The automatic update feature keeps your iPhone or iPad up to date with the latest software updates. This helps keep your device secure and provides the best user experience.
However, it may not be the best option for you in some cases. For instance, it can cause app incompatibility issues or drain your data usage.
1. Go to Settings
Whether you’re a seasoned iPhone veteran or new to the iOS ecosystem, there are a few settings you can change on your device that can make it work better for you. Maybe you want to conserve battery life or you’re trying to save a little bit of money on cellular data each month.
While automatic app and OS updates are a great way to stay up-to-date, they can be a drain on cellular data. If you’re on a limited data plan or are running out of bandwidth, this can be a problem, especially if you’re using your iPhone in a remote location without Wi-Fi.
One way to avoid this is by turning off auto updates on your iOS device. You can do this in a few simple steps.
First, you’ll need to go to Settings on your iPhone. To get there, swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal a search field and type “settings” in it. This will bring up a menu with a few options, including “General.”
Next, scroll down to Software Updates and tap it. You’ll see a toggle for “Download iOS Updates” and “Install iOS Updates.”
The green switch is set to ON by default, so you can turn off the toggle to disable auto downloads of apps and software updates. This will prevent your iPhone from downloading major updates over cellular when you’re not on a Wi-Fi network or if your home Wi-Fi is slow, since these updates can be quite large in size.
You can also opt to automatically install updates from the App Store only when you’re connected to Wi-Fi, if you have the appropriate data plan. This will limit your cellular data usage to just those apps that you regularly update and keep them up-to-date with the latest bug fixes and features.
You can also set up a schedule that will automatically update your apps when it’s time to do so. This can be handy if you have a lot of different apps or are using your iPhone for work and need to keep them updated at all times. But it’s not something that we recommend doing on a regular basis, as it could result in unwanted data usage.
2. Scroll down to General
One of the many reasons why you should take your iPhone with you on a plane is its ability to make the most of your limited data allowance. Apple limits automatic updates for large apps and games to a max download size of 200MB, but that still leaves a lot of bandwidth available for the rest of your e-mails, texts and social media rants and raves. The big question is whether or not you’ll make use of it all, and if so, how. Luckily, the answer is a simple yes and no – a bit of tinkering with your iOS device’s settings. With a little know how and a lot of patience you’ll be able to make your data go further – literally. We’ll be discussing how to do just that in our next post.
3. Go to Software Updates
The software update feature on iPhones is meant to keep them up-to-date with the latest versions of iOS and the App Store. It also helps fix bugs and improve the experience of using them. However, sometimes the auto updates can cause issues or use up your mobile data, so you may want to turn it off if you’re concerned about that.
You can turn off auto updates by going to Settings on your iPhone and scrolling down to General. If you’re running iOS 12 or higher, you’ll see a button that says “Automatic Updates” on this screen. Tap it to disable the feature, and you’ll have to manually download the update when needed.
Apple limits how many apps can be updated automatically while you’re on cellular data, so disabling this can help you save money. However, if you have several apps that are over 200MB in size, the update will still download even when you’re on a mobile data plan, so you might end up with too much data used up on the phone.
On the other hand, you can always update your apps manually by opening the App Store on your iPhone and tapping “Updates.” Then you can choose which ones to install and which ones not to.
If you do this, be sure to back up your device first before enabling this feature. This way, if something goes wrong with the update and you need to revert it, you’ll have backups of your device.
To turn off automatic updates for all apps, tap the toggle next to App Updates and move the slider to the off/white position. You can also disable this feature for specific apps that are large or that you rarely use.
It’s also worth noting that you can still download an update if you’re connected to Wi-Fi. However, this requires your Wi-Fi connection to be strong enough to download it.
4. Turn off the toggle for App Updates
App updates help you keep your iPhone or iPad updated with the latest software, but they can also cause unforeseen issues. That’s why it’s always a good idea to verify that any new apps you download are stable and bug-free before you update them. Check out the Apple Support Communities, read reviews from other users, and make sure you’re downloading only the best apps.
Fortunately, you can stop iOS from automatically downloading all of your apps’ updates, regardless of whether they’re major or point releases. This helps to keep your iPhone or iPad running at its peak performance and avoid unexpected bugs or glitches in the system.
It also saves your phone or iPad from using a significant amount of data, especially if you’re on a limited-data plan. In addition, this feature is particularly useful for people who prefer to manually update their devices’ apps rather than letting iOS automatically install new updates for them.
If you’re looking to stop iOS from installing app updates, the first step is to open the Settings app on your device and navigate to the iTunes & App Store section. Once there, tap the toggle switch for App Updates to turn it off.
When you do that, the App Updates toggle will appear in white, and you won’t be able to enable it again until you tap that same button again and move the slider to green. That will disable all automatic downloads, including iOS updates, from being downloaded over cellular data on your iPhone or iPad.