Why do Apple think they know my internet connection preferences better than I do? Please explain to me the fetish Apple has for requiring wifi to download updates. Surely there must be a reason.
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Why the need for wifi to update iOS?
- Thread starter nouveau_redneck
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Personally, I think it goes back to the wireless carriers... some users don't have unlimited (or, more correctly, have a more limited) data plan... and I read somewhere that rather than face the backlash from customers with data overages, some of the carriers asked Apple for that restriction. It was also done prior to Apple doing the app thinning thing, too.
Whether that's actually true or not, I am positive that is has to do with limited data plans, and overages that updating iOS could cause. Of course, this was before most carriers stopped charging overage fees and started throttling speeds when customers went over their data caps.
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What limit? I don’t have any data limit on my cell plan.....which is the point being made
I thought it was why wifi was required for IOS updates. The answer to that was IOS updates exceed the arbitrary limit Apple puts on over the air downloads. Why Apple thinks that a cellular download should be limited to 150MB but streaming Netflix video is OK is another question. You can read the comments after the story I linked to.
Yes, why is there a limit?
There should be a user setting to allow or disallow LTE downloads of updates. I suspect at some point in the future, Apple will allow such downloads as bandwidth from carriers becomes cheaper and more plentiful. My opinion is that the time has already arrived. It certainly has for me.
I guess I was ranting a bit with this thread but I find iOS insistence to use wifi bothersome. When I use personal hotspot and then turn it off, iOS leaves wifi turned on even though I never use it and it was off prior to starting the hotspot. In a recent update, Apple removed the ability to disable wifi via the control center as well. This is all noticeable to people like me that essentially want to permanently disable wifi.
There should be a user setting to allow or disallow LTE downloads of updates. I suspect at some point in the future, Apple will allow such downloads as bandwidth from carriers becomes cheaper and more plentiful. My opinion is that the time has already arrived. It certainly has for me.
I guess I was ranting a bit with this thread but I find iOS insistence to use wifi bothersome. When I use personal hotspot and then turn it off, iOS leaves wifi turned on even though I never use it and it was off prior to starting the hotspot. In a recent update, Apple removed the ability to disable wifi via the control center as well. This is all noticeable to people like me that essentially want to permanently disable wifi.
That never crossed my mind, and conceivably that is something that could explain Apple's position.
Thank you. I will leave feedback.
Having wifi on brings benefits like faster/more accurate GPS positions. You can keep wifi on but turn off auto-join for all your networks.
I believe that it's to do with managing load on the cell network. When an update to a popular app (or in this case the OS) comes out, a LOT of customers would be trying to download it at the same time. My assumption is that Apple is trying to lessen this load.
