning another delay to October).

As discussed, we expect the iPadOS 17 release date to be the same as the as iOS 17 release date.

iPadOS 17 beta release dates

If you can’t wait until September to get your hands on the new OS, you could consider signing up for the beta to experience early versions of it. We have a dedicated iPadOS 17 beta release date page which should detail everything you need to know about when these will be coming out. The first five developer betas are now out, plus two public betas, and it’s expected that the third public beta’s release is imminent.

iPadOS 17 device compatibility

Now that Apple officially previewed iPadOS 17 at WWDC, we know exactly which iPads the operating system will be compatible with. There has been a few older generations dropped off the list since iPadOS 16 compatibility, but iPadOS 17 still works with a wide range of the line up. According to Apple themselves, here’s how the iPadOS 17 device compatibility looks.

  • iPad Pro – 2nd generation or newer
  • iPad Air – 3rd generation or newer
  • iPad – 6th generation or newer
  • iPad mini – 5th generation or newer

Compared to last year’s OS update, we see that support for first generation iPad Pro and fifth generation iPad models dropped. Sometimes a brand-new OS can stick to the same compatibility as before, but clearly Apple sees this year as a time to move on, just a little bit.

iPadOS 17 features that have been confirmed

Now with the release date predictions out of the way, we thought we should share what we know about the new features of iPadOS 17. We also had a couple of things on our wishlist ahead of WWDC. However, Apple revealed all during their keynote for the latest edition of the iPad operating system. Something quick we can mention is the upgraded Stage Manager, allowing you to rearrange and resize windows more easily.

Some of these changes are similar to what you see in iOS 17, such as stickers. Uniformity seems to be the key to keeping both Apple phones and tablets on par which each other in terms of quality. Even though rumors suggested that Apple may be focusing many of their efforts this year to the Apple Vision Pro release, it seems like iPadOS 17 hasn’t gone unloved. Investigate more features below.

PDFs and Notes

There are many more changes coming to iPadOS 17, it looks to be a massive update. Upgrades include keyboard autocorrect, PDF support, and PDF live collaboration. The Notes app now also supports full width PDFs, perfect for annotations or sketches with your Apple Pencil. You can now annotate a PDF straight from the Notes app. One neat new feature is improved Enhanced Autofill which means you can save information, such as contact details, to input straight into a PDF document or other scanned document.

Safari

iPadOS 17 will also be receiving shared benefits such as upgrades to Safari with its new profiles and private browsing changes. New profiles means multiple users on the same device can now have different history, extensions, cookies, tabs, and favorites. This is also ideal if you want a separate profile for work and personal use. The private browsing changes include preventing tracking cookies and even locks your private windows while not in use.

Personalized Lock Screens

Personalized Lock Screens are coming to iPad as part of the revamped lock screen update. This means you’ll be able to customize your Lock Screen with a number of different wallpapers. Apple showed off a few designs already – everything from Astronomy to Emojis. One interesting design is the Kaleidoscope, which actually animates along with the rotation of your iPad.

Live Photos & Live Activities

Next up is an upgrade to Live Photos. The new motion effect means that the Lock Screen is more dynamic and transitions smoother to your Home Screen once unlocked. Live Activities is a great new feature which displays up to date information on your Lock Screen in real time. This means you can take a look at updates such as a food delivery, sports scores or without having to first unlock your iPad.

Widget upgrades

Widgets are seeing big changes in iPadOS 17, again linked to the Lock Screen. You can now add widgets to your lock screen to check details such as the weather or date/time with a quick glance. Widgets are also more interactive too – a simple tap can perform actions directly from the widget. Turning on some smart lights in your home for example.

Messages & Stickers

Messages are the next feature seeing a big upgrade, with all your iMessage apps and chats now in one place. You have quick access to commonly sent media such as photos, audio messages, or your location. Another neat change to messages is that you can jump back to the first message in a conversation you haven’t yet seen. Search filters have also been improved and audio messages are automatically transcribed, this transcription is perfect for those who need to quickly read a voice message. Stickers are now organized in your ‘sticker drawer’ beside emojis – including Live Stickers and Memojis too. Additionally, you can create your own stickers from images on your device.

FaceTime updated

FaceTime also has new changes – such as the voicemail-like (for both audio or video messages) option if someone misses your FaceTime call. Certain hand gestures will also generate augmented reality effects such as fireworks or balloons. Finally, you can start a call on your iPad and then hand off / cast the call to your Apple TV on tvOS.

