In previous versions of iOS, the system would notify you of any available updates by placing a little red badge on the App Store icon on your Home Screen. You would then open the App Store, and update the apps that needed it. Repeat as needed.
With iOS 7, Apple has introduced the concept of automatic updates. It’s a great feature, and in most cases it’s something you want to leave enabled. But did you know you can still control whether or not your iOS device installs the latest app updates? Here’s how.
Simply tap on the “Settings” icon on your Home Screen, then scroll down in the initial Settings menu until you find the “iTunes & App Store” option. Tap this.
Now that you’re in the iTunes & App Store menu, scroll down until you find the “AUTOMATIC DOWNLOADS” section. Here, you’ll see the “Updates” toggle switch. Here you can toggle automatic updates on or off by simply tapping the toggle switch.
While you’re here, you might want to look at the toggle switch labeled “Use Cellular Data.” If you have a capped data plan for your iOS device, you may want to turn this option off to avoid bumping up against your data cap in those months when everyone seems to be updating their apps every day.
Whether you have automatic updates turned on or off, you can always check and see what apps have been updated by opening the App Store, and tapping the “Updates” tab. Here, you’ll see a list of all your recently updated apps.
Did you know that with the release of OS X 10.9 Mavericks, you can also control how your Mac handles updates to its apps and operating system? It’s easy to control. For more information, be sure to read “How To Control Automatic Updates in OS X Mavericks.”
For more helpful tips, check out our full collection of tutorials by visiting our How-To category!
