2021

The following Apple-related events occurred or were scheduled in 2021:
===January 2021===
*January 5: Monica Lozano joins the Apple Board of Directors. Lumen., NUTS - A Surveillance Mystery, and Spire Blast are announced for Apple Arcade.
*January 8: Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon is released through Apple Arcade.
*January 9: Parler is suspended from the Apple App Store after the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack.
*January 11: iOS 12.5.1 is released. Audion 4.0.1 is released by Panic for macOS.
*January 12: Adobe Flash Player plug-ins stop playing back content as the software is discontinued.
*January 20: 46th U.S. president Joe Biden is inaugurated.
*January 22: NUTS - A Surveillance Mystery and Spire Blast are released through Apple Arcade.
*January 25: Apple announces that senior VP of hardware engineering Dan Riccio will transition to an undisclosed project (AR/VR), and will be succeeded by John Ternus.
*January 26: iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 are released.
*January 28: Apple declares Data Privacy Day. CODA is screened at the Sundance Film Festival, where it would be acquired by Apple Original Films.
===February 2021===
*February 1: macOS 11.2 (Big Sur) is released.
*February 9: macOS 11.2.1 (Big Sur) is released.
*February 23: Apple's annual shareholders meeting is held online virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
*February 25: macOS 11.2.2 (Big Sur) is released. Target announces that it is opening Apple store-within-a-store experiences at 17 of their locations, with more opening in the fall.
*February 26: The Apple Fayette Mall retail store is closed permanently.
===March 2021===
*March 1: All Apple retail stores in the United States have re-opened as COVID-19 pandemic conditions improve. Among the retail stores, Apple Fritz Farm opens for the first time.
*March 8: macOS 11.2.3 (Big Sur) is released, along with iOS 14.4.1 and iPadOS 14.4.1.
*March 13: Apple discontinues production of the original HomePod and sales are limited to remaining inventory.
*March 16: Hitchhiker - A Mystery Game is announced for Apple Arcade.
*March 19: The iMac Pro is discontinued.
*March 26: iOS 12.5.2 is released. Hitchhiker - A Mystery Game is released as a mobile exclusive through Apple Arcade.
===April 2021===
*April 1: The Pippin Classic is "announced".
*April 2: Apple Arcade is drastically expanded to over 180 games, including Badland+, Chameleon Run+, Fruit Ninja Classic+, Monument Valley+, NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition, Reigns+, Sudoku and Solitaire by MobilityWare+, The Oregon Trail, Star Trek: Legends, and Threes!+.
*April 3: All Apple retail stores in France have re-closed as COVID-19 lockdowns are reinstated due resurgences of cases.
*April 20: During Apple's first online event of the year, AirTags, an updated Apple TV 4K, new Apple M1-based iMacs, and new M1-based iPad Pros were announced. The 4th-generation iPad Pro is discontinued.
*April 23: The first video is uploaded to the new YouTube website.
*April 26: macOS 11.3 (Big Sur) is released, along with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, tvOS 14.5, and watchOS 7.4. Developers are required to begin providing app tracking transparency information as part of Apple's new privacy initiative.
*April 30: Pre-orders begin for the 2nd-generation Apple TV 4K, 5th-generation iPad Pro, and Apple M1-based iMacs. AirTags begin shipping.
===May 2021===
*May 3: iOS 12.5.3 and macOS 11.3.1 (Big Sur) are released.
*May 10: Art Gensler, architect of the first 100 Apple retail stores, passes away.
*May 18: Apple Music announces spatial audio with support for Dolby Atmos.
*May 21: The 2nd-generation Apple TV 4K, 5th-generation iPad Pro, and Apple M1-based iMacs begin shipping.
*May 24: macOS 11.4 (Big Sur) is released, along with iOS 14.6 and iPadOS 14.6.
===June 2021===
*June 1: The winners of the 2021 Swift Student Challenge are announced.
*June 7-11: The 2021 Worldwide Developers Conference is held in an online-only format. New announcements included iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS 12 "Monterey", tvOS 15, and watchOS 8.
*June 11: Legends of Kingdom Rush is released an exclusive through Apple Arcade.
*June 14: iOS 12.5.4 is released.
*June 24: Apple Tower Theatre in Los Angeles, California is the 513th Apple retail store to be opened. Retro Goal is released for iOS through the Apple App Store.
===July 2021===
*July 1: O2 begins shutting down its 3G network in Germany
*July 9: Ultimate Rivals: The Court is released as an exclusive through Apple Arcade.
*July 13: The MagSafe Battery Pack is released by Apple for wireless MagSafe devices.
*July 16: Alto's Odyssey: The Lost City and Angry Birds Reloaded are released through Apple Arcade.
*July 19: iOS 14.7 and tvOS 14.7 are released.
*July 21: iPadOS 14.7 and macOS 11.5 (Big Sur) are released.
*July 23: Jetpack Joyride+ is released through Apple Arcade.
*July 26: iOS 14.7.1, iPadOS 14.7.1, and macOS 11.5.1 (Big Sur) are released.
*July 31: LG exits the "incredibly competitive" mobile phone business.
===August 2021===
*August 3: The Radeon Pro W6800X, W6800X Duo, and W6900X MPX Modules are released for the 3rd-generation Mac Pro.
*August 6: Super Stickman Golf 3+ is released through Apple Arcade.
*August 11: macOS 11.5.2 (Big Sur) is released.
