Is Upgrading to iOS 18 Safe for All iPads? Understanding Potential Risks and Compatibility Issues Guide

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Did iOS 18 brick your M4 iPad Pro ? You’re not alone.

Some users attempting to take advantage of the new features offered by Apple’s latest iOS instead found themselves with unusable devices. After one Reddit user reported that their M4 iPad Pro wouldn’t turn on after installing iOS 18, several other users reported the same experience. Apple reportedly couldn’t repair these devices and offered the users a replacement.

Also: 6 AI features iPhone users can expect first on iOS 18

ARSTechnica , which first reported this issue, notes that this indicates a pretty serious bug as you can usually restore a device with recovery mode.

The bricked iPad report comes just a day after reports surfaced that the operating system update was tanking the battery life of certain iPhone models .

Apple hasn’t explained the reason behind the glitch. Some users have installed iOS 18 on their M4 just fine, while others are seeing their devices turn off while the new OS is installing – with no option to turn it back on or restore it in any way. Even with Apple Care, the users report, Apple said a replacement device could take up to a week to arrive.

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In response, Apple has removed the option to upgrade to iOS 18 from these devices.

Users can install the software on other Apple devices, including other iPad models, just not the premium M4. Speaking to MacRumors , an Apple representative said, “We have temporarily removed the ‌iPadOS 18‌ update for M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ models as we work to resolve an issue that is impacting a small number of devices.”

Also: Is iOS 18 tanking your iPhone battery? Here’s why, and what you can do

MacRumors suggested the problem might only affect users who installed the iOS 17.7 update prior to installing 18.

If you own an iPad M4 Pro, you’ll have to wait a little longer for iOS 18. Apple hasn’t offered any information about when it will be available to these users again.