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

Apple Announces Special Event in New York Feature 1

Apple Reportedly Plans to Unveil at Least Five New Products Next Week

Sunday February 22, 2026 9:48 am PST by
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple will have a three-day stretch of product announcements from Monday, March 2 through Wednesday, March 4. In total, he expects Apple to introduce "at least five products." Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. A week ago, Apple invited selected journalists and content creators to an "Apple Experience" in...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3.1 Update for iPhones Coming Soon as 'Apple Experience' Nears

Sunday February 22, 2026 5:29 pm PST by
Apple's software engineers are testing iOS 26.3.1, according to the MacRumors visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.3.1 should be a minor update that fixes bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, and it will likely be released within the next two weeks. Last month, Apple released iOS 26.2.1 with bug fixes and support for the second-generation...
tim cook data privacy day

Tim Cook Warned by CIA That China Could Move on Taiwan by 2027

Tuesday February 24, 2026 4:03 am PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook was among a handful of top tech executives who attended a classified CIA briefing warning that China could attack Taiwan by 2027, according to a sweeping investigative report by The New York Times ($). The previously unreported briefing was apparently held in a secure room in Silicon Valley in July 2023. The meeting is said to have been arranged at the request of the...

Top Rated Comments

49 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
49 months ago
Can't wait for Google to copy this ten years ago.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
8CoreWhore Avatar
49 months ago
Should've done this years ago.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gmanist1000 Avatar
49 months ago
Astonished it's taken them this long.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
49 months ago
That was a requested feature, and it got implemented. Nice job Apple!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roncron Avatar
49 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)