Should I install this update now or wait?

Security updates immediately, feature updates after a delay — and the specific situations where waiting is the wrong call.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 20 min
Read: 4 min

Short answer

Install security updates straight away, always. Major version upgrades can reasonably wait a few weeks unless they close a known flaw. The exception is anything described as actively exploited, which should go on now regardless of timing.

The instinct to delay updates is not unreasonable, but it applies to the wrong category. Security patches and feature releases carry completely different risk profiles.

Step by step

Work out which kind of update it is.Security patches fix specific flaws and change little else. Feature updates and major version upgrades change how things work. The first should be immediate; the second can wait.
Install security updates without delay.The window between a patch being published and the flaw being exploited is short, because the patch itself reveals what to attack. Delaying is riskier than installing.
Act immediately on anything actively exploited.Wording such as zero-day, actively exploited or emergency update means attacks are already happening. Install it now, whatever else is going on.
Wait a couple of weeks on major version upgrades.A new operating system release or a large app rewrite. Early releases have bugs, and problems surface publicly within a fortnight. There is no security cost to this delay.
Check compatibility if you depend on something specific.Specialist software, a printer or scanner, an audio interface, an accessibility tool. Confirm support before a major upgrade — this is the main reason upgrades go badly.
Back up before any major upgrade.Not before routine patches, but always before a version change. It is the difference between an inconvenience and a lost weekend.
Do not upgrade before something important.Not the night before a deadline, a presentation or a trip. Choose a time when a couple of hours of disruption would not matter.
Keep automatic updates on for phones.Phone updates are generally lower risk and higher value, and phones carry more sensitive data than most computers. Overnight automatic installation is the right default.
Update the router too.Routinely forgotten and genuinely important, since it faces the internet directly. Many now update themselves; check yours does, or do it manually a couple of times a year.
Update browsers as soon as offered.The browser is the most exposed software on the machine. Browser updates are small, well tested and should never be deferred.
Understand what end of support means.When an operating system stops receiving security updates, it stops being safe to use online. That is a deadline for upgrading or replacing, not a suggestion.
Do not defer indefinitely.Delaying a feature update repeatedly means eventually taking a very large jump, which is far more likely to go wrong than a series of small ones.
Read the notes for anything unusual.Firmware, a NAS, smart home hubs. A brief look at the release notes and a search for problems takes two minutes and occasionally saves a device.
Never interrupt a firmware update.Routers, printers and smart devices can be permanently bricked by losing power mid-update. Make sure it will not be interrupted before starting.

Tips

Security patches now, feature upgrades in a fortnight. That one distinction covers most decisions.
Back up before a version upgrade, not before routine patches.
The router is the most-forgotten update and it faces the internet directly.

Common mistakes

Deferring security updates because updates sometimes break things — It applies the risk of feature updates to patches that barely change anything. The published patch tells attackers what to target, so the delay is the risk.
Upgrading the operating system the night before something important — Major upgrades occasionally need driver fixes or reinstallation of software. Do it when a couple of hours of disruption costs nothing.

If it doesn't work

Update keeps prompting and you keep deferring

Cause: Bad timing rather than an unwanted update — Fix: Schedule active hours or set a restart time so it applies overnight.

Something broke after an update

Cause: Compatibility or a driver issue — Fix: Most systems allow a rollback for a limited period. Check the manufacturer's site for an updated driver first.

Update fails repeatedly

Cause: Storage, connection or a corrupted download — Fix: Free up space, use a wired or stable connection, and clear the update cache before retrying.

Device no longer receives updates

Cause: End of support — Fix: Stop using it for anything sensitive. An unsupported device online is a standing risk.

Very large update after months of deferral

Cause: Multiple releases accumulated — Fix: Back up first and allow plenty of time. Large cumulative jumps are more likely to have problems.

Questions people ask

Is it safer to wait before updating?

For major feature releases, a couple of weeks is reasonable. For security patches, no — waiting increases risk, because publishing the patch effectively publicises the flaw.

How do I tell a security update from a feature update?

Security updates are usually small, described as security or cumulative, and change nothing visible. Feature updates have version numbers, marketing names and lists of new capabilities.

Should phone updates install automatically?

Yes for most people. They are generally well tested, and phones hold banking apps, messages and photos, which makes staying current more valuable than avoiding minor disruption.

What happens when a device stops getting updates?

It keeps working but stops receiving security fixes, so newly discovered flaws stay open permanently. At that point it should not be used for banking, email or anything sensitive.