Security Fixes Won't Require Full iOS Update in iOS 16, Will Be Installed Automatically - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Security Fixes Won't Require Full iOS Update in iOS 16, Will Be Installed Automatically

Apple in iOS 16 is introducing a new Rapid Security Response feature that's designed to make it easier and quicker for the company to deploy security improvements.

automatic security updates ios 16
Security updates will be able to be automatically applied between standard software updates, so implementing security fixes will not require a full new version of iOS.

It's also going to let Apple automatically install security updates on many devices without people even having to think about it. There is a new "Install System and Data Files" option in Settings > General > Software Update that lets users toggle on automatic security updates independent of iOS updates.

For those who prefer not to have security updates, such as jailbreakers, the toggle does make it possible to avoid all security updates when it is disabled. It's worth noting that the "Install System and Data Files" option is enabled by default when installing iOS 16, so you'll need to manually turn it off if you are not interested in using the feature.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iPhone Handoff Feature

iOS 27 Introduces New 'iPhone Handoff' Feature

Wednesday September 2, 2026 12:35 pm PDT by
Apple has added a new "iPhone Handoff" feature to iOS 27 that will allow you to switch between two iPhones while using the same phone number on each device. This functionality was briefly mentioned during the WWDC 2026 keynote in June, on a slide that listed hundreds of new features coming in iOS 27 and corresponding software updates, but Apple never shared any further details at the time. ...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week

Thursday September 3, 2026 3:41 am PDT by
Less than a week before Apple debuts new iPhone 18 Pro models, research firm TrendForce has estimated the prices of the devices based on the latest hardware cost environment. TrendForce's price estimates compared to last year's models look like this: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 17 Pro $1,099 iPhone 18 Pro $...
Apple Foldable Thumb

iPhone Ultra's Very High Price and Features Revealed in New Report

Thursday September 3, 2026 7:33 am PDT by
Ahead of Apple's event on Wednesday, September 9, where it is expected to unveil its first-ever foldable iPhone, Taiwanese research firm TrendForce today outlined the device's estimated price range, features, and some other key details. In the U.S., TrendForce estimated that the foldable iPhone will have a starting price of $2,099 to $2,299 and said the highest-end configurations could...

Top Rated Comments

55 months ago
This is huge! I can't believe it has take this long to get security fixes outside of full OS upgrades.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jakey rolling Avatar
55 months ago
Can't wait for Google to copy this ten years ago.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
8CoreWhore Avatar
55 months ago
Should've done this years ago.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gmanist1000 Avatar
55 months ago
Astonished it's taken them this long.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
55 months ago
That was a requested feature, and it got implemented. Nice job Apple!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roncron Avatar
55 months ago
Great move. I have friends and relatives that don’t update iOS very often and this have missed out on lots of security patches. Wish we had this feature years ago, but better late than never.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)