Free app release planner

iOS Phased Release Calculator

A phased release is an App Store Connect option that rolls an iOS app update out to users with automatic updates turned on over seven days, instead of all at once. This calculator turns your eligible user base and start date into a day-by-day plan: the calendar date, the cumulative percentage, how many users are eligible in total, and how many become newly eligible each day, with an optional pause.

Independent planning tool, not affiliated with Apple. Based on Apple's phased release documentation (Apple documentation checked October 22, 2026).

Plan your rollout

Results update as you type. Everything runs in your browser.

Users on a supported device with automatic updates turned on. Leave out ineligible devices and users who update manually. Whole number, up to 1,000,000,000.

The calendar date the 1% phase begins. Dates stay exactly as entered in any time zone.

Optional pause

The rollout day that waits for the pause to end.

0 to 30. Apple allows up to 30 paused days in total.

This is a whole-day planning model. Apple's real release runs on its own clock, and after a pause it resumes at the phase where it stopped. The 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 50%, 100% schedule is fixed by Apple and cannot be edited.

Your 7-day rollout schedule

All 10,000 estimated eligible users can receive the automatic update by Wed, Oct 28, 2026, a rollout spanning 7 calendar days including day 1.

100% eligible on
Wed, Oct 28, 2026
Day 7, 7 calendar days including day 1
Eligible on day 1 (1%)
100
Starting Thu, Oct 22, 2026
Eligible by day 5 (20%)
2,000
On Mon, Oct 26, 2026
Pause
None
Rollout runs on consecutive days

Daily schedule

  1. Day 1 · 1% cumulativeThu, Oct 22, 2026

    Cumulative eligible
    100
    Newly eligible
    +100

  2. Day 2 · 2% cumulativeFri, Oct 23, 2026

    Cumulative eligible
    200
    Newly eligible
    +100

  3. Day 3 · 5% cumulativeSat, Oct 24, 2026

    Cumulative eligible
    500
    Newly eligible
    +300

  4. Day 4 · 10% cumulativeSun, Oct 25, 2026

    Cumulative eligible
    1,000
    Newly eligible
    +500

  5. Day 5 · 20% cumulativeMon, Oct 26, 2026

    Cumulative eligible
    2,000
    Newly eligible
    +1,000

  6. Day 6 · 50% cumulativeTue, Oct 27, 2026

    Cumulative eligible
    5,000
    Newly eligible
    +3,000

  7. Day 7 · 100% cumulativeWed, Oct 28, 2026

    Cumulative eligible
    10,000
    Newly eligible
    +5,000

Counts are estimated eligible users, not guaranteed installations. Cumulative counts are rounded half up, and newly eligible users are the difference between days, so they always add up to your base. Anyone can still update manually from the App Store at any time.

How the rollout math works

Apple's seven phases are 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 50%, 100%. These are cumulative: on day 3, 5% of eligible users in total can get the update, not 5% more on top of days 1 and 2.

Cumulative eligible users
round(eligible base x cumulative %)
Newly eligible users
today's cumulative - yesterday's cumulative

For 10,000 eligible users the cumulative counts are 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, and 10,000, so the newly eligible counts are 100, 100, 300, 500, 1,000, 3,000, and 5,000. Half of the base becomes eligible on day 7 alone.

Assumptions and limits

  • The base counts only users with automatic updates on and a device that can run the update. Leave out everyone else.
  • Counts are estimated eligible users, not guaranteed installations. Manual App Store downloads can bypass the phases at any time.
  • This is a whole-day planning model. A pause shifts the selected day and every later day by whole calendar days. Apple's real release resumes at the point where it was paused.
  • Apple caps pauses at 30 days in total. This calculator models one pause.

How to plan an iOS phased release

  1. 1Count users who have a supported device and automatic updates turned on, and enter that number as the eligible base.
  2. 2Pick the calendar date when day 1 (the 1% phase) begins.
  3. 3If you expect to pause, choose the rollout day the pause comes before and how many calendar days it lasts, up to 30.
  4. 4Read the date, cumulative percentage, cumulative eligible users, and newly eligible users for each day, then copy the summary or download the CSV.

iOS phased release FAQ

What percentages does an iOS phased release use?

Apple releases the update over seven days to 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 50%, and 100% of users with automatic updates turned on. Each percentage is the cumulative share eligible by that day, not an extra amount added that day.

Does a phased release stop people from downloading the update?

No. The phases only control automatic updates. Anyone can download the new version manually from the App Store at any time, so real adoption can run ahead of the schedule.

How long can I pause a phased release?

Apple allows pauses that add up to 30 days in total, across any number of pauses. When you resume, the release picks up on the day where it left off instead of starting over.

Can I release to everyone before day 7?

Yes. While the version is Ready for Distribution you can choose to release it to all users at any time, which ends the phased schedule early.

Why are the counts estimated eligible users and not installs?

The calculator shows how many people become eligible for the automatic update. Each device still has to download and install the update, so actual installs can lag behind eligibility.

Source: Release a version update in phases, App Store Connect Help (Apple documentation checked October 22, 2026).

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