Oliver Haslam on July 15, 2021, 9:23 pm

iOS 15 And watchOS 8 Will Let You Install Updates With less Than 500MB On-Device Storage Available

The recently released third betas of iOS 15 and watchOS 8 include new changes that will make it easier for people to install updates even when they don’t have much space left on their iPhones and Apple Watches.

According to the release notes accompanying the updates, users will need less than 500MB to install new releases with iOS 15 and watchOS 8 installed.

Previously, people who had devices with little space available were left needing to delete apps and data so that they could install iOS and watchOS updates. That was a particular problem for those who owned Apple Watch Series 3 devices, with those devices almost always needing a complete restore before they could be updated. This new change appears to deal with that issue.

Software Update

Resolved in watchOS 8/iOS 15 beta 3: You can now update your device using Software Update if less than 500 MB of storage is available. (78474912)

Apple is expected to make iOS 15 and watchOS 8 available to the public this September, around the same time that iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7 hardware is also released. Both updates still have some way to go through the developer and public beta programs before they are ready for primetime, however.