How to Enable (or Disable) Automatic Updates on Your iPhone or iPad

The Apple iOS 12 operating system will automatically update the operating system for iPhone and iPad. The App Store can also automatically update your installed apps. Here’s how to enable these updates, or disable them if you want to update manually.

For example, you can turn off automatic updating of the operating system and applications to save data.

Operating system updates

To turn automatic operating system updates on or off, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

Here you will see if automatic updates are enabled. If you don’t see this option, you haven’t installed iOS 12 yet.

To turn updates on or off, click Automatic Updates and set the slider to On or Off.

Updates will not be installed immediately when they are available. They will be installed at night when you’re plugged into an electrical outlet, so they won’t interrupt you while you’re using your iPhone or iPad.

Even if automatic OS updates are disabled, you can go to Settings > General > Software Update to install any available update.

Application updates

To enable or disable automatic app updates, go to Settings > iTunes & App Store. Set Updates under Automatic Downloads to On Or «Off».

App updates will not be installed as soon as they are available. Your iPhone or iPad will install updates when it’s connected to a power source and not in use, like when you charge it overnight.

Even if automatic app updates are disabled, you can open the App Store app, tap Updates in the bar at the bottom of the screen, and install all available app updates from here.