Apple suspends iOS 18 and macOS 15 development

Though it has been less than two months since the launch of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS 14, Apple has already initiated the development of their subsequent versions. The tech giant had long established an upgrade plan for its principal software platforms; however, the brisk pace of iteration has led to certain bugs and stability issues.

According to Bloomberg, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, has put a temporary halt to the development of iOS 18 and macOS 15, affording developers a much-needed respite to address the plethora of bugs that surfaced in the early stages of development. Apple’s primary objective is to rectify flaws that compromise performance or disrupt applications, thereby ensuring a stable experience for users from day one. Once these critical issues are resolved, the focus can shift back to integrating new features, which are poised to be the highlights of operating systems such as iOS 18 and macOS 15.

Rumors suggest that Apple’s top management encountered a staggering number of bugs in the internal testing of these operating systems, prompting a decision to pause development for a week. While a week may not seem extensive, for a corporation of Apple’s magnitude, it represents a significant juncture.

It’s rumored that Apple has completed the development of the M1 versions of iOS 18/iPadOS 18, codenamed Crystal, and macOS 15, codenamed Glow—milestones in the company’s software platform evolution. The aforementioned pause refers to the M2 versions of these operating systems. Through several updates to iOS 17, Apple has rectified numerous issues, and with the forthcoming iOS 18, there is an aspiration to reduce such errors and enhance the overall quality of the software.