Do you have to plug your phone in anymore for software updates?

[Infiniti7]

I remember before ios5 you always had to plug your phone in for software updates. Is that still the case? Or can you do it without plugging it into iTunes now?

 

[furygoalbrtis39]

You can now update OTA (over-the-air) in iOS 5+ from Settings>General>Software Update
You do need to be on wifi though.

 

[Apple Ifad]

This is true. Unless you are a jailbreak freak like myself.

 

[Infiniti7]

So updating your phone plugging it in vs in "settings" is the exact same thing?

 

[Gixxer07]

You don't have to be connected to power to do the ota updates. At least last time I did it you didn't have. I updated to 5.1 from jailbroken 5.0.1 so I had to use iTunes.

 

[itsalexaye]

Nope!! That's one of the big features of iOS 5


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

 

[Jeremy]

You don't have to be connected to power to do the ota updates. At least last time I did it you didn't have. I updated to 5.1 from jailbroken 5.0.1 so I had to use iTunes.

This is correct and not correct. You have to have your battery charged more than 50% to be able to update while not being plugged into a power source.

 

[Timhewitt]

This is correct and not correct. You have to have your battery charged more than 50% to be able to update while not being plugged into a power source.

This was not enforced in the 5.1 update. I dismissed the warning and upgraded with about 30% available battery no problem.

 

[sting7k]

Downloading OTA also makes the DL much smaller. Over iTunes iOS 5.1 update was 700+MB; I assume the full thing. OTA it said it was ~125MB; I think it was around that.

 

[ThePinkChameleon]

Yes, you can update OTA thru settings etc. but if your able to usb to iTunes, i'd suggest that route instead. OTA installs can install 'wonky' for a looser term and then at some point may need a clean restore thru iTunes anyway. if it was me doing the install, i'm all for usb'ing to itunes but thats just MPO.

 

[Parry]

OTA installs can install 'wonky' for a looser term and then at some point may need a clean restore thru iTunes anyway. if it was me doing the install, i'm all for usb'ing to itunes but thats just MPO.

Exactly, I remember reading it on one of the forums that the person was advised by Apple to do a DFU install of iOS 5.1 as he still was facing battery drain.

And, after going in for the same he confirms seeing a difference than what it was on thru OTA update.

 

[Jaguarr40]

With my own personal preference I like to have my phone plugged into itunes to do everything I want to do so that it is backed up first and less likely a chance of anything going wrong and if something does go wrong you have a backup to restore from.