You may already know that it is impossible to update your iPhone without Wi-Fi. The update process will not even start if the device is using mobile data.
But what if Wi-Fi simply isn’t an option for you right now and you don’t want to skip the all-important iOS update?
Well, in this article, we will show you three ways that you can install an iOS update on your iPhone even if you don’t have a Wi-Fi connection.
Update iPhone without Wi-Fi by Using Personal Hotspot
You may not be able to update the device over the air without a Wi-Fi connection, but there is a way around this problem.
You can use any other smartphone’s Personal Hotspot to create your own personal Wi-Fi network that you can use to update the device.
These steps should help:
Step 1: First, find a second smartphone that you can use and enable “Personal Hotspot” on it.
- For iOS, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot > Enable Personal Hotspot.
- For Android, the Personal Hotspot option is also found in the settings.
Step 2: On the iPhone that you want to update, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and find the Hotspot connection.
Step 3: Tap on it and enter the password to connect to it.
Step 4: Once connected to the Hotspot, go to Settings > General > Software Update to download and install the iOS update to the device.
Update iOS/iPadOS using iTunes/Finder
You can also just connect your device to the computer and update it via iTunes or Finder. Here’s how the process works:
Step 1: if you are using iTunes (macOS Mojave and lower or PC), ensure that you are running the latest version of iTunes on your computer. If you are using Finder (macOS Catalina), update macOS.
Step 2: Use a lightning cable to connect the iPhone to the computer.
Step 3: Click on the iPhone icon when it appears in iTunes (at the top) or Finder (in the sidebar) and then select the “Summary” section.
Step 4: Click on “Check for Update” and if an update is available, iTunes or Finder will download and install the latest version of iOS onto your device. You may be prompted to enter your device’s passcode.
Update iPhone by Downloading IPSW file
The last option you have if you want to update your device without Wi-Fi is to download the IPSW file from online sources and then manually install it on the device.
Although this is a fairly straightforward solution, there is a chance that the data on your device may be compromised when uploading the IPSW file onto your device.
If you would still like to use this method to update your device, you can use these steps:
Step 1: Go to ipsw.me to download the IPSW file that is suitable for your device.
Step 2: Connect the iPhone to the computer and open iTunes or Finder. Click on the device icon when it appears in iTunes.
Step 3: While holding down the “Shift or Option” key o your keyboard, click on “Check for Updates.”
Step 4: Select the IPSW file you downloaded and wait for the installation process to be completed.
Conclusion
The best way to update your iOS device is to use a wireless connection and update it wirelessly. But sometimes this isn’t an option because you may not have a stable Wi-Fi connection to facilitate the update process.
The three distinct solutions we have outlined here should be able to help you overcome this problem and update your device even without Wi-Fi.