Why do we have a 100mb download limit?

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Level 1

11 points

Why do we have a 100mb download limit?

I've been using Apple for years, and I get being "aware" of data limits, overages and such. However I'm now on an unlimited* data plan. I'm fully aware of what this means. I dont need apple to police my downloads. I'm ok with them notifying me saying "hey this is fairly large download." I'm not ok with them saying "You HAVE to be on wifi for this!" I also dont think I should have to "work around" this issue, it should NOT be an issue.

I know there are a LOT of ppl looking for this. Can we PLEASE get this fixed apple?! Give us the ability to toggle this feature on and off, make us enter a code every time we have something that large coming in. Anything but outright stopping it and making it seem like you view us as 3 years that cant be trusted with our own phones!!

iPhone 6 Plus, iOS 8.4.1

Posted on Feb 13, 2017 2:43 PM

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Answer 1

KaeBFly

Level 6

8,263 points

Feb 14, 2017 1:00 PM in response to LadyMoonBay

Because I said I would share a screen shot of the message that comes up and at times will still allow the 100+mb app to download using cellular data. In this case it was an app that was 138 mb and it downloaded fine when I clicked Ok. If Apple were on some devious mission to handle us like children on this issue then absolutely no app over the size of 100 mb would download. That is not the case...doesn't change the fact that as of right now there is a limit that exists and some apps will not download over cellular. Agree or disagree with it (and whatever the reason is or who is responsible for creating the limit)...the one true fact as it stands is that it exists and that is the way it is until a time that it's changes.

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Answer 2

Feb 13, 2017 2:56 PM in response to LadyMoonBay

Unfortunately this is not Apple's unilateral decision. Its a carrier regulation that Apple chooses to comply with. There's complaints about this with devices from other manufacturers as well:

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Microsoft-lifts-the-20MB-app-download-cap-over-ce llular-now-50MB_id38959

Unable to Download large files over Mobile Data on Android

Back in the day of the first iPhone, and the birth of the app store the limit was only 10MB. It has been steadily increased through the years, its sure to eventually be raised again.

You can provide feedback to Apple at:

http://apple.com/feedback, but at the end of the day, Apple will comply with carriers if they wish to.

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Answer 3

KaeBFly

Level 6

8,263 points

Feb 13, 2017 2:52 PM in response to LadyMoonBay

Most apps will still download (you will usually see a disclaimer that says wifi may be needed if the large app doesn't allow for incremental download...sorry can't recall the exact verbiage but I see it often and am still able to download those same apps without wifi). Only speculating but it's possible that carriers wanted the limit as the downloads tax their networks. At any rate...it's what the situation is right now. You can send suggestions to Apple but otherwise this is what it is

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Answer 4

LadyMoonBay Author

Level 1

11 points

Feb 13, 2017 4:31 PM in response to KaeBFly

It seems you didn't quite understand exactly what I said so here is a little background:

1. I have 6gb lte then it throttles to 3g which is unlimited.

2. I have a 128gb iPhone 7+

Example of the issue: I'm away from my house, I'm waiting on whatever so I check to see if my apps need updated. Which two do. The first one is MS word, its like 87.5mb and there is no issue. HOWEVER the second one is Pokemon Go and that update is 127mb, so guess what happens!! Exactly what I said before. I get a popup message from Apple telling me that it's over 100mb there for I HAVE to be on wifi to download this update. Now I'm stuck god no where, nothing to do and NO Pokemon. Why? Because the update came out AFTER I left the house and Apple doesn't think I'm responsible enough to know how much data I should or should not use, and has basically smacked my hand and told me to leave the cookies alone!!

Please explain to me how this is ok? "It is what it is." Really? Are you a child? Let me tell you how to live your life in every aspect. (Yes that is an extreme example but still a valid point.) Look this was a fine idea back with iPhones first came out and crashed AT&T but that was back before we even had the IDEA of 1g let alone LTE!! Which for the record is MORE then able to handle the downloads. Now if EVERY person with a smart phone suddenly downloaded Pokemon Go The frelling pokemon server would crash before the networks do! Which HAS happened! So why does anyone need apple to limit them to 100mb download on network?! This is an APPLE issue NOT a network issue. I know because the androids on the exact same phone plan do not have this issue AND this issue has been on iDevices since about their second iOS update.