*August 13: CODA is released theatrically and through Apple TV+.
*August 20: Tetris Beat is released as an exclusive through Apple Arcade.
*August 25: U.S. president Joe Biden meets with the CEOs of Apple (Tim Cook) and Microsoft to discuss how to improve cybersecurity.
*August 31: Assetto Corsa Mobile is released for iOS through the Apple App Store.
===September 2021===
*September 1: The Apple Changsha retail store in China is previewed, ahead of its grand opening on September 4th.
*September 3: MasterChef: Let's Cook is released as an exclusive through Apple Arcade. Apple announces the postponement of the implementation of NeuralHash in its software and services, designed to detect the presence of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
*September 4: The Apple Changsha retail store is opened in Hunan, China. 
*September 13: macOS 11.6 (Big Sur) is released, along with iOS 14.8 and iPadOS 14.8. MyNBA 2K22 is released through the Apple App Store.
*September 14: Apple holds an online event, titled "California streaming", during which the 9th-generation iPad, 6th-generation iPad mini, iPhone 13 series with Apple A15 chip, and Apple Watch Series 7 are announced. The Apple Watch Series 6, 8th-generation iPad, 5th-generation iPad mini, iPhone XR, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max are discontinued.
*September 17: Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is released as an exclusive through Apple Arcade. The 6th-generation iPad mini and the iPhone 13 series become available for pre-order.
*September 20: iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8 are released to the public. A London Underground station is opened at Battersea Power Station, the future site of Apple's UK headquarters.
*September 23: iOS 12.5.5 is released.
*September 24: Apple The Mall at Bay Plaza in the Bronx borough of New York City is the 514th Apple retail store to be opened. The 9th-generation iPad, 6th-generation iPad mini, and iPhone 13 series are released. LEGO Star Wars Battles is released as an exclusive through Apple Arcade. Gin Rummy Classic• is released for iOS and iPadOS through the Apple App Store. Foundation debuts on Apple TV+.
===October 2021===
*October 1: Thumper: Pocket Edition+ is released through Apple Arcade.
*October 4: Android 12 "Snow Cone" is released. Facebook and its subsidiaries Instagram and WhatsApp are taken offline by an outage.
*October 5: Windows 11 and Microsoft Office 2021 for Mac are released.
*October 8: The Apple Watch Series 7 becomes available for pre-order.
*October 15: The Apple Watch Series 7 is released along with the Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable. Debi Coleman, former CFO of Apple Computer, passes away.
*October 18: Apple streams an online event, titled "Unleashed." New announcements included an Apple Music Voice Plan, additional HomePod mini colors, 3rd-generation AirPods with spatial audio support, and new MacBook Pro models with MagSafe 3 and choice of Apple M1 Pro or M1 Max chips. The Polishing Cloth for the Pro Display XDR is released as a separate product for other supported devices.
*October 19: NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition is released as an exclusive through Apple Arcade.
*October 20: Truth Social is announced as a new social media platform backed by former U.S. president Donald Trump.
*October 22: Apple Bağdat Caddesi in Türkiye is the 515th Apple retail store to be opened.
*October 25: macOS Monterey is publicly released with version 12.0.1, along with updates to iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, tvOS 15.1, and macOS 11.6.1 (Big Sur).
*October 26: The 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros and 3rd-generation AirPods are released. iOS 14.8.1 and iPadOS 14.8.1 are also released.
*October 31: "Sorbet Leopard", an unofficial build of Mac OS X 10.5.9 for legacy PowerPC Macs, is released.
===November 2021===
*November 1: New HomePod mini colors are released in blue, orange, and yellow. The 4th-generation iPad and late 2012 Mac mini are declared obsolete and no longer eligible for service from Apple, whether paid or through AppleCare.
*November 5: Transformers: Tactical Arena is released as a mobile exclusive through Apple Arcade.
*November 9: Alex Gorsky is elected to the Apple Board of Directors. Football Manager 2022 Mobile is released for iOS through the Apple App Store.
*November 10: Apple Business Essentials is soft launched for beta testers.
*November 11: "Sorbet Leopard" (Mac OS X 10.5.9) revision 1.4 is unofficially released.
*November 12: Galaga Wars+ and Kingdom Rush Frontiers TD+ are released through Apple Arcade.
*November 16: Refurbishment of Battersea Power Station in London, originally scheduled to be completed by the end of the year to become Apple's new UK headquarters, is delayed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
*November 17: Apple announces that it would start a service to provide parts, tools, and repair manuals of new devices directly to consumers.
*November 19: LEGO Star Wars: Castaways is released as an exclusive through Apple Arcade.
===December 2021===
*December 2: The Apple Rosenthaler Straße retail store is opened in Berlin, Germany.
*December 3: Dandara: Trials of Fear+ and Oddmar+ are released through Apple Arcade.
*December 10: Splitter Critters+ is released through Apple Arcade.
*December 13: macOS 11.6.2 (Big Sur) and 12.1 (Monterey) are released. tvOS 15.2 and watchOS 8.3 are also released.
*December 16: Apple Inc. postpones return to work plans due to the new Omicron variant of COVID-19. Nekograms is released for iOS through the Apple App Store.
*December 17: Disney Melee Mania is released as an exclusive through Apple Arcade.
*December 28-29: The Worldwide Newton Conference Online 2021 is held.
==See also==
*Apple Special Events in 2021
==External links==
*Newsroom Archive - 2021 at Apple