How to update your iPhone/iPod/iPad without iTunes via OTA! [iOS 5 and above]

by Karthik K on January 16, 2012 in Apple

Here’s how you could update your iPhone / iPod / iPad through Over-the-Air update without iTunes on iOS 5 device. The OTA can be performed with either WiFi or 3G networks.

With iOS 5, Apple introduced Over-the-Air updates for its iOS devices, and the updates are not Delta updates instead of the regular updates that Apple gives us. These updates can be installed directly on your iOS devices like iPhone, iPad or the iPod Touch with just a few steps, as and when the updates are pushed to the devices.

Rather than the traditional way of downloading a IPSW to your iTunes and then restoring your device with the new firmware, the OTA updates are a huge feature for the iOS device owners. And what’s more interesting is that, these updates can be done with either 3G or WiFi networks right on your device. Now, let’s see how this could be done:

Launch Settings
Tap General
Now, you’ll find a new tab on this page. Tap Software Update
This would show you the information about your OS and whether a new software update is available or not.
If some update is available, the just Click on Download and Install.
This would update your iOS device to the latest firmware.

Your device need to have at least 50% of the battery and be connected to the Internet to update the device.

The OTA are much better when compared to the traditional software updates. These updates are smaller in size and does not affect any settings on your device.

You can also follow Karthik on Google+ of Facebook or Twitter.