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Answer 5

LadyMoonBay Author

Level 1

11 points

Feb 13, 2017 4:47 PM in response to Phil0124

Thank you for providing links that prove my point. 😁This issue has been around for a while and back in the "old days of smart phones" it was useful and lightened the data loads on the carriers. It's 2017 now, 100mb is NOTHING, any can go through over 2gb streaming ONE movie! I dont see it crashing networks, they can handle it now. This is a majorly outdated feature that needs to be removed or at the very least give us a way to toggle it.

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Answer 6

Feb 13, 2017 5:14 PM in response to LadyMoonBay

However, you didn't understand the point. The limit is a requirement of the carriers. Probably because cellular networks have very limited capacity, and if everyone connected to your tower decided to download a large update at the same time there's a good chance it would crash the network and no one would be able to download anything. While 100 MB may be low for 2017, it's been around for several years. So there's a chance the carriers will update it in the future. But for now the limit is 100 MB.

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Answer 7

KaeBFly

Level 6

8,263 points

Feb 13, 2017 7:55 PM in response to LadyMoonBay

No, I'm not a child (why? Because I didn't say what you wanted me to say that somehow makes me a child???) but I know that agreements between carriers and device manufacturers occur even if we don't agree with the reasoning. iPhones are NOT the only devices with limitations like you mentioned...also as I clearly stated, despite the message popping up on larger sized downloads not all are stopped from downloading. Next time I get one of size that shows the message I will share that with you so you can see that although your Pokémon Go (or whatever app) may not allow you to download using cellular data even after the message pops up there are numerous apps that have the message pop up but will still download over cellular data without the use of wifi. I clearly stated that SOME apps will still download. This doesn't mean that they all will. Ultimately, the limitations exists. They are NOT solely connected to Apple and iPhones and therefore are NOT an Apple only issue. As it currently stands, like it or not the limit is there. It indeed "is what it is". Your options are to send a suggestion to Apple, use wifi for the apps that can't/won't download over cellular, switch to a device you feel will never have this issue, or wait and hope for a change in the limit to occur. I have no problem with you seeing things differently. That's the beauty of the world. I do however have a problem with you thinking it's ok to jab unnecessarily because you don't like what to say. The adult way to handle it and disagree with views isn't to go the route you did. Speak your views/thoughts/opinions/speculations with respect just as I attempted to do with you. The extra stuff doesn't change the issue you posted about. Honestly, reach out to Apple via the correct channels to have your voice heard. It may or may not yield the results you want but if you don't try you'll never know. Also reach out to the carriers (not CS...they honestly may not know the answer of the reasoning) to see what could be done.

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Answer 8

LadyMoonBay Author

Level 1

11 points

Feb 13, 2017 9:55 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

I do understand what you're saying. You do have a point that if everyone downloaded something and the exact same time it could crash the network. (That's what it called when a tower stops working due to over usage, we see this a lot during floods, bombings, etc. when everyone is trying to let their family know they're ok.) However the likely hood that an app update would cause this issue today is unrealistic. Firstly there is the fact that apple and android dont, with some exceptions, have app releases at the exact same time. Secondly you're using the theoretical situation that EVERYONE in that area has THAT app, and ALL of them want to down load it at the EXACT same moment. The probability of that has got to be astronomical. Also you should factor in time zones, people's work schedules, and school times, all of these factors really shoot the "if everyone did it..." excuse all to frell.

Also the whole "it's for the good of the carrier" is shot down by the fact that several of the networks are actually encouraging people STREAM high def movies on their phones. HD vids when downloaded run about 2gb, a stream is a constant flow of data. Plus these vids have little to no buffering prooves they actually COULD handle lifting/removing the 100mb limit. The reason for this is simple: If they can handle however many people streaming different movies at the same time, they can hand a handful at a time downloading an update that is .1% the size of any one of those vids.

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Answer 9

LadyMoonBay Author

Level 1

11 points

Feb 13, 2017 10:36 PM in response to KaeBFly

Ok KaeBFly, I'm sorry that you misunderstood what I thought was a clearly conveyed example. I was not attempting to insult you, or whatever you think I did. I was simply giving further details and an example. The question of "Are you a child?" You seem to be taking completely out of context. It was not an insult but rather something to make you think. I wrongly assumed that anyone here would be able to understand it for what it was. Therefore I shall elaborate: Do you enjoy having a company decide for you when you're being irresponsible? That is what I meant by "are you a child?" It's really more of "are you a child that apple needs to baby sit?" I wasn't being rude, it was a hypothetical/rhetorical question.

