Unable to update iOS 26.6.1 using cellular data

@Lawrence Finch: in that case it is clear and obvious that apple makes the restriction to directly update via mobile data – and not the carrier. What the carrier does is only delivering data – not making a difference whether the target of the transaction is the iphone directly or the iphone that has a USB-cable connected that goes to a PC that has WiFi hotspot enabled and the iPhone is receiving it over WiFi. For the carrier the data is fetched on the update server of apple and delivered to the device that logs into the internet – and that is the iPhone. The data is no longer in the domain of the carrier as soon as it has reached the iPhone. It is not in the domain of the carrier if the data pass from the iPhone to the PC by USB and then back to the iPhone via WiFi. Conclusion: it is 100% Apple (and 0% the carrier) that restricts updating over mobile data directly – as updating over mobile data works if you make a network loop with WiFi behind and the iPhone sees WiFi (but uses mobile data in the background).

Aipi wrote:

@IdrisSeabright: the question is not who is right and who is not. The question is: why is it not possible to update the iPhone over mobile data directly but it is possible over WiFi – even when that same iPhone is receiving the mobile data and the internet access passes over the same mobile data of the iPhone?

That sounds like a question for Apple. The link for Support is at the bottom left of every page on this forum.

Note that there is no reason to add the "@" at the beginning of a username here. It doesn't do anything.

Same issue here on iPhone 16 Pro Max. iOS 26.6.1 stays on “Update Requested” and then shows “Software Update Failed — An error occurred downloading iOS 26.6.1. Try again later.” I tried refreshing multiple times and the update size changes between around 743 MB and 746 MB, but it still fails to download.

Neither my IPad or IPhone 16 will respond to this update. Just keeps requesting the update but then displays an error message. I’ve turned off my VPN, checked my data mode but nothing helps, it just will not update 🥺

I have two iPhones, 16 and SE3. Both won’t update to 26.6.1. Update is of small size, some 700 MB, 5G good connection, spinning for 10 minutes and then a message showing paused connection, it will resume when internet connection is available again. Of course internet connection is up and running. Switching off device won’t help. I have tons of data in my mobile number contract and no WiFi at home, so I can’t check if it is working with a WiFi.

Same here. Not power related. Not space related. Not data/internet related. Restarts restarted, tried again 'later' numerous times. Not trying again until Apple fix it. Life is too short to wait for one of the most profitable tech companies to sort themselves out.

And as ever, some of the copy pasta comments from some of the high flying level 5 plus are execrable.

I wanted to update my iPad (A15) from iOS 26.6 to iOS 26.6.1 using cellular data, as I have done all the past updates. Requesting the update has caused the round gear to spin and spin — for 5 hours now.

I have version 26.6 I keep my phone updated constantly. I have the iPhone 17 Pro Max. I typically don’t use Wi-Fi and I have unlimited data with full bars 5G Ultra Wideband on Verizon. I have gone through all of the suggestions for problem-solving, including deleting the download packet resetting and trying again several times and it has been over a day and it still won’t download.

I’m trying to download using my iPhone 15 pro max and I have a TB of memory not even close to full storage use yet and I don’t have it on low data mode I have it on use more data on 5G and 5G on and it refuses to update for me to 🙄

@AussieTechie: you are writing rubbish!

1. my mobile data setting was on "allow more data on 5G" and it never worked.
2. there is no possibility to remove the update
3. "update requesting" ends after a longer while with "update failed" and you are starting over and get the possibility to install the update (what never works)
4. there is no WiFi here and 300MBit/s unlimited data here is only internet access.

There is absolutely no reason to restrict the update to WiFi!

Pre-iOS 26.6, this was not an issue for me so why now? Even connecting to my other iPhone’s personal hotspot doesn’t fix this. They want their users to suddenly use Wi-Fi, even if I have unlimited 5G plan (with my data consumption almost 100GB/day). Like saying their iPhones are incapable of updating itself via cellular (or another iPhone’s hotspot) despite the speed. Apple, it’s 2026 c’mon!

Aipi wrote:

It's absolutely untrue that the carrier should restrict the updates!

The key word is “should”. Carriers can do whatever they want to do, and Apple has no control over it. So it is actually TRUE that a carrier can restrict updates. Whether they should or not is irrelevant. If you don’t like what your carrier does you can switch to a different carrier.

It's untrue that an impossibility to update via mobile data of the phone could be the result of carrier restrictions if you can update the phone via the same mobile data but using your phone as thethering source for your notebook and open WiFi hotspot on the PC so that your phone does update over WiFi of the PC that has your phone as internet source with the same carrier!

Aipi wrote:

It's untrue that an impossibility to update via mobile data of the phone could be the result of carrier restrictions if you can update the phone via the same mobile data but using your phone as thethering source for your notebook and open WiFi hotspot on the PC so that your phone does update over WiFi of the PC that has your phone as internet source with the same carrier!

Most likely when you are using the hotspot the carrier doesn’t know you are installing an update, because the entire transaction, including the connection point, is encrypted. Updating using cellular data the carrier’s system can see the destination connection point and recognize it as an Apple update server.

Aipi wrote:

The carrier does not know or see what (kind of) data he is transporting.

Wrong. But it doesn't matter. Even if this were all Apple's doing (it's not), what good would arguing here do? Apple isn't reading here. My sense is that you want people to "admit" that you're right and they are wrong. That's not likely to happen. I suggest you complain to Apple:

Product Feedback - Apple