Apple has just released the beta versions of iOS 13.6 and iPadOS 13.6 for developers, and something that catches the eye is the addition of more customisable automatic updates. The new feature was spotted by Jeremy Horwitz on Twitter, and it’s a small, but significant change to the way your iPhone/iPad handles updates.
Previously, whenever a new iOS or iPadOS version was available, your iPhone/iPad automatically downloads the update. Once completed, you’re then prompted by your device if you want to install the new software—but you’re not given this choice on whether or not to download the update.
This has been rectified in the new beta update, with users now given a new toggle to turn off automatic downloads for updates. This could potentially come in handy for users with limited storage or slow broadband speeds, especially when you consider that iOS 13 is supported on devices as old as the iPhone 6s.
The new feature is available on both iPhones and iPads, with Macrumors reporting that automatic downloads are still enabled by default. If you’re on the beta update, it’s pretty straightforward. Simply head over to Settings > General > Software Update > Customise Automatic Updates. There, you’ll have two toggles that you can tweak: one that sets automatic updates, and one that sets automatic installs.
While this is only the beta version of iOS 13.6, we do expect to see this added customisability on the full version of iOS 13.6. As for an official release of the update, Apple hasn’t confirmed anything just yet—although iOS 14 is widely expected to be announced during WWDC 2020 on the 22nd of June 2020.
