Apple letting users stay on iOS 15.7 with security updates before upgrading to iOS 16

Apple on Monday finally released iOS 16 to the public after months of beta testing. While some users have waited long for the new lock screen and other new features coming with the update, some may prefer to wait a little longer before installing iOS 16. This is why Apple is letting users stay on iOS 15, while still getting security updates before upgrading to iOS 16.

While iOS 16 is certainly the big news of the day, Apple also released iOS 15.7 for iPhone users today. The update doesn’t bring any major changes, but it does come with bug fixes and security enhancements, and users running iOS 15 now have the option to install iOS 15.7 or iOS 16.

This is not the first time Apple has offered the option to let users stay on an older version of iOS. Last year, once iOS 15 became available, users could choose to stay on iOS 14 longer while Apple was still releasing security updates for it. However, the company removed this option a few months later.

At the time, Apple claimed that the option was always intended to be temporary, so something similar may happen this year. New iOS releases can cause incompatibilities with certain apps, so it’s normal that some users (especially enterprise users) prefer to wait a few weeks before installing the update.

How to stay on iOS 15.7

When you go to the Software Update menu in the Settings app, your iPhone will prominently show the iOS 15.7 update. “Upgrade to iOS 16” appears as an alternative option. Just choose the version you want to install and wait until the update process finishes. If you really don’t want to install iOS 16, you can disable automatic updates on your device.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone, iPod, or iPad
2. Go to the General menu
3. Tap Software Update
4. Tap Automatic Updates
5. Disable the options to automatically download and install iOS updates

Of course, keep in mind that Apple may keep iOS 15 updated with security enhancements for a limited time. As for iPadOS 16, Apple had already confirmed that the update will be released separately in October.

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