Turn Off Automatic Updates on iPhone

Turn Off Automatic Updates on iPhone.

Phones are set to automatically install software and app updates, although some iOS updates need to be installed manually. Convenient to keep your iPhone and apps up to date. However, there are times when running these updates manually is more beneficial.

We’ll walk you through some of the benefits of manually installing iOS and app updates. You will also learn how to turn off automatic updates on iPhone.

Why You Should Turn Off Automatic Updates

The earliest or first version of iOS updates is often unstable and full of bugs. Therefore, I prefer to update my iPhone after about two â€œpoint releasesâ€ after the first major update.

A “spot release” describes minor and incremental updates to a major or existing software update. Spot releases are often delivered with bug fixes, security updates, and problem fixes in the main update.

For context, iOS 14 had 16 versions: iOS 14 was a major update, and the rest were dotted.

Turning off automatic updates also provides data savings benefits, especially if your internet plan is limited or limited. IOS updates sometimes take up gigabytes of data. You will reach your data usage limit faster than usual if your iPhone installs new updates without your permission.

Sometimes there is nothing serious about it. You may just want to turn off automatic updates because you are not ready to upgrade to a new operating system. Or perhaps you prefer the older version of iOS to the latest iteration.

How To Turn Off Automatic Updates on iPhone

Turning off automatic iOS updates puts you in the driver’s seat. You get complete autonomy as to which iOS versions / updates are installed on your iPhone and when they are installed.

Open the Settings app and select General. Click Software Update. Select “Automatic Updates”.

iOS automatically downloads new software updates by default when your iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network. It also automatically installs an update overnight if your iPhone is charging and connected to Wi-Fi. Disable the “Install iOS Updates” option to prevent iPhone from updating automatically.

Disable Download iOS Updates to disable automatic iOS updates. This will also disable the “Install iOS Updates” option.

Your iPhone will no longer download and install iOS updates without your permission, even if you’re connected to Wi-Fi.

Disable automatic updates in iOS 14

The steps and on-screen instructions for turning off automatic updates in iOS 14 are slightly different from iOS 15 and other versions of iOS.

Go to Settings> General> Software Update> Set Up Automatic Updates (or Automatic Updates) and turn off the Download iOS Updates and Install iOS Updates options.

How To Manually Install Software Updates on iPhone

To check for iOS updates, go to Settings> General and Software Update. Wait for iOS to display the latest software available for your iPhone and select Download and Install to install the update.

Make sure your iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network. Otherwise, the Download and Install button will be inactive. The message â€œYour software has been updatedâ€ will appear on the screen if your iPhone has the latest version of iOS.

Turn Off Automatic App Updates on iPhone

iPhone downloads and installs iOS updates only over a Wi-Fi connection. This is not the case with application updates. The iOS App Store allows you to install new versions of your iPhone app over cellular and Wi-Fi.

Many developers recommend installing app updates. But that’s not what we recommend if your cellular / data plan is limited and you have a lot of apps installed on your iPhone.

Also, not all app updates are stable and hassle-free. Before updating the application on your device, it is recommended to make sure that the new version of the application is free of errors and problems. You don’t want to dwell on one problematic app as it is not easy to rollback an app to a previous version or install an older version in iOS.

We highly recommend turning off automatic app updates and manually updating apps after making sure they are working properly.

Open Settings, select App Store, and disable Apps and App Updates under Automatic Downloads. Then go to the Cellular Data section and turn off automatic downloads.

How To Check for App Updates on iPhone

Now that you’ve turned off automatic app updates, here’s how to manually check for updates on iOS.

Open the App Store and select the profile icon in the upper right corner. Scroll down to the Available Updates section and click the Update button next to the application you want to update. Better yet, select Update All to install all available app updates.

Enable Low Power Mode

Activating Low Power Mode is a clever way to (temporarily) pause automatic iOS and app updates. IOS Low Power Mode is designed to reduce battery drain on iPhone apps and processes. When you enable Low Power Mode, iOS temporarily disables automatic downloads and other power-hungry processes running in the background.

To activate Low Power Mode, go to Settings> Battery and turn on Low Power Mode.

A faster alternative is to open the iPhone Control Center and tap the battery icon. The battery icon changes to amber and the Control Center displays a Low Power Mode: Enabled warning.

If you can’t find the battery icon, customize iPhone Control Center to turn on power saving mode. In iOS 15, go to Settings> Control Center and tap the green plus icon next to Power Saving Mode. This will add a power saving mode shortcut to the Control Center.

For iPhones running iOS 14 or earlier, go to Settings> Control Center> Customize Control Center and select Power Saving Mode.

When Low Power Mode is enabled, Auto Boot options are immediately disabled and grayed out in the Settings menu. You should see the message “Automatic downloads are not available in low power mode” under the options.

Note. IOS will automatically turn off Low Power Mode when your iPhone is charged above 80%. If this happens, you will need to turn on Low Power Mode again. Otherwise, automatic downloads and updates will resume in the background.

Update Your iPhone (and Apps) Manually

Downloading updates at your convenience helps you reduce data consumption, extend battery life, and make sure you install stable and error-free software on your iPhone. Again, make sure you do a comprehensive check before manually installing any update. Read user reviews and feedback from Apple Support Communities, check App Store ratings, and read reviews on other trusted tech forums or websites.