Your iPhone's charge is running out before your eyes, mobile traffic is always at zero and you notice that applications never require updating? Congratulations, you've become hostage to one of the new iOS features: automatic app updates. In this article we will tell you not only how to disable this function, but also give valuable advice on how to configure it correctly.
In theory, the automatic application update feature is a very useful thing. But unfortunately, not all users have a cellular plan designed for downloading even small updates from the Internet (not to mention multi-megabyte game updates). Others may not like the function due to the lack of a sense of control, and finding out what kind of update was released for their favorite application is always interesting. In any case, you need to understand the automatic application update function on iPhone.
Disabling auto-update
All downloads are made through the Apple Store service, so updates are managed here too.
- Go to “Settings” of your iPhone and click on iTunes Store and Apple Store. This item is located approximately in the middle of the list, so you will need to scroll down a little;
- There will be an “Automatic Downloads” tab, and below it a list of what the system will automatically download and update. If you need to disable only “Updates,” then remove the slider from this item. If you want to completely disable all automatic downloads and their updates, then remove the sliders from all of them.
This completes the process! It is also worth noting that you will not be able to select specific restrictions for downloading certain applications or games, since this option is not currently provided in iOS!
Can Apple even block iPhone operation?
Screenshot from the built-in Latitude app on iPhone.
Purely theoretically - yes.
There is already a mechanism for this. The functionality of blocking and erasing a device using a command received from the Internet was introduced back in 2013. But they implemented it exclusively for users - as a measure to protect data in case of theft. Without the owner's command, you cannot block or erase the device remotely.
The iOS and macOS operating systems that power the iPhone and Mac, respectively, are proprietary and their code is not fully understood. It cannot be guaranteed that Apple is not able to activate these mechanisms independently and en masse by sending a chain of appropriate commands over the Internet or even without it, using data exchange algorithms via Bluetooth built into the pre-installed Latitude service.
However, such a decision would be unprecedented not only in the history of Apple, but also in the history of the entire technology industry as a whole. Never before has any company resorted to such measures on a nationwide scale.
It will also create serious future reputational risks in other markets, especially China (which accounts for the lion's share of Apple's revenue), and will undermine confidence in the company's products overall.
Finally, this will forever bury the company’s prospects in the Russian market. All these, as well as a number of other negative consequences, are superimposed on the absence of any advantages for Apple. The positive PR effect in the West will not last long, but distrust in the products will be entrenched well, if not for a decade.
Disable network downloads
As we said earlier, the main problem is the automatic downloading and updating of applications through your operator's cellular network, and since the volume is strictly limited, this is not always beneficial. But the iOS developers have provided for this point, so you can set the settings on your iPhone so that programs and games are updated automatically only when connected to a Wi-Fi wireless network.
- Also, as in the previous paragraph, go to “Settings”, scroll down until you find the iTunes Store and Apple Store item and click on it;
- You can activate all the items in “Automatic Downloads”, but below you will see the “Cellular Data” tab. Disable it so that updates are not carried out via your operator’s Internet, but only when there is a Wi-Fi connection.
Situation No. 1
I downloaded an application with offline city maps on my iPhone. I downloaded the maps I needed and could use them without connecting to the network. Everything was simple and convenient.
When I once again needed to use the service without connecting to the network, I opened the program and did not find the card I needed.
I got out of the situation, but later decided to figure it out.
I read the update history and saw that in one of the updates the card I needed was simply removed from the program.
I understand that keeping the map up to date and updating requires resources, but if you decide to refuse support, why remove the map from the program altogether?
I addressed this question to the developer and received this answer:
As you can see, the developers are guided only by their own commercial interests. If it no longer makes sense to maintain a feature, you can easily remove it, not caring about those who are used to using the available opportunity.
It was possible to leave the map in its current form or even prohibit downloading for new users, but why delete the map from those on whose devices it has already been downloaded?
Disable automatic iOS updates
To save traffic, we also recommend that you disable automatic iOS updates when new versions are released. You can always update manually and download all the necessary files in one click, but at the same time you will be sure that the amount of traffic is not spent on third-party services.