Support for external display webcam

Even though the majority of users will be happy with their iPad camera, especially for FaceTime or video conferencing, iPadOS 17 now supports using the built-in camera on external displays. This way, you can use the webcam on another device if additional quality is needed or you similar want a different angle to work with while still having control of your iPad.

Health app

Finally, we can talk about the health app, which is now making its way to the iPad at last – as predicted by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. This means it’s now optimized for the larger iPad display. We also see the addition of new mental health and vision health features which also feature on the Apple Watch’s watchOS 10. You can log your emotions and moods, and even view your health records in a single place securely.

iPadOS 17 features we’d like to see

Previous rumors and features we’d like to see are also worth taking a look at, these could be interesting to think about moving forward towards the iPadOS 17 release date.

Native app upgrades

Perhaps some of the first improvements you’ll notice once you upgrade to iPadOS 17 will be changes to the ‘native apps’. These are your usual tools and widgets which come pre-installed on the device. Some of these apps which are predicted to be upgraded include the Calendar, Mail, and News.

It’s worth nothing that both iPadOS and iOS 16 included new voice options for a number of languages. So, it would be nice to see this addition extended to a greater number of languages in iPadOS 17.

Other than that, it’s hard to pick out any particular upgrade for Apple’s native apps. There always seems to be smaller quality-of-life upgrades across the board. However, you may be surprised to hear that the Weather app was only first released for iPads in iPadOS 16, so possibility for big additions is not unheard of.

Third-party apps

One big thing to mention is the possible inclusion of third-party app stores. The iconic Apple App store may be seeing an extension, reportedly due to new European Union rules Apple need to abide by. This is also the case for iOS 17 – big changes ahead, for Europe at the very least.

It’s no secret that Apple like to keep their app store clear of any third-party apps, but things may change once iPadOS 17 is here. A European Union ruling (the Digital Markets Act) means that Apple have to comply and allow third-party app stores on their platform.

Apple have to comply with the ruling by March 2024, so iPadOS 17 may lay down the groundwork at the very least. It will be interesting to see how this develops and how Apple reacts to the new rules. One important note though: since the ruling doesn’t actually require companies to comply until March 2024, it could mean another year before we actually see any major changes.

Multi-user support

The next feature we’ve been craving is the support for multiple users on the iPad. You may actually be surprised to learn that iPadOS currently only supports one user at a time. If Apple really want the iPad to be seen as an ideal replacement for a laptop, then multi-user support is a must. We already see this in Macs, Apple TVs, and even HomePods, so why not on your iPad?

An interesting side note is that this seemingly glaring oversight actually seems to be by design. iPads designed specifically for education and schools already do support multiple users / profiles. We hope to see Apple change their tune with this particular feature and bring it to all kinds of iPads with iPadOS 17.

iPadOS 17 Live Speech & Personal Voice

One feature confirmed to be coming to iPadOS 17 is ‘Live Speech’. The official Apple reveal confirmed this will be included on both iPhone and iPad. Live Speech acts as part of the text-to-speech feature. This can be used while chatting with others – typing out a message on your iPhone (or iPad in this case) will read the message out loud to the person you’re calling. This is a fantastic accessibility feature for those that have lost the use of their voice.

Personal Voice is another interesting feature coming to iPadOS 17. What this does is essentially turn you into an AI voice, so you can make use of these text-to-speech features with your own voice. Recording just 15 minutes of audio into your iPad (by reading randomized prompts) will pick up on your voice to recreate it using machine learning, securely and privately.

iPadOS 17 release date FAQs

Will my iPad support iPadOS 17?

We now have confirmation from Apple regarding which iPads support iPadOS 17, here’s the official list:

  • iPad Pro – second gen
  • iPad Air – third gen
  • iPad – sixth gen
  • iPad mini – fifth gen

You’ll need one of these models or newer to install iPadOS 17.

Is iPadOS 17 out yet?

The final, stable version of iPadOS 17 likely won’t be released to the public until Q3 2023. We’ve come up with a more specific release window prediction in the article above/within.

You can however access the beta version to test it out if you want. Following the second public beta, the fifth public beta was released on the 8th of August.

iPadOS 17 release date : Final word

So, that was everything we know so far regarding the iPadOS 17 release date. As soon as more rumors – or preferably facts – come to light, we’ll be here to report it. DO have a gander at our other Apple and tablet pages to make sure you’re fully up to date on the latest developments.


As a Junior Staff Writer, Jack is involved in writing and maintaining a bunch of hardware guides & reviews. With an interest in PC gaming, he now focuses on writing about monitors, headsets, and more.

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