Where is the automatic updates setting?
Automatic updates are a store setting rather than a system setting, which is why they are two or three taps down and easy to miss. We read the settings tree of all 43 systems in the catalogue and recorded where each one keeps it.
What each system calls it
10 of the 43 operating systems in our catalogue have this setting, and between them they use four different labels for it:
| Name on screen | Systems |
|---|---|
| Automatic Updates | 5 |
| App Updates | 3 |
| Automatic app updates | 1 |
| Auto Update Apps | 1 |
The most common is Automatic Updates, on 5 of the 10. If that is not the word on your screen, the table above is the rest of the vocabulary to try.
Where it lives on each system
These are the shortest paths from the first settings screen on the newest release of each system. 4 of the 10 are within two taps; the rest sit deeper, and the table shows how much deeper.
| System | Path | Taps |
|---|---|---|
| iOS 27.0 | App Store › App Updates | 2 |
| iPadOS 27.0 | App Store › App Updates | 2 |
| watchOS 27 | App Store › Automatic Updates | 2 |
| Windows XP SP3 | Security Center › Automatic Updates | 2 |
| Fire TV Vega OS | Applications › Appstore › Automatic Updates | 3 |
| macOS 27 Golden Gate | General › Software Update › Automatic Updates | 3 |
| Meta Quest v81 | Apps › Store › Automatic app updates | 3 |
| Samsung Tizen TV Tizen 10 | Apps › App Settings › Auto Update Apps | 3 |
| tvOS 27 | Apps › App Store › Automatic Updates | 3 |
| visionOS 27 | Apps › App Store › App Updates | 3 |
Each system name above opens the real menu in the simulator, so you can walk the path before you touch your own device.
Why the names came out this way
Because this belongs to the store rather than to the system, it is usually filed alongside purchase confirmation and download preferences — and almost always carries a second switch for whether downloads may use mobile data.
That second switch is the one that matters when travelling. The update itself is rarely the problem; the update arriving over a roaming connection is.
Find it on your own device
If your system is not in the table, or the label on your screen is different again, there are three ways through it:
- Search every system at once for a setting by name — it looks inside all 43 trees, not just the one you are holding.
- Open your own system in the settings simulator and click to the screen without changing anything real.
- Follow the step-by-step guide to running a software update, or see where that setting lives on every system.
Related settings in the same part of the menu:
All of it comes from the same catalogue: 43 systems, 135 versions, published as an open dataset.
Try it yourself, on the real menusOpen any of 43 operating systems in your browser and walk the Settings tree exactly as it appears on the device. No download, no account.Frequently asked questions
Where is the automatic updates setting on most systems?
On 4 of the 10 systems that have it, within two taps of the first settings screen. The most common label is “Automatic Updates”, used by 5 of them. The table above gives the exact path for each system.
Why can I not find it by searching my settings?
Because settings search matches the label your system uses, and there are four different labels in use for this one setting. Searching for the word your previous device used is the single most common reason a setting appears to be missing.
How many systems have this setting at all?
10 of the 43 operating systems we catalogue. The rest either have no hardware for it or fold the behaviour into something else, which is why a feature that feels universal often is not.