How to check iPadOS 18 upgrade availability for iPad Pro M4

My understanding is that M4 iPads that had updated to iOS 17.7 first (the last update for iOS 17 generation) and THEN updated to iOS 18 experienced the undesirable result of not being able to turn on the iPad at all. Basically it turned the iPad into a brick resulting in loss of all data (unless it had been backed up to iCloud) and the need for Apple to replace the device. My understanding is if one had NOT first updated to 17.7 and THEN updated directly to iOS 18 you would have been OK. Apple of course pulled all ability for M4 pro iPads to update to iOS 18 until they figured out what caused the issue. It is surprising that a company as good as Apple would not have fully tested its update protocols for all possible scenarios before releasing iOS 18.

Same issue with me, in BB store on 9/21, purchased iPad Pro 14. Do I believe the kid didn’t know that the ios18 was pulled, he made no mention as a heads up, since I was already ios18 on my iPad back up on iCloud. So I left the store unable to restore and utilize my new device, and it’s now the 30th with no resolution. All focused on the sale not the customer’s experience, really weak BB.

You are addressing this issue as though users have been asking for the release date of a major update (eg the original release of iPad OS 18, which already happened and was PULLED because it caused potentially irreparable harm to some users’ iPad Pros).

That is NOT what anyone here is asking about. We want to have BETTER COMMUNICATION on releases that address this CRITICAL FIX. The scenario you describe is entirely appropriate for major release dates and point-feature releases, but again, that’s not the issue here. It’s not like people are asking for the release date of the next iPhone…. People with iPad Pros damaged by the original release and those stuck unable to restore a backup from a different iPad already updated to iPad OS 18 to their Pros running iPad OS 17 deserve some guidance.

You are pretending that Apple didn’t make a serious mistake, which could not be further from the truth. Doubling down that customers should be content to twist in the wind is insulting.

You couldn't be more right......Apple totally dropped the ball on this and chose sales over customer satisfaction and transparency. I my case i bought an m4 at best buy plunked down $1100 or so and expected my new purchase to be usable.. I ended up returning it and then went to the apple store after doing some online research and not one apple employee in that store knew about the glitch..... I purchased another m4 at the store and returned it immediately after finding out that 18 wasn't preloaded.... Since i had some big credits at Best buy i once again ordered an M4, this time on line not caring when it will arrive In my mind apples behavior is totally unacceptable

I don’t care if this iPad is on iOS 17 or 18.. the problem is, I can’t transfer my data to this new iPad M4 I just bought. My previous iPad was on iOS 18. Now it feels pointless buying this iPad M4 since I can’t even use it. Plus, I live in Indonesia where there’s no such thing as returning products :/

This hurts…I just bought the newest iPad to take advantage of the Educational savings, did the trade in and everything. Finally got around to setting up only to find out that my latest backup can’t even be accessed because of this iOS issue…Apple please fix this soon because my entire livelihood is on that back up and I don't want it to get deleted for something as trivial as this.

No, but I’m sorry, this opinion of yours is worse than not popular; it’s garbage. As a company that prides itself on their products just “working”, this is actually inexcusable to expect their average end user to know about these issues. Heck, their own staff don’t know about it! You might have the know how, but average Apple consumers who expect their products to “just work” with their existing ones, as advertised. Also, as for blaming us for not having backups, I had backups; however, all of them happen to be iPadOS18 ones and not 17.7 which the current M4 is stuck on. So much for automatic iCloud backups… who knew this would lead to something that ensures peace of mind ending up being problematic because of this OS debacle?! So no, don’t try to throw this all on the consumer. Apple failed royally on this iPadOS release, and now their customers are hooped (whether it be bricked devices, or with many of us on here, without the ability to restore their backups from a previous iPad).

Same situation here. My brand new M4 ipad pro is just sitting there waiting for an update... can't restore my backup from my old M1 pro. I feel really misled by all this and have already spent the (very significant) cash on the new device plus keyboard plus pen - none of which is usable now.

Come on Apple - release 18.0.1 (if that fixes this issue) A.S.A.P!

This is incredibly frustrating. I bought a replacement for my iPad Pro, I splurged and got the M4 with all the bells and whistles, and I can’t use it. It’s been here for a week now. I’d really like to know when this will be fixed so my new *very expensive* iPad will be usable.

SteffeB wrote:

Come on Apple - release 18.0.1 (if that fixes this issue) A.S.A.P!

Apple is not here.

Even though I do not have inside knowledge, I am sure that releasing a fix is a very high priority for Apple at the moment. However, first Apple needs to figure out exactly what is causing M4 iPad Pros to get "bricked" … then they need to fix it … then they need to run the fix through software quality assurance.

Rushing that could be counterproductive. The last thing they want to do is to release a new version that "fixes" the problem, only to discover that it, too, "bricks" customer iPads. Releasing a "fix" too soon and getting burnt twice could be worse for Apple and customers alike than waiting until they have confidence in a fix.

Recently, I made the switch from an 8th-generation iPad to the new iPad Pro M4, expecting a smooth transition. My 8th-gen iPad had already been upgraded to iOS 18, so naturally, I wanted the same experience on my M4. However, despite my attempts to update, the highest version available to me was iOS 17.7. While the device performs well enough on this version, I’m eager to access the enhanced features and functionality of iOS 18 that I had grown accustomed to on my previous device.

Determined to bridge the gap, I took matters into my own hands and reverted to an "old school" approach. I manually migrated all of my data, painstakingly reinstalling each app one by one. It made me wonder—have we lost the skill of manual migration in the era of automatic backups and transfers? Where’s the joy in nerding out, troubleshooting, and finding creative solutions?

As an engineer, my iPad is more than just a device—it’s a tool that I rely on for most of my day-to-day tasks, replacing what I would typically use a physical notepad for. For now, I’m content running my sleek, fast M4 on iOS 17.7, but I can’t help but anticipate the added capabilities that iOS 18 will hopefully bring soon. (BFG)

I know they're not here, and in principle I agree with you.

BUT I also think this is a major fail on Apples behalf. This should have been QA'd before release. It's almost as embarrassing as the fact that Apple Intelligence is not delivered for of the new product line in 18.0.

Unfortunately the only way of telling if the m4 is preloaded is to open one up and see... However in order to do that the apple store requires you to purchase the ipad... The employees have no idea and no way of knowing what operating system these iPads are loaded with.... I purchased 2, both had 17... returned them both and then ordered from best buy since i had discount coupons... When it gets here tomorrow it will sit until 18.1 is available

Well whatever the issue is, it’s obviously a serious one. I’m sure Apple too wouldn’t want this update to be delayed such a long time but it would’ve been nice if they were a little more transparent with the progress.

Just had a respectfully written post questioning Apple’s decision to not address posts describing how bricked Ipad M4s were not being replaced by Apple and their failure to provide any updates on the lack of IOS 18 for IPad M4s removed from the board. There was no name calling or false claims in the message I posted. What is this forum for, if not to pose legitimate questions?