ios 9 automatic download making me furious

Well, on an Apple 4s which won't allow you to easily get rid of the forced IOS 8( which I refused to update to) Apple is reduced to trying to get me to delete an app so it has room to force me up to IOS 9. I showed them by just accepting my permanent loss of storage space so now they can't force me to carry arround 9 on my phone without updating to it either. Yea! I showed them. That will teach them to keep selling phones with only 16 gb of space standard.

Pheidius1 wrote:

Well, on an Apple 4s which won't allow you to easily get rid of the forced IOS 8( which I refused to update to) Apple is reduced to trying to get me to delete an app so it has room to force me up to IOS 9. I showed them by just accepting my permanent loss of storage space so now they can't force me to carry arround 9 on my phone without updating to it either. Yea! I showed them. That will teach them to keep selling phones with only 16 gb of space standard.

You do understand that Apple doesn't actually care if you update your phone or not, right?

My grandmother's expression was "Why don't you cut off your nose to spite your face."

Lawrence Finch wrote:

My grandmother's expression was "Why don't you cut off your nose to spite your face."

I'm pretty sure my grandmother used that one, too.

You do understand that Apple doesn't actually care if you update your phone or not, right?

Then why do they put up messages to tell you to upgrade? Got to be extra work to put up a message then do nothing when a new release comes out. No business case to do something that isn't needed.

It used to be that "if it worked, do nothing". Lots of malware arrived on the scene. Folks computers acted strange. Folks blamed manufacture. Manufacture got bad rap. Manufactures decided it was in their interest to encourage people to upgrade.

Apple puts out stats on how many folks upgrade for each major release.

To me, this indicates that apple cares.

R

Hi Rivrwing, et all,

I'm looking for an answer to the same question myself. However, the more I read, the more it appears to me that the fact the automatic download cannot be declined could be qualified as product defect, possibly intentionally engineered, or even worse as an embedded piece of malware as it causes the product to behave against user's instructions and without user's knowledge.

I have iPhone 5s 16MB, iOS 9.1, and battling with unwelcomed update to iOS 9.2.?

From iOS Software License agreement:

The preamble of the Software License Agreement of the "Upgraded" iOS states:

"... IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE, DO NOT USE THE iOS DEVICE OR DOWNLOAD THE SOFTWARE UPDATE."

OK, I'm happy with that, I don't agree, I don't want to upgrade, I specifically don't want to download the update.

Paragraph 2. h) of the Software License Agreement of the "Current" iOS states:

"... You can turn off the automatic app updates altogether at any time by going to Settings, tap iTunes & App Store, and under Automatic Downloads, turn off Updates."

Been there done that. The phone still downloads the updates.

So it looks like Apple (more or more likely less .. ) gently is training users into surrendering their right of making a choice.

Guys, this is NOT just a problem for today's upgrade, its a general trend, see Wi(n)dows 10 forced updates.

I suggest this trend is the main problem that needs to be resolved. If we just bend forward and take it nicely in, the Zero Choice will be the standard of the future. It feels like the two choices for diner at a remote work site I went: YES or NO

... or maybe not, for reference, see this : http://www.techinsider.io/apple-ios-9-class-action-lawsuit-2015-12

Cheers

Sevciu

> I'm looking for an answer to the same question myself.

The answer has been given many times. You fail to read the whole thread. Start over from the beginning. There's an answer somewhere.

> You can turn off the automatic app updates altogether at any time by going to Settings, tap iTunes & App Store, and under Automatic Downloads, turn off Updates."

Been there done that. The phone still downloads the updates.

You don't understand what that feature does. It works as expected. APP (not iOS) auto update is turned off if you switch that off. iOS is NOT an app. That is the operating systems. That setting does NOT affect iOS download.

I'm still running iOS 8 and I have never been annoyed by a message to upgrade to iOS 9.

Windows 10 Home is an operating system that really forces updates to download and install automatically. iOS only downloads the update but never install automatically. Install requires user interaction. If you don't touch the Upgrade button, it will never install.

ShagCA,

The answers given in this thread are "work around" suggestions not solutions.

- blocking mesu.apple.com in the router may work at home, but not somewhere else

- using Apple Configurator on a Mac machine is beyond my reach and scope of works

- deleting the downloaded package from the "Storage" it's not the answer to the question. We want to stop the automatic download. Not delete them after they've been downloaded.

Everything else is just padding, nothing really valuable. If I missed something relevant, please kindly point me there.

One thing you mentioned correctly may be the "apps" update in the licensing agreement, I re-read the line and makes more sense the way you present it.

In my iOS 9.1, under iTunes&App Stores I have the following settings:

AUTOMATIC DOWNLOADS

Music (green/gray)

Apps (green/gray)

Books (green/gray)

Updates (green/gray)

I would have thought that "Apps" refer to Apps and "Updates" to the iOS updates, but I tend to agree with you that might be the Apps Updates.

