You can stop an iPhone update before it finishes, but your options depend on when you catch it
If your iPhone is downloading an update, you can cancel it from Settings before the installation begins. If the update is already installing—meaning your phone is in the middle of the process and you see a progress bar—you cannot stop it safely. Pulling the power or force-restarting your phone during installation can corrupt the system files and leave your iPhone unusable. The safest approach is to let it finish, even if it takes longer than you want.
The reason matters: iOS updates rewrite core system files that your phone depends on to function. Interrupting that process is like cutting the power to your house mid-renovation—the wiring might be half-connected, and nothing will work.
Key Takeaways
- You can cancel a read before installation starts by going to Settings > General > Software Update and tapping "Remove" or turning off Wi-Fi.
- Once installation begins and you see a progress bar, stopping it can permanently damage your phone—let it finish even if it takes hours.
- If your phone gets stuck on the Apple logo or a progress bar for more than an hour, you may need to restore it using a computer and iTunes or Finder.
- Scheduled updates that appear at night can be delayed by plugging in your phone and using it, which tells iOS you are awake and cancels the automatic start.
How to cancel a read before installation starts
Open Settings, tap General, then tap Software Update. If you see a read in progress with a percentage, tap "Remove" or "Cancel"—the exact wording depends on your iOS version. This stops the read and deletes the file from your phone. The update will not install.
If the read has already finished but installation has not started, you will see an "Install Now" or "Install Tonight" button instead of a progress bar. You can safely ignore this screen and the update will not begin until you tap the button or until your phone is plugged in overnight. straightforward close Settings and the read stays on your phone but does nothing.
Another way to prevent a read from starting is to turn off Wi-Fi. iOS cannot read updates over cellular data, so if you disconnect from Wi-Fi and do not reconnect, the read will pause. You can delete the partial read from Settings > General > iPhone Storage, find the iOS update file, and tap "Delete."
What happens if installation has already started
Once you see the Apple logo and a progress bar, the installation process is running. At this point, stopping it—by force-restarting, unplugging, or removing the battery—interrupts the system files being written to your phone's storage. This can leave your iPhone in a state where it will not boot up, will not connect to a computer, or will get stuck on the Apple logo permanently.
If the update is stuck on a progress bar and has not moved in over an hour, your phone may have genuinely frozen rather than still installing. In that case, you can try a force restart: on iPhone 8 and newer, quickly press and release Volume Up, quickly press and release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. On iPhone 7, hold Volume Down and the Side button together. On iPhone 6s and earlier, hold the Home button and the Top (or Side) button together.
A force restart does not erase your phone—it is the same as holding down the power button on a computer. If the update resumes after the restart, let it finish. If your phone gets stuck on the Apple logo again, you will need to restore it using a computer with iTunes (on Windows or older Mac) or Finder (on newer Mac), which does erase the phone but gets it working again.
How to delay a scheduled overnight update
iOS can schedule updates to install automatically when your phone is plugged in and you are not using it, usually between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. If you see a notification that an update is scheduled for tonight, you can prevent it from starting by using your phone. Plug it in, open an app, send a text, or browse the web—any activity tells iOS that you are awake and using the device, which cancels the scheduled installation.
The update will not disappear; it will straightforward wait until the next night when your phone is plugged in and idle again. If you want to delete the read entirely instead, go to Settings > General > Software Update and tap "Remove."
Why your phone might be stuck on an update screen
If your iPhone has been showing the same progress bar or Apple logo for more than two hours, the update process may have frozen. This can happen if your Wi-Fi disconnected mid-installation, if your battery drained, or if there was a software conflict. Restarting your phone with a force restart sometimes lets the installation resume and complete.
If a force restart does not work and your phone is still stuck, you will need to restore it using a computer. Connect your iPhone to a Mac or Windows PC with a USB cable, open Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows), and select your phone. Choose "Restore" and follow the prompts. This erases your phone and reinstalls iOS from scratch, which usually takes 15 to 30 minutes. You can restore your data from a backup afterward.
How to avoid unwanted updates in the first place
You cannot prevent iOS updates permanently—Apple requires all iPhones to update eventually for security reasons. However, you can delay them. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and toggle off "Automatic Updates." This stops your phone from downloading and installing updates on its own. You will still see notifications when updates are available, but they will not start without you tapping "Install Now."
Keep in mind that older iPhones may not support the latest iOS versions. If your phone is five or more years old, it may not receive new updates at all, which is normal. You can check which iOS version your phone currently runs in Settings > General > About, under "Software Version."
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cancel an update if my phone is almost done installing?
No. Even if the progress bar shows 95 percent, stopping it now can corrupt the system files and leave your phone unable to start. Let it finish—the last few percent usually takes only a few more minutes.
What if I accidentally unplugged my phone during an update?
Plug it back in when ready and let it continue. If it gets stuck on the Apple logo, try a force restart. If that does not work, you will need to restore it using a computer with Finder or iTunes.
Will canceling a read use up my data plan?
No. iOS updates read only over Wi-Fi, never over cellular data. If you are on Wi-Fi and want to stop the read, turn off Wi-Fi or go to Settings > General > Software Update and tap "Remove."
Can I cancel an update on an iPhone that is not mine?
Only if you know the passcode or have access to the Apple ID that is signed in. If the phone is locked, you cannot access Settings to cancel the read or installation.