Sources & editorial policy

Sources are evaluated in roughly this order, with the context and date of publication considered in every case:

1. 1. Official release records

   Apple’s public release listings, release notes, security release pages, support documentation, and dated announcements.

2. 2. Contemporaneous independent reporting

   Reputable publications that documented a release when it occurred, especially when an older official page is no longer available.

3. 3. Archived and community records

   Archived pages, long-running community timelines, and other secondary references used to corroborate or reconstruct incomplete historical entries.

• Apple Developer Releases for dated beta, RC, and public release listings.
• Apple security releases for public operating-system availability dates and related release documentation.
• Platform-specific Apple Developer and Apple Support release notes linked from individual records when available.

A link identifies where a claim can be checked; it does not imply that Apple endorses this project.

• A date represents the calendar day on which the referenced release was reported as available. Exact rollout times are not stored.
• Because releases happen globally, a source in another time zone may show an adjacent calendar date. The clearest primary record is preferred, and a note can preserve meaningful ambiguity.
• Milestone labels follow the source where practical—such as Beta, Public Beta, Release Candidate, or Public Release.
• Revised builds, reissued candidates, and unusual releases may be noted separately instead of being collapsed into a normal beta.
• An omitted milestone means the record is not yet documented; it does not prove that the milestone never existed.

When credible sources disagree, the editor checks whether they are describing different programs, audiences, build revisions, time zones, or rollout stages. A primary, contemporaneous source usually controls. If the conflict cannot be resolved confidently, the entry may retain a note or remain incomplete.

Forecast calculations use the recorded dataset as it exists. A missing or misclassified historical milestone can affect an estimate, which is one reason forecast results include limitations and should not be treated as official schedules.

1. Submit a correction through the contact page with the platform, version, milestone, current value, proposed value, and supporting link.
2. The proposed change is compared with primary sources and, when needed, independent contemporaneous records.
3. A supported correction is made in the editorial dataset. Public pages refresh after the updated content is published.
4. If the evidence is inconclusive, the record may stay unchanged or receive a note until better evidence is available.

There is no guaranteed response or correction timetable, but specific reports with source links are much easier to verify.

Advertisers, sponsors, analytics providers, and hosting vendors do not receive editorial control over dates, labels, correction decisions, or forecasts. Paid placements, if introduced, will be visually distinguishable from reference content.

Beta Cadence is independent and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or operated by Apple Inc.