iOS 26 can dynamically reserve space for automatic updates, according to Apple."Depending on the amount of free space available, iOS might dynamically reserve update space for Automatic Updates to download and install successfully," says Apple's release notes for the first iOS 26 developer beta.This change will ensure that iPhone users who have Automatic Updates turned on in the Settings app actually have enough storage space available for those updates to download and install.
However, Apple has not shared any further information about this capability at this time, so it is unclear exactly how it works.