- Go to “Settings” and click on “General”;
- Next, click “Software Update”, wait until the system checks for updates and in the only “Auto Update” tab, set the slider to “Off”.
Situation No. 2
I often use the official application of one online platform to post advertisements.
This makes it more convenient to put something up for sale, search for the things you need, and correspond with owners of other advertisements than in a browser.
I have repeatedly noticed how developers roll out a new update with virtually no testing.
One of the updates completely killed the ability to send messages, dissatisfied users flooded the App Store with negative reviews, and it took the developers four days to fix the program.
Additional Tips
If you need to update applications and games, but do not have access to the Internet on your iPhone, you can connect it to your computer via USB, open iTunes and log in with the same Apple ID as on the device and update all applications , as well as iOS, if required. In this case, the Internet connection will be used that is connected to the computer. In most cases, these are optical fiber or 3G-4G modems.
While you can't turn off auto-updates for specific apps or games, you can restrict content updates and network usage for them. You can do this in a few clicks:
- Go to your iPhone's Settings and scroll down to the app you want to restrict;
- Click on it and disable its tabs such as “Cellular Data” and “Content Update”.
Important! You can skip all of these steps to turn off automatic updates. You just need to activate the “Energy Saving” mode, which will block this option on its own. As soon as you disable it, the system will update the applications if there are new versions for them!
In general, as you can see, iOS is a fairly flexible platform, despite the fact that it is impossible to manage updates for specific applications in the usual way.
And maybe this will be interesting:
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- All the reasons why iPhone runs out of battery in standby mode
About auto-update on iPhone
The smartphone has many software components that need timely updating. This allows the device owner to gain access to useful features that were previously unavailable, as well as increase the level of security.
On iPhone, component updates are performed either manually or automatically. In the first case, the user must download the update and install it independently. And the second option involves installing the next version of the software without the direct intervention of the Apple iPhone owner. That is, the entire process is automated.
Components that can be updated without user intervention refer to 2 categories of software:
- applications;
- operating system.
Applications are separate programs responsible for executing specific processes, and the operating system is the connecting link for which new firmware versions are also released. Automatic updates work differently in both cases. Therefore, it is important to consider how the function works in different scenarios.
Updating Applications
Any iPhone owner installs several dozen programs on his device. All of them are constantly updated once a week or once a month. Assuming that the user is responsible for this process, he will have to open the App Store every day, check for up-to-date data and install it.
Of course, this approach to updating content does not seem to be the most rational. And it is in this situation that the automatic software updates feature comes to the rescue. If this option is enabled, the system independently searches for the latest versions of applications on the iPhone, downloads and installs them. The processes are carried out in the background, so the owner of the device can not be distracted while going about his business.
iOS update
In the case of the operating system and installing its updates, the situation is slightly different. Firstly, the firmware is not updated as often as individual applications. Secondly, the operation cannot be performed in the background, unlike installing the current version of a program. That is, users still need to confirm the download of the iOS update because the operation reboots their iPhone or iPad.
However, automatic updating of the operating system is also a plus for the device owner. He does not need to independently check for the latest version of iOS. As soon as the current firmware is released, he will receive a notification, and the iPhone itself will offer to download the distribution kit and install it by rebooting the device.
Situation No. 4
The free VPN connection app worked great and didn't cost me money. The developers regularly improved the program and added new features, declaring that the program will always be free.
One of the updates brought the possibility of a paid subscription for 2,000 rubles/year. At the same time, the user did not receive practically any new features, but only had access to functions that were free in the previous version of the program.
A limited set of options remained available for free use, the network access speed was reduced, and the choice of available countries for connection was reduced.
Situation No. 3
Another application for working with offline data allows you to view a database of passwords for Wi-Fi networks in a specified region.
I used it for several years, automatically updating to the new version.
Once I needed to find a Wi-Fi password on a trip abroad, but the program informed me that the developer had changed the data storage format and it needed to be downloaded again. Of course, all this happened during a trip without connecting to the network.
