The security updates for the iPhone can be rolled back by Apple.

But don’t do that unless you have a really excellent cause.

The Rapid Security Response feature in iOS 16 can deploy security patches without requiring you to fully upgrade your iPhone; Apple will let you delete such patches (or even without having to restart it, in some cases). You may uninstall a Rapid Security Response update by heading to Settings > General > About, pressing on the iOS Version, and then following the instructions in the support page discovered by MacRumors. From there, a “Remove Security Update” button will be displayed to you.

There are no explanations in the document as to why you may want to uninstall a patch, leaving your phone vulnerable to the flaw it is supposed to guard against. It’s simple to think of a few unique situations where the capability may be helpful, such as if one accidentally messes up some unique work-related software or management tools. Similar to the new severe Lockdown Mode, which is included to protect users from “very sophisticated” targeted cyberattacks, it’s one of those tools that most people should definitely never use unless they have a very specific reason and completely understand what they’re doing.

Rapid Security Response is enabled by default, however you can disable the updates by switching off “Security Responses and System Files” in Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates. If you do this, the security patches won’t be available until after full iOS updates. Again, given how many of Apple’s recent releases have fixed rather major flaws, I’d personally advise against disabling the feature unless you have a specific reason to.

As of now, Apple’s support materials for its desktop OS don’t say whether you’ll be able to roll back those upgrades as well. The system is also coming to macOS in Ventura, which hasn’t yet been formally announced.