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Release record

iPadOS 18.6

Full article
Public release
Recorded milestones
6
Beta cycle
43d
Average interval
9d
Public release
Jul 29, 2025

Release notes

Overview

Editorial synthesis with inline references and a source ledger when citations are available.

iPadOS 18.6 was primarily a maintenance release. Apple itemized a Photos fix for memory movies that could not be shared and published a separate security bulletin covering privacy, accessibility, media, networking, and other components.[1][2]

The developer notes also documented a HealthKit known issue on devices without a passcode at the slide-to-power-off screen. This record treats that item as an outstanding limitation rather than a resolved change.[3]

Source ledger

References

Sources are linked to the claims they support. Publication and access dates are shown when available.

  1. About the Security Content of iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6

    Apple Support · 2026-07-29 · iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 security content

    Back to text ↑
  2. About iPadOS 18 Updates

    Apple Support · 2026-07-29 · iPadOS 18.6

    Back to text ↑
  3. iOS & iPadOS 18.6 Release Notes

    Apple Developer · 2026-07-29 · HealthKit — Known Issues

    Back to text ↑
  4. About the Security Content of iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6

    Apple Support · 2026-07-29 · Released July 29, 2025

  5. iOS & iPadOS 18.6 Release Notes

    Apple Developer · 2026-07-29

Documented & observed

Changes in this version

Source-linked features, fixes, known issues, removals, and community-observed behavior recorded across this version’s appearances and verified builds.

Release changes

Changed in this release

Features, fixes, removals, and regressions first observed in this release record.

knownIssue · knownIssue

HealthKit data access at power-off screen

documentedconfirmed

Apple’s developer notes warned that HealthKit data could become inaccessible at the slide-to-power-off screen on a device with no passcode, with adding a passcode or restarting listed as workarounds.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] iOS & iPadOS 18.6 Release Notes · HealthKit — Known Issues

bugFix · fixed

Photos memory-movie sharing fix

documentedconfirmed

Apple corrected an issue that could prevent a memory movie created in Photos from being shared.

Recorded at Public

  1. [1] About iPadOS 18 Updates · iPadOS 18.6 — Photos

Milestones

Release history

Every recorded channel appearance in chronological order. Open an appearance for any available build, scope, notes, and sources.

  2. +14 days
  3. +14 days

    Developer beta

    Beta 3

    Timeline onlyLegacy record

    Developer beta; build 22G5073b

    Availability
    available
    Sources
    Awaiting claim-level sources
    Open this appearance
  4. +1 day
  5. +6 days
  6. +8 days

    Public release

    Public

    Source-linked recordEditorially verified

    The public iPadOS 18.6 release fixed Photos sharing, addressed accessibility privacy weaknesses, and retained a developer-documented HealthKit known issue.

    Availability
    available
    Sources
    7 linked
    Open this appearance

Historical context

Cycle comparison

Pace, intervals, and duration compared with earlier releases on the same platform.

Historical avg for .6 releases

52 days, 6.5 milestones

Based on 6 previous iPadOS .6 releases

Cycle vs. platform average

43d (avg: 50d)

7 days shorter than the iPadOS average

Longest gap in this cycle

14 days

Between Beta 1 and Beta 2

Previous .6 releases (iPadOS)

Previous comparable iPadOS releases
VersionYearCycleMilestonesAvg. Interval
iPadOS 26.6202662d710d
iPadOS 17.6202442d68d
iPadOS 16.6202366d711d
iPadOS 15.6202263d89d
iPadOS 14.6202132d66d
iPadOS 13.6202044d511d

Scroll horizontally to compare every historical field.

Official release notes