So option to stop automatic downloads for iOS has been removed.

Hey, I'm glad to hear you can keep your system the way you want it, I also have some iPads and iPhones with pre 9 iOS and they are all good. No problem there. It's just the "new" 5S that I got with iOS 9.1 that's taking control out of my hands. That might indicate that Apple is moving more aggressively into forced updates as the time passes. Forced download is just the first step.

For your info, on my phone after iOS update is downloaded, it will nag you once a day to install it and the only options you have are:

- Install Now

- Install Tonight

- Remind me tomorrow.

Average user is expected to give in after a while.

Cheers

Sevciu.

The answers given in this thread are "work around" suggestions not solutions.

- blocking mesu.apple.com in the router may work at home, but not somewhere else

sevciu

Workaround or solution, it does what it is supposed to do, block auto download. Yes you're correct, it only works where the block is in place and/or as long as iOS checks for updates at mesu.apple.com. Won't work on all wireless routers where access to mesu.apple.com is not in the blocklist. Not a problem for me because when I'm away for the day, I never bring my iPad charger with me (exception: I do bring it while I'm away on vacation for a few days). Without a charger, my iPad will never auto download and if I do charge it while I'm away, I switch off WiFi until I'm done charging.

- deleting the downloaded package from the "Storage" it's not the answer to the question. We want to stop the automatic download. Not delete them after they've been downloaded. Everything else is just padding, nothing really valuable. If I missed something relevant, please kindly point me there.

I agree. I don't want unnecessary traffic clogging my broadband connection that isn't so fast (20Mbps). I learn the access block trick in this Apple support communities and I consider it a valuable info. No, you did not miss anything. You can either sit around, complain and wait for things to happen (for example: Apple changing their auto iOS download policy) or deal with the problem yourself. It's your choice. As for me, if no one is going to do it, I'll find a way to do it.

For your info, on my phone after iOS update is downloaded, it will nag you once a day to install it and the only options you have are:

- Install Now

- Install Tonight

- Remind me tomorrow.

Average user is expected to give in after a while.

I don't know. I have never been constantly nagged with that but yeah that is annoying. Apple wins either way so changing this auto download behavior (which will be the solution you expect) isn't likely to happen. The result is either up-to-date devices which contains everything Apple wants us to use or extremely slow or dead devices in which case users will buy a new one. It's a win-win scenario. In fact all companies (Google, Microsoft) are doing pretty much the same thing, auto download OS when connected to WiFi. My Android phone auto downloads OS updates when connected to WiFi too. It doesn't matter if it isn't plugged in to power source, it still continues to auto download. That's worse.

Thanks ShagCA

That's pretty much spot-on! It's more and more clear the big corporations want consumers to have less and less control over their devices.

I wander what's the difference between bad malware and OS updates, they do things on your device without your knowledge or approval.

That raises further questions on morality and legality of this approach, that's a different problem, for a different post.

And for staying on this topic, let's conclude it at that: The automatic downloads cannot be prevented only from within your device.

On newer iOS-es at least.

Cheers All

Good Luck!

So Apple pushing the update to your device is in direct conflict with their own T&C's as you pointed out...

From iOS Software License agreement:

The preamble of the Software License Agreement of the "Upgraded" iOS states:

"... IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE, DO NOT USE THE iOS DEVICE OR DOWNLOAD THE SOFTWARE UPDATE."

OK, I'm happy with that, I don't agree, I don't want to upgrade, I specifically don't want to download the update.

Paragraph 2. h) of the Software License Agreement of the "Current" iOS states:

"... You can turn off the automatic app updates altogether at any time by going to Settings, tap iTunes & App Store, and under Automatic Downloads, turn off Updates."

Been there done that. The phone still downloads the updates.

It appears that IOS 9+ just keeps downloading the update again even after it's deleted (Settings> Useage>Manage Useage)

Well, a couple of commercial lawyers who do pro bono work will have a field day.

Apple - I'm another user who doesn't want your updates until they are proven not to **** up MY devices.

Paragraph 2. h) of the Software License Agreement of the "Current" iOS states:

"... You can turn off the automatic app updates altogether at any time by going to Settings, tap iTunes & App Store, and under Automatic Downloads, turn off Updates."

Been there done that. The phone still downloads the updates.

What update? iOS or apps? If you understand iOS is not an app, that setting makes perfect sense and it works as expected.

It appears that IOS 9+ just keeps downloading the update again even after it's deleted (Settings> Useage>Manage Useage)

It's been that way since over the air iOS update/upgrade is supported.

An OS is a big application. Does that part of the agreement exclude the OS?

Anyway, it would be better to let the user have more control and let the user downgrade the level of the os.

R

I'm not defending Apple. Just merely point out the difference between operating systems and apps that run on it. I agree it would be great if users have more control over their devices. I'd welcome features to disable auto iOS download and the option to downgrade iOS.