Can I still load v16 on my iPhone X, even though v17 is shown as the version to load? iPhone X will not load v17.

Not sure where you got your information, but it could not have been from Apple.

Please review the Apple Support document linked below to see that an iPhone X does not appear in the list of iPhones that are compatible with iOS 17.

iPhone models compatible with iOS 17 - Apple Support

Assuming that your iPhone X has plenty of free storage space, the battery is fully charged and you have a good Wi-Fi connection, you can update the iPhone X to iOS 16.

Tap Settings > General > Software Update

What happens when you do this?

If an error message is displayed, please post back with the exact text of the message. Even better would be a screenshot, if possible.

You cannot install iOS 17 on an iPhone X. The highes iOS version that you can install on your iPhone X is iOS version 16. What happens when you open Settings ➡️ General ➡️ Software update? Are you presented with any options to update your iPhone. If there are no options then your iPhone is updated with the latest iOS version that it can handle.

Axel F.

For an iPhone X, iOS 16 is the end of the line. An iPhone X should offer you an update to the latest release of iOS 16, unless (1) it is already running that version, or (2) it is enrolled in a beta test program (and is thus long overdue to be unenrolled, so that you can install a production version).

I notice that your tagline says that you have an iPhone 5 running iOS 10. For a regular iPhone 5 (no 'c' or 's'), iOS 10 is the the end of the line.

htbear51 wrote:

My Xr is currently at v15, but update option in Settings only shows 17. Can I search and get v16 somehow?

No.

Apple likes to keep iPhones moving forward to the latest versions of iOS that they can run … like certain sharks that must keep moving at all times, or die from lack of oxygen.

Presumably the only iPhones being offered an upgrade from iOS 15 (or earlier) to iOS 16 now are the ones which can run iOS 16, but cannot run anything higher.

The XR is a different phone than the X you mentioned originally. For the X, iOS 16 is the end of the line. The XR can run iOS 17 – the current major version of iOS. So you're not going to be offered iOS 16 unless you're already on iOS 16 and you want to update to the latest version of it. (Which isn't the case here.)

There was a brief period after the release of iOS 17 during which your phone would have offered you a choice of iOS 16 or 17. I upgraded my iPhone 12 mini from iOS 15 to iOS 16 during that time. I am sure this window closed long ago. It was one of the exceptions that proves the "you don't get to pick and choose a version of iOS" rule.

As you have an iPhone XR, not an iPhone X, your only option will be to update to iOS 17. The most recent version being 17.4.1.