If you don't want your iPhone or iPad to bug you about Apple's frequent software updates but want your software to stay up to date, there's an option on the iPhone or the iPad to enable automatic software updates. Apple first enabled this change in iOS 12.

ios12automaticupdates
With this feature turned on, when a new version of iOS is released, your iPhone or iPad will be updated automatically

  1. Open the Settings app,
  2. Choose "General."
  3. Select "Software Update." ios12softwareupdate
  4. Tap on "Automatic Updates."
  5. Toggle the option from off to on. automaticsoftwareupdates

Automatic updates are turned off by default, so the default behavior of software updates hasn't changed. Unless this is turned on, your iOS device will wait for you to manually tap the install button when an update is released, though it will continue to download new updates in the background.

To turn off automatic updates, follow the same steps, toggling the update from on to off.

Related Forum: iOS 12

Top Rated Comments

TMRJIJ Avatar
TMRJIJ
71 months ago
TLDR; Go to Software Update > Turn on Automatic Updates.

These tutorials are getting better..*facepalm*
Tutorial too confusing.... Got my phone stuck on the roof.....
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
-BigMac- Avatar
-BigMac-
71 months ago
TLDR; Go to Software Update > Turn on Automatic Updates.

These tutorials are getting better..*facepalm*
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
Kaibelf
71 months ago
I want to turn it OFF: when I'm at my parents on vacation, I don't have Internet. So I bring my access Point which includes a 3G card. Overnight, as soon as our devices (2 iPads + 2 iPhones) see the WiFi, they start downloading several GB's of updates - and I reach my data cap in less than a week.

gees thanks! How difficult is it to be able to turn off updates depending on network ?
Or, just turn it off when you are experiencing your incredibly narrow use case instead of over complicating it for everyone else?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alllexx Avatar
alllexx
71 months ago
I can’t agree more. All these ‘howto’s’ MR is posting seems to be an effort to simply add content, much of which is useless to anyone with half a brain.
I love them because my parents and some friends are really, really bad with technology so these articles break it down for them farther than I do.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bergert Avatar
bergert
71 months ago
I want to turn it OFF: when I'm at my parents on vacation, I don't have Internet. So I bring my access Point which includes a 3G card. Overnight, as soon as our devices (2 iPads + 2 iPhones) see the WiFi, they start downloading several GB's of updates - and I reach my data cap in less than a week.

gees thanks! How difficult is it to be able to turn off updates depending on network ?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
jclo
71 months ago
I can’t agree more. All these ‘howto’s’ MR is posting seems to be an effort to simply add content, much of which is useless to anyone with half a brain.
Oftentimes with simpler how tos like these, the point is to serve as a reminder that a feature exists in the first place rather than as a walkthrough on how to do it. This is the case with automatic software updates. You might not even realize it's a thing, just because there's so much else going on in the beta.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

apple card 1

Apple Ending Apple Card Partnership With Goldman Sachs

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:09 pm PST by
Apple is ending its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple plans to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months, and it is not yet clear if Apple has established a new partnership for the Apple Card. Apple and Goldman Sachs will dissolve their entire consumer partnership, including the Apple Card and the Apple Savings account....
Read Full Article • 438 comments
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.2 Beta 4

Tuesday November 28, 2023 12:18 pm PST by
Apple is wrapping up development on iOS 17.2, with the update expected to come out in December. While we're getting to the end of the beta testing period, Apple is still tweaking features and adding new functionality. We've rounded up everything new in the fourth beta of iOS 17.2. Default Notification Sound Under Sounds & Haptics, there's a new "Default Alerts" section that allows you to ...
Read Full Article • 39 comments
ios 17 namedrop

Police Departments and News Sites Spreading Misinformation About How iOS 17 NameDrop Feature Works

Monday November 27, 2023 5:11 pm PST by
Apple with iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 introduced a new NameDrop feature that is designed to allow users to place Apple devices near one another to quickly exchange contact information. Sharing contact information is done with explicit user permission, but some news organizations and police departments have been spreading misinformation about how NameDrop functions. As noted by The Washington...
Read Full Article • 140 comments
All New CarPlay Five New Features Article 2

What to Expect From All-New CarPlay, Still Listed as Coming 'Late 2023'

Tuesday November 28, 2023 7:44 am PST by
At WWDC in June 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, increased personalization, and more. Apple's website still says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in "late 2023," but it has not shared...
Read Full Article • 95 comments
iOS 17

iOS 17.1.2 Update for iPhone Likely to Be Released This Week

Monday November 27, 2023 8:24 am PST by
Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
Read Full Article • 55 comments
Apple 5G Modem Feature Triad

Apple to Discontinue Custom 5G Modem Development, Claim Reports

Wednesday November 29, 2023 4:19 am PST by
Apple is discontinuing in-house modem development after several unsuccessful attempts to perfect its own custom 5G modem chip, according to unconfirmed reports coming out of Asia. According to the operator of news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Naver blog, supply chain sources related to Apple's 5G modem departments claim that the company's attempts to develop its own modem have...
Read Full Article • 223 comments
Apple Logo

Apple Discontinued These 5 Products This Year

Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
Read Full Article
Google Drive

Some Google Drive Users' Files Have Mysteriously Vanished

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:55 am PST by
Google Drive users have been warned not to disconnect their account within the Google Drive for desktop app, after a spate of reports of files going missing from the cloud service. Alarm bells began ringing last week on Google's community support site when some users reported files mysteriously disappearing from Google Drive, with some posters claiming six or more months of data had...
Read Full Article • 91 comments