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How to download bigger apps without Wifi

When I download apps my Iphone 4 tells me I need to activate Wifi to download it. Is there an option somewhere to tell the phone to always use 3G instead so i don't have to activate Wifi evertime I want to download? I think this only applies to bigger apps, last one i tried was 30mb+.

Iphone 4, iOS 4

Posted on Jan 25, 2011 3:48 PM

102 replies

Sep 22, 2017 3:23 PM in response to brandmankajan

It's 2017 iOs 11 just came out and we are still having this problem.

My house has satellite internet, and I have pretty fast unlimited AT&T cell service. I can actually download pretty fast on cell service. But I'm being forced to download large apps on my wifi which is taking hours.

I just want an option to turn this off.

Sep 22, 2017 8:11 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

I’m doing it right now LOL. My phone will tell me it can’t download things.... and it will surprise me and still download them up to 300mb sometimes. But if I have a game or something that is 1gig then it won’t do it. I’m waiting for Siri’s voice change to download right now. Would have been done a long time ago on cell service.

Feb 21, 2017 9:58 PM in response to brandmankajan

Jan 25, 2011 3:50 PM in response to brandmankajan

No. But you can download the apps to your computer and then sync them to the phone during your regular backup and sync.

Jan 25, 2011 3:50 PM in response to brandmankajan

You can't override the 3G download size limit. Download too large apps on your computer and sync them to the phone.

wjosten

Level 10

95,321 points

Jan 25, 2011 4:09 PM in response to brandmankajan

It's the carriers/providers that impose the download limits, currently at 20MB's, over 3G.

Feb 2, 2011 10:22 AM in response to brandmankajan

you cannot download apps that exede the 20mb limit. however you can purchase and download the app on iTunes on your laptop then transfer. the reason you can not downlad 20MB apps on 3G is because your AT&T data plan does not allow it. you can only send and recieve a ceartain amount of data before AT&T chose to increase your bill.

Sazman

Level 1

25 points

Feb 2, 2011 2:36 PM in response to Hovscorpion

It has nothing to do with at&t data plan. It is worldwide. In Canada we have the same restriction. This is set up by Apple. It may be the carriers world wide wanted some limits, to avoid too much network congestion possibly. But it is not just something by at&t. Even when at&t had unlimited data there was the same restriction. So saying a plan has to do with it is totally incorrect.

Feb 3, 2011 6:14 AM in response to Sazman

Sorry Sazman but you are only half right. The restriction has nothing to do with Apple. It is a cellular carrier restriction which is why it is pretty much world wide. So regardless of whether you are with AT&T in the US or with Vodafone in the UK, you will still be restricted to 20Mb download limits. The cellular infrastructure for GSM, Edge or GPRS is simply not able to cope with masses of people demanding large downloads - hence the restriction.

SHARK!

Sazman

Level 1

25 points

Feb 3, 2011 7:45 AM in response to Landshark2007

Please re read my post. I mention network congestion. To get the restriction Apple must set it up. It may be what the carriers wanted. But regardless of rate plan limited or unlimited it is still there. My whole point was it has nothing to do with the rate plan itself.

Tamara

Level 6

13,738 points

Feb 3, 2011 8:02 AM in response to Sazman

It has to do with carriers not wanting bandwidth hogging so they came up with a "standardized" limit.

Feb 4, 2011 2:38 AM in response to brandmankajan

This limit is a little bit stupid, because although you cannot download an App with more than 20 MB, you can download several Apps under 20 MB, and in the end have a higher data usage...

Feb 4, 2011 3:47 AM in response to Fabri2000

No-one said that this was logical. It is just the way it is!

SHARK!

cbrink

Level 1

0 points

Mar 1, 2011 7:29 PM in response to Landshark2007

I disagree with all this mumbo jumbo. I'm using a 3g connection (gprs, edge, hsdpa, call it what you want) on my laptop and PC which is the same as the networks you are referring to. With this I can download whatever I want, size unlimited. The carriers don't know if I am using my sim card in my ipad or in a router.
I think this is a rule created by Apple and they should give you the choice to download via 3g or else use your wifi connection.

lismat

Level 1

0 points

Jun 18, 2011 5:40 PM in response to brandmankajan

I managed to get around the 20MB download limit over '3G' the other day.

I had my (wi-fi) iPad connected to my iPhone via the Personal Hotspot (PH). Then I 'accidentally' downloaded an App that is 200MB+, ie 10x the 20MB limit. I was expecting the usual 20MB limit notification but got nothing until the App completed its download and installation. I then proceeded with another download of 30MB. It also completed the installation.

There is no wi-fi connection through my iPhone, so the link must be made via 3G.

How to download bigger apps without Wifi