I always update my smartphone right away

• How quickly should I update iOS or Android?
• How quickly should I update my phone’s apps?

Assuming you’re not the case in point, I think we all know someone who doesn’t bother updating their iPhone or Android device until they’re forced to. If it isn’t broken, they don’t see any reason to fix it, and they don’t want to put apps or their entire phone out of commission for a few minutes if they don’t have to. Some people actively resist updating when they can, worried that it might break something, remove a feature, or make an interface more confusing. That’s not completely illogical, but also not exactly practical in the modern tech landscape.

Do you need to update a smartphone’s apps or operating system as soon as possible, though? And if not, how long can you afford to wait? The answer is a little more nuanced than you might think, balancing your safety, your preferences, and the production cycles of phone makers and developers. If you’re confused, I guarantee it’ll all make sense in a few moments.

How quickly should I update iOS or Android?

Exercise caution

Being a tech journalist, I tend to update any phone’s OS as soon as a new version is available. Sometimes literally — if I know Apple’s big fall iOS update is due at 1PM, I’ll check the Settings app repeatedly until it lets me download and install. Even if an update isn’t major, and there aren’t any announced feature additions, I’ll sometimes update immediately on the off chance there are performance tweaks or hidden features. If there are, they can potentially inform my writing.

Most people don’t need to update that quickly, and probably shouldn’t. There are a couple of reasons for this, the most important being the risk of a botched release. Faulty updates are rare — but they have happened, and often the only solution is to perform a factory reset, or (if your device still works) wait for a follow-up patch. In an extreme scenario, your device could be completely bricked. I’m willing to take the chance because it’s part of my job. You don’t have to.

Faulty updates are rare — but they have happened, and often the only solution is to perform a factory reset, or wait for a follow-up patch.

The other reason for waiting is server and bandwidth congestion. When a major OS update arrives, servers are often bombarded by eager customers, and the result is a prolonged or delayed download process. It might just take a few extra minutes, but it could also take much longer if a company hasn’t braced itself for the onslaught. From a corporate perspective, there’s a fine balance between being prepared for a rush and wasting money on resources that will only be helpful for a few hours.

The average person, then, should probably wait until the end of an update’s release day at a minimum. Any serious glitches will likely be caught by then, and the worst internet traffic will have subsided. If you typically charge your phone when you go to bed, that’s an ideal time to trigger an update if you don’t have it set to download automatically (more on that later).

How long is too long?

This one is a bit more nebulous. On paper, it’s best to update the moment that initial safety window passes, but there’s always the chance of subtler problems with an update that might go away if you wait for a follow-up version. Hypothetical examples could range from a glitch that breaks alarms under narrow circumstances to a controversial design change that everyone wants undone.

The most important factor here is security. Just about every OS update includes security fixes, based either on internal research or outside discoveries. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that unpatched vulnerabilities will be exploited. The threat isn’t high — both iOS and Android are so thoroughly sandboxed, it’s tough for malware to spread — but it’s also non-zero, and that should be enough reason to update sooner rather than later. If you live in a country under an authoritarian-leaning regime, updating could mean the difference between staying secure or being infected with spyware like Pegasus.

On a long-enough timeline, even security updates come to an end for older OS versions.

Under normal conditions, consider checking forums like Reddit for the consensus on any new update. If there haven’t been any major complaints in a day or two, you should probably go ahead and download the software as soon as you’ve got the time and a freshly created backup.

Your schedule can actually be a bit looser when it comes to major annual updates like iOS 26 or Android 16. While those may contain fixes, the focus is on new features, and both Apple and Google often provide security fixes for older operating systems to prevent serious outbreaks. You should update within a year of a major release, however, as long as your device is compatible. You could be missing out on security-related feature upgrades, and of course you’ll be missing out on any compatibility or quality-of-life enhancements. On a long-enough timeline, even security updates come to an end for older OS versions.

How quickly should I update my phone’s apps?

Similar rules, less pressure

In general, you can apply the above philosophy to apps as well. That is, it’s good to wait until the end of release day, and check online consensus within the next few days if you want to be extra cautious. If there’s no sign of trouble, you should go ahead and update using the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Realistically, the threat of insecure apps is pretty low, mostly because of that OS sandboxing I mentioned. Any app-based vulnerability is still a danger — yet apart from data leaks, one can only do a limited amount of damage. Apple and Google also conduct screening reviews of submitted updates, all but eliminating the chance of something that’s seriously compromised.

You should only completely rely on automatic updates if you’re prone to going weeks or months at a time without remembering to check yourself.

Your primary concerns should be performance- and interface-related bugs. An update that’s rushed out the door could have a local memory leak, say, or overlapping text and icons. These sorts of issues are unusual, and aren’t typically deal-killers, but they’re annoying enough that being a little conservative can pay off.

You’ll notice that I haven’t talked about automatic updates until now. As a rule, it’s okay to leave these on for apps if you like (check out iPhone and Android instructions), since parameters are tight enough that your apps won’t update the instant a new version goes live. Updates may still happen within the same day, so you should disable auto updates if you want to scrutinize them first.

Automatic OS updates can likewise be fine (search options in your phone’s Settings app), and are actually on by default for Android. I prefer manual updates, however — I find that both iOS and Android can be too slow when I do want new software, and I prefer the control of going manual. You should only completely rely on automatic functions if you’re prone to going weeks or months at a time without remembering to check yourself.