Here's Why your iOS Auto-Updates are Frequently Delayed

Apple Takes Comments from Early Adopters into Account, According to iOS CEO Craig Federighi

CUPERTINO, CA—(BUSINESS WIRE)—(BUSINESS WIRE)—(BUSINESS WIRE)—(BUSINESS WIRE)— Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, speaks during an Apple special event on September 12, 2017 in Cupertino, California, at the Steve Jobs Theatre on the Apple Park site. Apple revealed the new iPhone 8, iPhone X, and Apple Watch Series 3 at their first special event at the new Apple Park site. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images/Justin Sullivan) Getty Images/Justin Sullivan Setting up an Apple device to download and install the latest version of its operating system automatically does not guarantee that you will receive the update immediately away. Apple's auto-updates usually take a few weeks to reach everyone. Craig Federighi, who is the senior vice president of software engineering at Apple, explained why this is the case. According to MacRumors, redditor u/Kechoopix emailed Federighi to inquire about iOS auto-updates. Federighi reacted by revealing that Apple "rolls out new iOS upgrades by first making them available to people who specifically seek them out in Settings, and then ramping up to rolling out devices with auto-update enabled 1-4 weeks later (after we've gotten feedback on the release)." That strategy makes sense. If an iOS or iPadOS update has serious flaws, Apple may be able to fix them before they're installed on all devices with auto-update turned on. It's a good idea for Apple to hold off on releasing an update until it's assured that the current version of iOS isn't breaking iPhones (and could help it keep the lid on any negative fallout). Apple's servers will be less stressed as a result of the gradual rollout. However, if an iOS release includes a fix for a zero-day vulnerability, this may not be the ideal option. In that instance, Apple may choose to prioritize auto-updates and resolve other issues later.