I recently got my hands on a used iPhone 16 Pro, mainly because I prefer its size and features over the Pro Max, especially after being disappointed with Apple's choices for the latest models. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my new phone still has iOS 18 and not the problematic iOS 26. I'm particularly cautious because I have a niece who loves playing games on it, and I want to make sure she doesn't accidentally run a software update that could downgrade my experience with unreleased bugs from iOS 26. Is there a way to lock or restrict software updates on my device? Are there any settings or parental controls that can help me with this?
3 Answers
While there’s no way to permanently disable updates for individual users, you can adjust your settings to minimize the risk of unintended updates. After updating to iOS 26.1, I had to go into the Settings and turn off automatic updates manually. Just navigate to Settings > General > Software Update and toggle off both the options for Automatic Updates. This will prevent any automatic installations.
If you’re in a corporate setting, they can manage updates using mobile device management (MDM), but unfortunately, that option isn’t available for individual users. I’d recommend using Guided Access. This feature keeps your phone locked in a single app, so your niece can't inadvertently start updating. You can find out more about setting it up in the Apple support documentation.
Even on corporate devices, the Restriction Profile can only delay updates for a maximum of 90 days. There’s no way to completely disable updates unless you’re in a supervision mode, which isn’t practical for personal devices. However, you could always check your settings after updates to confirm that it's set to off again.
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