Apple Sued Over Automatic iOS 7 Downloads to iOS 6-Powered Devices

[mccldwll]

?....and as I stated before (and others), the storage capacity is as advertised, and is stated that it is minus OS space, which this would count as OS space, which can increase or decrease from original purchase date. And he DID CONSENT to this by agreeing to the terms of use of iOS when he first activated the phone.

Also, as many others have stated and I beleive I did, you can delete these files, and prevent them from being downloaded, I have had an iPhone since the 3GS, and I always wait a month or 2 after new iOS (waited 4 months on iOS6 because i didnt have time to backup my phone), and my phone has NEVER downloaded the updates, its as simple as turning off OTA updates. and yes I have WiFi at home, and my phone is almost always plugged in when I am at home (and at work too actually - which also has WiFi).

again your comparisons are inacurate, apple is not replacing your storage with a smaller capacity, just providing a service that you have to turn on that automatically downloads and takes up 750MB (which is only 4% of the smallest iPhone 16GB)

1. A file that someone does not want to install and provides no benefit is not part of the OS.
2. Where is there specific agreement to this?
3. Exactly how do you safely delete those files? Where is that info offered.
4. It automatically downloads and people are reporting that the installer file occupies 3GB. However, even if .75GB, that's still a lot of wasted content space for someone who doesn't want iOS7. Where do you draw the line on space that can be filled and not deleted?
5. You don't have to turn it on. It's on.
6. The smallest iPhone impacted is 8GB.

 

[Swytch]

Lawyer?

I agree. Anyone with sense of value and consumer rights would. I'm surprised people think taking 3GB of 16GB without a solution ( easy for Apple with their thousands of programmers and engineers) is perfectly ok.

It's hard to manage just 16GB. I couldn't imagine if it was rendered to 13GB effectively. It's less of my favorite albums or less of my favorite apps that I could have, for what? Because Apple can't be bothered to put a delete button in the settings somewhere?

This is such an easy fix.

And the guy wasn't suing for millions. He's just getting Apples attention. Good for him.

99% of the time us MacRumors community members are being whiny, entitled brats, and no one self-realizes. The one time Apple blatantly violates a consumer right, anyone expressing discontent is being called a whiny and entitled brat. "Just upgrade to iOS 7!" Wut? I'm an early adopter type, but I can't hate on the iPhone 4/s friends that would rather wait until Apple fixes the battery drain issue.

as stated many times, its 750MB NOT 3GB, and yes there is a button to delete it, and yes there is a way to stop the download (turn off OTA Updates - I have never had one DL I have to plug in to computer and click yes when itunes asks if i want to dl)

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Try reading a few more pages of posts before deciding you're qualified to clarify the intent… of posts you admit you haven't even read.

That is exactly what many are doing.

There are countless people here explicitly attacking anyone not upgrading period.

and you are attacking apple for not allowing people to delete or prevent this dl, when it is very simple to do so (read about 2 posts up from yours) - connect to itunes, and turn off OTA updates/sync, and say no i do not want to download teh update and do not ask again... problem solved no need to sue.

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I pay monthly fees for those few apps. I should be able to use them when I choose to. Within in reason of course. I don't sell it or give it to others. I guess letting someone use your Netflix password would be pirating also? That's not pirating. My EYEpad doesn't even have an eyepatch.

I am sure the monthly service you subscribe in the Terms of Use says it can only be used in a certain area (hence why they block you in other areas).

And yes, letting someone use your Netflix password is Pirating, the Netflix Terms Of Use disallows this.

 

[milo]

That's not being defensive of Apple

If you think "just sell your iPhone and buy a new one" isn't defensive of Apple, I don't know what to tell you.

as stated many times, its 750MB NOT 3GB, and yes there is a button to delete it, and yes there is a way to stop the download (turn off OTA Updates - I have never had one DL I have to plug in to computer and click yes when itunes asks if i want to dl)

If there is a button to delete it, why can't anyone seem to find that button? This guy is asking for a way to do that, if Apple could point him to that button, wouldn't this lawsuit just go away? And it has been discussed to death, the whole problem is that this update ignores the OTA Updates setting, it downloads even if you have that setting turned off.

 

[mccldwll]

If there is an easy fix as posted earlier, specifically:


"Sync with itunes . When asked if you want to download & install the update select do not ask me again then cancel .
The download is erased from the device & no auto download in the future ."


This should be verified and posted as update to original story.

 

[JackieInCo]

If you think "just sell your iPhone and buy a new one" isn't defensive of Apple, I don't know what to tell you.



If there is a button to delete it, why can't anyone seem to find that button? This guy is asking for a way to do that, if Apple could point him to that button, wouldn't this lawsuit just go away? And it has been discussed to death, the whole problem is that this update ignores the OTA Updates setting, it downloads even if you have that setting turned off.

There is no button to delete it on 6.1.3 and there is no way to stop it from downloading other than keeping less then 3GB space free. The update not download if there is less than 3GB free.

Also, someone mentioned that connecting to iTunes and then when prompted, telling iTunes to never prompt again about upgrading, will not stop the upgrade from downloading to the device. It will only stop iTunes from asking if you want to download.

