If you want your iOS device to get the latest software version as soon as it is released, do not opt for automatic updates.

iPhone user Mateusz Buda noticed that his device did not receive the iOS 15.4 update notification two weeks after the public release even though he enabled automatic updates. He sent an email with this question to Craig Federighi, Apple's senior VP of software engineering, and wondered if there are other conditions to fulfill for the automatic update to work.

To his surprise, Federighi replied his email and explained that new iOS updates are rolled out incrementally. Apple makes the iOS updates available for users who manually tap into Settings > General > Software Update, before rolling out to devices with auto-update enabled. The automatic update process can take one to four weeks depending on the feedback received.

It seems that the automatic update feature protects the wider user base in case there is/are any serious issue(s) in the software version. This will give Apple ample time to resolve the issues or pull the update from the server.

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.