With the completion of WWDC 25, all eyes have turned to Apple’s traditional fall software updates. The timing of these updates, which follow the iPhone event held every September, has become familiar to many users.

However, an interactive graphic prepared by a Reddit user visually demonstrates this process by year, clearly showing some notable changes. The timeline prepared on the Datawrapper platform summarizes when iOS, iPadOS, and macOS were released since 2013 with colored dots.

While the blue dots represent Apple events in early September, the red dots show that iOS and iPadOS updates came on average a week after these events. The orange dots represent macOS versions, which are usually released later than these two.

One of the most striking details in the graphic is that macOS updates were delayed until late October and even November between 2019 and 2022. However, Apple has managed to close this gap in the last two years. In 2023, macOS and iOS and iPadOS were released on the same day for the first time.

What to expect in 2025?

If Apple sticks to its previous model, iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 are expected to be released in mid- to late September. These dates will come right after the fall event where the iPhone 17 series was introduced.

macOS 26 Tahoe remains uncertain. Last year’s joint release may be an exception; the chart generally shows that macOS moves on a separate timeline. This year’s system-wide Liquid Glass UI update could create a more synchronized release schedule across platforms.

However, Apple’s recent involvement with more complex AI features, cross-device integrations, and optimizations for different hardware categories could disrupt the process again. Another thing to keep in mind is that iOS updates are directly tied to the iPhone launch.

The supply chain tensions that have escalated from time to time between the US and China could affect this release schedule. Although tensions seem to have eased in recent days, it is always necessary to be open to surprises considering what has happened in the past.

All of these factors suggest that Apple’s fall 2025 software calendar may not be a perfect copy of the past, even if it carries traces from the past. Still, the chart we have here provides a strong reference for what to expect in this process.