 

[Numa10]

Apple has to provide options to downgrade
Ios 7 to at least 6 the problem solve, but want to show. ..Millions customers accept ios 7 . That ego makes problem apple want to go numbers not the by happy customer. I own iPhone and I like iPhone but I don't like some of the apple policies . Good luck apple thinking about android now

 

[Dave.UK]

Why would it say downloaded if it wasn't taking up space? Of course it's taking up space. And I would know because I have a nexus 4, 7, 10, android phones on AOSP, etc. It downloads without asking.

Android advises you there is a download available and asks if you want to download it.

Anyway, this is about ios, cant see why Android has been dragged into it.

 

[Numa10]

And again some of the people is advocating
For apple that's fine but u can't ignore or stop who s benn hurt . Because they they are apple customer and part of apple revenue . I know u cannot make all people happy but u should at least try and this such a serious matter. Thx

 

[hugo7]

Getting rid of that file

This storage theft (for those who have no intention of upgrading) really does show the arrogance of Apple.

Anyway, I found hints on the Apple forum on how to get rid of that 3Gb file (thanks go to SergZak)

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5385718?start=0&tstart=0

My steps differ slightly and I've outlined them below (Please note, some familiarity with using Terminal and the File System on OSX is required).

1. Put iPhone in Airplane mode
2. Connect iPhone to Laptop/PC and start iTunes
3. Backup iPhone data to iTunes

(NOTE: I take no responsibility for loss of data beyond this step. It's your responsibility to ensure all your IMPORTANT data is correctly backed up. The next step wipes your phone, almost like a factory reset, but doesn't do any firmware update).

4. On iPhone, in Settings App, select General->Reset->"Erase All Content and Settings".
5. Your phone will reboot/restart.
6. Upon getting the unlock prompt, unlock your phone and do following *immediately*
7. Put your phone into Airplane mode! … the device appears to start downloading the iOS7 update. Aaaargggh.
8. Go into Settings->Usage. Take note of the Photos & Camera usage.
9. Create a 5 minute movie with the Camera App on the iPhone. This creates a file in size 400-500MB. Take a look at Settings->Usage->Photos & Camera. You should notice an increase.
10. Import the movie with iPhoto.
11. Select your imported movie, and choose the pop-up menu option "Show File" to locate the movie in Finder (file system). Take a copy of the file.

sh-user$ cp IMG_701.MOV StubRoot.MOV

12. Make several copies of the file (here I made twenty)

sh-user$ for index in 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20; do cp StubRoot.MOV StubMovie${index}.MOV; done

(note: you can do steps 11 and 12 manually by using the Finder instead of Terminal. It just takes a little longer)

13. Import all the files into iTunes (you'll be wasting some laptop diskspace but that's a small sacrifice compared to stuffing your 8/16Gb iPhone).
14. Copy as many movie files as required to your iPhone, in order to fill up the storage. Leave no more than 1GB available. The iOS7 installer requires at least 2.9Gb.
15. Turn off Airplane mode.

That's it. When you go to General->Software Update, you'll see a complaint about the update cannot be downloaded because of insufficient space. Yeah. Whatever.

On a 16GB iPhone, my usage hovers between 9 and 12Gb (13Gb is the max space available), so no, i don't want to lose 3Gb unnecessarily. There is the inconvenience of micro-managing your storage space (I was almost unable to install TomTom 1.5Gb because of that unwanted iOS7 file), but at least I now get to use the space I want to.

I hope the steps above can help others reclaim their precious space.

 

[Bensalama21]

Simple solution: Install the iOS 7 download and get over yourself. iOS 7 is great, live in the now and not in the past.

I didn't want iOS 7 on my iPhone 4 because I already have iOS 7 on my iTouch, iPad 3 and 4, and iPhone 5S... I don't want an operating system to clog up 3 of my 16gb (Don't mind it on my 64gb ipads or new iphone). Now I can't store nearly as many applications on my 4.

It is completely stupid that people are suing over this, but I think Apple should have an option to delete the install for people like me that use the old iPhone as more of an expensive Thumb drive.

 

[kdarling]

It is completely stupid that people are suing over this, but I think Apple should have an option to delete the install for people like me that use the old iPhone as more of an expensive Thumb drive.

It is a little bit stupid that people HAVE to sue over this. It was just poor design by a programmer who simply assumed the file would always be used.

Not a biggie; these things happen. Just like when that programmer goofed and forgot to put a limit on the location cache file size.

However, a resolution will help users in the future, in the same way that Apple finally decided to allow older app versions to be available.

In other words, this is good for people who like to keep devices for more than a couple of years.

 

[skorpien]

If you are still using an iPhone 4 it wont matter what iOS you are running you need an upgrade. My wife still has the iphone 4 and comparing to iphone 5S wow. iOS 7 on iphone 4 runs slower than iOS6

I was saying that the reason some people would NOT upgrade to iOS 7 is BECAUSE they may have legacy devices that do not work well with it. It worked just fine with iOS 6 but has been extremely laggy and troublesome with the new iOS.

