iOS 13 Release Dates: Final Version, Beta, Public Beta

Many iPhone and iPad users are excited about the upcoming features in iOS 13 and iPadOS (the rebranded iOS for iPad). Of course if you have a developer account, then iOS 13 beta and iPadOS beta are available to you right now, but that’s certainly not everyone. If you’re wondering what the release dates are for iOS 13 final and iPadOS final, along with the expected release dates of the iOS 13 public beta and iPadOS public beta, you’re certainly not alone.

What is the iPadOS 13 and iOS 13 release date for final versions?

iOS 13 for iPhone is available to download now!

Apple has announced that iOS 13 will be released on September 19. The software will be available for all users with devices compatible with iOS 13 and iPadOS 13.

Apple also announced that iPadOS 13 will be released on September 24, revised quicker than the September 30 release date they originally planned.

Previously, Apple had stated that iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 will be released this fall, this information is presented on their preview webpages:

For iOS 13, Apple has said the iOS 13 release date will be “fall”:

For iPadOS 13, Apple has said the final release date of iPadOS will be “fall” as well:

Thus, there was no precise date known for exactly when the final public versions will be released to everyone.

Fall of 2019 starts on September 23, which is the date of the fall equinox. Therefore it’s very unlikely the final releases of iOS 13 and iPadOS would come out before then, and instead it would almost certainly be released after if the ‘fall’ timeline is to be met.

Historically, the new system software releases often arrive along with the launch of new iPhone hardware in the fall, which usually occurs in late September or early October. Thus it’s reasonable to speculate that the final public release date of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 is roughly around that general timeframe.

iOS 13 & iPadOS Developer Beta Releases are Available Now

The Developer Beta of iOS 13 and iPadOS was released on June 3 at WWDC 2019.

These can be downloaded now by registered developers, and technically speaking can be installed right now by anyone with the appropriate prerequisites (Xcode 11 beta, or macOS Catalina Beta), but it’s not a good idea to do so if you’re not a developer because early beta system software is often problematic, buggy, unstable, and not supported by apps you use.

Additionally, anyone who is willing to pay the annual $99 Apple Developer fee can access and download the developer releases and install iOS 13 beta and iPadOS beta right now from the Apple Developer website.

Likewise, anyone can access the MacOS Catalina dev beta through the Apple Developer program.

Developer beta builds are much less stable than final releases, or even public beta releases, and thus why they are intended only for developers.

iOS 13 Public Beta & iPadOS Public Beta Are Available Now

According to Apple, the Public Beta for iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 was set to be released in July of 2019. However, Apple ended up releasing the public beta earlier than that on July 24.

Anyone can download iOS 13 public beta and iPadOS 13 public beta if desired, though beta system software is typically buggier than final versions and is not recommended for most users.

In prior years, Apple released the public beta of system software often just three to four weeks after the initial developer betas.

The exact release date of the public beta for iOS 13 and iPadOS was June 24. Interested users can sign up on the Apple Public Beta website to sign-up for the beta program.

Once enrolled, anyone can install iPadOS 13 public beta on iPad or install iOS 13 public beta on iPhone as long as the device is compatible with iOS 13 / iPadOS 13.

On the Apple Public Beta program website, the splash banner simply says “Coming Soon”, but at the WWDC 2019 conference they gave a more specific timeline saying the public betas would start in July.

Anyone can enroll in the public beta testing programs and they are free of charge, but generally speaking they are best reserved for advanced users who can install the beta releases onto non-primary hardware (like an older iPhone or iPad).

The MacOS Catalina 10.15 public beta is following the same time frame.

Apple has also said that MacOS Catalina (10.15) will also be released in the fall of 2019, which will likely fall on the same date of the iOS 13 release and iPadOS 13 release.

No matter which release of iOS 13 and iPadOS you plan on running, you might want to review a list of iOS 13 compatible iPhones and iPadOS compatible iPads to be sure your devices are eligible.