diff --git a/.changes/ios-default-minversion.md b/.changes/ios-default-minversion.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..69841fd84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/ios-default-minversion.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+'tauri-utils': 'patch:bug'
+'tauri-cli': 'patch:bug'
+'@tauri-apps/cli': 'patch:bug'
+---
+
+Fixed an issue causing `tauri ios init` to fail if `iOS.minimumSystemVersion` was not configured explicitly.
diff --git a/core/tauri-config-schema/schema.json b/core/tauri-config-schema/schema.json
index c553d5f72..72cf80c65 100644
--- a/core/tauri-config-schema/schema.json
+++ b/core/tauri-config-schema/schema.json
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
         },
         "createUpdaterArtifacts": false,
         "iOS": {
-          "minimumSystemVersion": ""
+          "minimumSystemVersion": "13.0"
         },
         "icon": [],
         "linux": {
@@ -1715,7 +1715,7 @@
         "iOS": {
           "description": "iOS configuration.",
           "default": {
-            "minimumSystemVersion": ""
+            "minimumSystemVersion": "13.0"
           },
           "allOf": [
             {
diff --git a/core/tauri-utils/src/config.rs b/core/tauri-utils/src/config.rs
index c27660b91..4ca1c6139 100644
--- a/core/tauri-utils/src/config.rs
+++ b/core/tauri-utils/src/config.rs
@@ -1889,7 +1889,7 @@ pub struct TrayIconConfig {
 
 /// General configuration for the iOS target.
 #[skip_serializing_none]
-#[derive(Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Deserialize, Serialize)]
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Deserialize, Serialize)]
 #[cfg_attr(feature = "schema", derive(JsonSchema))]
 #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase", deny_unknown_fields)]
 pub struct IosConfig {
@@ -1915,6 +1915,17 @@ pub struct IosConfig {
   pub minimum_system_version: String,
 }
 
+impl Default for IosConfig {
+  fn default() -> Self {
+    Self {
+      template: None,
+      frameworks: None,
+      development_team: None,
+      minimum_system_version: ios_minimum_system_version(),
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 /// General configuration for the iOS target.
 #[skip_serializing_none]
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Deserialize, Serialize)]
diff --git a/tooling/cli/schema.json b/tooling/cli/schema.json
index c553d5f72..72cf80c65 100644
--- a/tooling/cli/schema.json
+++ b/tooling/cli/schema.json
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
         },
         "createUpdaterArtifacts": false,
         "iOS": {
-          "minimumSystemVersion": ""
+          "minimumSystemVersion": "13.0"
         },
         "icon": [],
         "linux": {
@@ -1715,7 +1715,7 @@
         "iOS": {
           "description": "iOS configuration.",
           "default": {
-            "minimumSystemVersion": ""
+            "minimumSystemVersion": "13.0"
           },
           "allOf": [
             {