iOS 13.6 Beta Adds Toggle for Turning Off Automatic iOS Update Downloads

The second beta of iOS 13.6 that was released this morning adds more granular control over the downloading and installing of iOS updates (via Jeremy Horwitz).

iosautomaticupdatecustom
In earlier versions of iOS, new software downloads automatically in the background and then can be installed through an Automatic Updates feature. In iOS 13.6, there are new toggles for customizing Automatic Updates.

You can now decide whether or not your iPhone or iPad can automatically download iOS updates when connected to WiFi, and when those updates are installed. There's a Download iOS Updates toggle for turning on automatic downloads over WiFi and an Install iOS Updates toggle for installing software updates overnight as an ‌iPhone‌ charges.

This new toggle will be a welcome change for those who do not want iOS updates to download automatically without permission, as this can eat up valuable storage space. Note that this option is enabled by default, so if you want to turn off automatic downloads, you'll need to toggle it off.

The Automatic Updates customization settings can be found by opening the Settings app, choosing the General section, tapping on Software Update, and then choosing the Customize Automatic Updates option.

This feature is limited to developers with the iOS 13.6 beta installed, but it will be available to everyone when the iOS 13.6 update is released.

Related Forum: iOS 13

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

10 Products Still Coming From Apple in 2025

Friday April 11, 2025 4:14 pm PDT by
Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and early this year, but there are still multiple new devices that we're looking forward to seeing in 2025. Most will come in September or October, but there could be a few surprises before then. We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2025. iPhone 17, 17 Air, and 17 Pro - We get...
iOS 18 Siri Personal Context

Report Reveals Internal Chaos Behind Apple's Siri Failure

Thursday April 10, 2025 7:15 am PDT by
A new report from The Information today reveals much of the internal turmoil behind Apple Intelligence's revamped version of Siri. Apple apparently weighed up multiple options for the backend of Apple Intelligence. One initial idea was to build both small and large language models, dubbed "Mini Mouse" and "Mighty Mouse," to run locally on iPhones and in the cloud, respectively. Siri's...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

Waiting for the Perfect MacBook Pro? 2026 Might Be the Year

Thursday April 10, 2025 4:19 am PDT by
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: New iOS 19, iPhone 17, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 Leaks

Friday April 11, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we catch up on the latest iOS 19 and watchOS 12 rumors, upcoming devices, and more. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Detailed new renders from leaker Jon Prosser claim to provide the best look yet at the complete redesign rumored to arrive in iOS 19, showing more rounded elements, lighting effects, translucency, and...
iPad Pro iPadOS

iPadOS 19 Will Be 'More Like macOS' in Three Ways

Sunday April 13, 2025 6:43 am PDT by
A common complaint about the iPad Pro is that the iPadOS software platform fails to fully take advantage of the device's powerful hardware. That could soon change. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS." Gurman said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like a Mac" in three ways:Improved productivity Improved multitasking Improved app window management...
apple intelligence black

NYT: Apple's AI Struggles Began with 2023 Chip Budget Dispute

Friday April 11, 2025 4:33 am PDT by
Apple's current struggles with Apple Intelligence and Siri began in early 2023 when AI head John Giannandrea sought approval from CEO Tim Cook to purchase more AI chips for development, according to a new report from The New York Times. Cook initially approved doubling the team's chip budget, but CFO Luca Maestri reportedly reduced the increase to less than half that amount, and instead...
Apple Vision Pro with battery Feature Blue Magenta

Vision Pro 2 Rumored to Have Two Key Advantages Over Current Model

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:15 am PDT by
Apple is working on a new version of the Vision Pro with two key advantages over the current model, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Specifically, in his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said Apple is developing a new headset that is both lighter and less expensive than the current Vision Pro, which starts at $3,499 in the U.S. and weighs up to 1.5 pounds. Gurman said Apple is also...
Apple Accessories Deals 2024 Anker Green

Anker Raises Prices on Amazon Due to Tariffs

Friday April 11, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
Chinese company Anker is one of many companies that will be raising prices due to the tariffs put in place by U.S. President Donald Trump, and prices are already starting to go up on Amazon. As noted by Reuters, Anker has increased pricing on about a fifth of its products since Thursday of last week. Prices are up approximately 18 percent, and there is a possibility for further increases. A...

Top Rated Comments

NT1440 Avatar
63 months ago

Who wouldn’t want to install updates
You just kicked the bees nest here on MR...
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
63 months ago
Everyone who jailbreaks just got a little too excited if you catch my drift.
They hate those auto download updates


Who wouldn’t want to install updates
People who jailbreak, people who don’t like to update right away, people who are very picky about when they update, people who are very picky about what’s taking up storage on the phone, and I could go on
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
phenste Avatar
63 months ago
On the flipside, I appreciate this as someone who initiates my own updates. This means they’ll be on my phone when I go to initiate the update (if I’m reading this article/the attached image properly). I know it’s heavily encouraged to update automatically, but…I like the choice.

I sound like the people I usually harp on in this forum, oh well. :p


Who wouldn’t want to install updates
Sometimes updates come out and introduce new bugs. It’s nice to be able to have an update out for a couple days and assess whether I want to actually install it or wait for the next update, where those bugs will ostensibly be fixed.
(That’s arguably a never-ending cycle, I know—I’ll happily update once I’ve assessed that a given bug isn’t going to heavily affect my everyday use.)
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
63 months ago
Who wouldn’t want to install updates
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GubbyMan Avatar
63 months ago
Finally! After so many years of people asking for this! This is as important as changing video resolution in the camera app or blocking half the screen to show the volume. I guess iOS 14 will not have calls and Siri take up the whole screen?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
63 months ago
This really doesn't fix the Number One gripe people have with Apple's heavy handed nag screen approach that pops open a message at random intervals asking you to install an update.
Makes you hate the company and despise the device.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)