Just like the "Why do we have a 100mb download limit?" was more of "why is apple insisting on treating us like irresponsible children that dont know how to manage our own data?" OF COURSE submitting a "suggestion" to Apple was the first thing I did. The second was to bring the question to the forms in hopes of finding other people who were/are as annoyed by this as I am. Clearly I was wrong to as evident by the responses.

I understand carrier limits, I understand server limits. I get that it's only been 10 years. I'm just saying that with all the other advancements that have been made, like unlimited HD streaming vid on t-mobile, it really shoots down all these "network overload" excuses that the carriers have had in the past. Also if they think about it they should drop download limits anyway on the grounds of financial gain. I mean look at all the money they could make on "data overages" that could be happening for people that dont pay attention. Not that I think anyone should be taken advantage of, but that's why I said give us the option of toggling the limit on and off.

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Answer 10

LadyMoonBay Author

Level 1

11 points

Feb 14, 2017 4:09 PM in response to KiltedTim

A. No one was ranting, least of all childishly.

B. These forums are on Apple and while they dont seem to be policed half as well as our data (😁), I'm sure that sooner or later some one will (or has) reviewed this.

C. Dropping and letting things go does not get things resolved. What if Thomas Edison had "dropped it" after the first few failures making the light bulb?

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Answer 11

KaeBFly

Level 6

8,263 points

Feb 14, 2017 4:57 PM in response to LadyMoonBay

You're welcome but you made it seem like apps over 100 me period were not capable of being downloaded via cellular. That's not accurate. As the message states, apps that don't allow incremental downloads may not without using wifi. So some of your anger or disappointment should maybe be with the app developers (I imagine) as they can help with the issue since clearly there are apps that adhere to the incremental stipulation. Either way...good luck with it all working out the way that you want it to. I'm not too bothered by it (and I have unlimited data also...have for years) but I get the minor inconvenience it may cause if you don't have access to wifi on a regular basis or something.

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Answer 12

Kbastaki

Level 1

4 points

Feb 19, 2017 12:32 PM in response to LadyMoonBay

In order to bypass this nonsense limitation i connect to another cellular device and download anything larger than 100 MB that way, i use an android phone as my hotspot by placing the SIM there then connect my Iphone to it via hotspot.

Apple, seriously !!!!

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Answer 13

Aug 4, 2017 7:22 AM in response to KaeBFly

I don't agree if that were the case then how do you explain all the android users who have and have had the ability for the longest to choose weather or not to download large apps over wifi of cellular if they choose so on the same carriers networks. The play store prompts you and gives you this option so it's has nothing to do with the carriers it's apple doing what apple does best and that's holding its costumers by the hand doing what they fell is best and not what we want apple is a democracy this is the only issue I have with them and I wish they would change that because you'd be surprise how something like this can cause them to loose customers because believe me the littles things count too.

I guarantee a apple user realized he couldn't download apps over 100mb and saw his buddy being able to download the same app over cellular on his shiny new s7 or s8 and said the **** with apple and don't underestimate that I guarantee it's happened on more than one occasion

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Answer 14

sunoy14

Level 1

4 points

Sep 14, 2017 11:22 PM in response to KaeBFly

The limit is only on idevices. Android has the toggle switch option since years.

Which also means that the limitation probably is not from the carriers in the present days.

Things like these will make me and some others leave apple one day or other. Also reasons like iphone 7 paint chipping 🤓. First they dont listen. Then they launch ****** priducts 😩. Now I have to hide my iphone 7 in a case. I'm ashamed to show my huge chipped paint. But apple doesn't care. I get it.

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Answer 15

Dec 20, 2017 6:31 PM in response to LadyMoonBay

No land lines at my house. I just connect my iPhone to my tablet via hotspot. Downloads from the AppStore every time. It can be a bit slow since most everyone is on unlimited now.

Carriers find a way to limit us while leaving the backdoor open. Since my tablet and my iPhone each have 15 gigs independent of the 22 gig main allowance, I hotspot each one off of each other when I’m at home so I have all my main plan for my iPhone while I’m out during the day.

Gotta limiting just for the sake of limitations.

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