For the record, I have a 64GB 5S now (just hadn't updated my signature). But I'm giving my iPhone 4 to a family member that's upgrading from a "dumb" phone.

I'll be wiping it before handing it over. Hopefully a master reset works out some of the kinks.

 

[6749974]

as stated many times, its 750MB NOT 3GB, and yes there is a button to delete it, and yes there is a way to stop the download (turn off OTA Updates - I have never had one DL I have to plug in to computer and click yes when itunes asks if i want to dl)

Thanks for the updated info. You might want to tell MacRumors + every other news site.

 

[JackieInCo]

Thanks for the updated info. You might want to tell MacRumors + every other news site.

Stopping automatic downloads doesn't help those using 6.1.3 so telling MacRumors and other sites really won't do all that much since that info only applies to 7.0+ users. The thread title talks about iOS 6 users, not 7.0.

 

[globalist]

It is a little bit stupid that people HAVE to sue over this. It was just poor design by a programmer who simply assumed the file would always be used.

Not a biggie; these things happen. Just like when that programmer goofed and forgot to put a limit on the location cache file size.

However, a resolution will help users in the future, in the same way that Apple finally decided to allow older app versions to be available.

In other words, this is good for people who like to keep devices for more than a couple of years.

Exactly. There are only 2 things worse than this whole stupid "forced download" business:

1. That indeed, as you say, this is likely just an oversight (and poor design) by Apple and yet they've refused to address the issue in a timely manner, due to them being the large corporation they are.

2. That a story like this, one of a legitimate usage concern, somehow manages to garner over 20 pages of MR replies just because a few obtuse fanboys, as usual, cannot accept that "Apple fixing the issue" just might be a better solution than the "user sucking it up".

 

[6749974]

Stopping automatic downloads doesn't help those using 6.1.3 so telling MacRumors and other sites really won't do all that much since that info only applies to 7.0+ users. The thread title talks about iOS 6 users, not 7.0.

I thought as much. I was just telling him to bark up the right tree, not me.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

Except that this happens all the time, plenty of Video Games are no longer playable because they are online only, and the Servers needed to play the game are no longer running or allowing connections. EA does this the most, and the worst that has happened to them is they are at the top of the list of The Consumer Reports Worst Company of the year for like 5 years now. Some BluRay players do not get firmware updates for new DRM protection, and people cant play newer BluRays on their devices.

Yes, and NONE of that is even remotely the same thing as Apple bricking my otherwise functional hardware device just because they feel like it (as you previously claimed)

 

[Cubytus]

Do you even live in the United States?

Take a look at the largest broadband internet providers in the United States. All internet plans are advertised based on speed, not data caps. When caps do exist, they exist because 98% of the user base does not reach that cap. I've seen 100GB, i've seen 250GB. Granted i've seen 50GB, but when you have a 1Mbps home internet plan for $20, you're probably not going to get there without torrenting 24/7. Data caps are only a very new concept installed recently and on a handful of internet plans.

I don't live there thankfully, as this country is almost always portrayed as violent and arrogant by even its allies, not counting very costly to live in decently.

No caps are advertised because nobody likes to be reminded there is a ceiling, and a low one at that. A 250GB or 100GB cap don't make any difference to me, it's much too low.

If you go on DSLReports, you'll see plenty of appalling comments on US ISPs. I guess they don't come from nowhere, but caps may not be longer a primary concern, that's true.

Further Research:

AT&T DSL: 150GB with $10 for every 50GB over; AT&T U-Verse Fiber Optic: 250GB
Centurylink DSL: 250GB
Comcast XFinity: No Data Cap except in select markets (two last i checked). Those data caps go from 300GB to 600GB
Cox Cable: 250GB for a 25Mbps plan; 400GB for a 150Mbps plan
Verizon FiOS Fiber Optic: No Data Cap

As you can see, there is a lot of room to go around.

Highlighted are the ones with caps low enough to bother any serious Internet user. You just contradicted yourself. Apparently, cap-less plans do exist in the US, but are not universal, nor the default.

Some BluRay players do not get firmware updates for new DRM protection, and people cant play newer BluRays on their devices.

For that reason and ironically related to above cited post, no caps and free download will remain the way to go for a while. I never accepted that my home player would have to fit in this chain:

 

[petey2133]

I get his point, but could he seriously have made it in a more over-dramatic way?

I have my doubts.

We live in a litigious time, I suppose.

No, its more than this. If you call apple and you ask for help reversing it they say "sorry, it cant happen". If you call apple to complain about it not being able to reverse they will say "sorry, come IOS 8 you will know what to do".

So instead of getting the run around, he took the initiative in which millions of irritated people want to but never have to gull to do. Sue apple. Do I agree in suing over petty things like this? No. Does it get the point across to apple, that customers still want to be heard? Absolutely.

 

[Wondercow]

North Americans...

What do Canada and Mexico have to do with this?

 

[load97]

And when you've exhausted all the possible avenues with communicating with Apple and have got no-where, the only option is the small claims court.

Correct.

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Exactly. There are only 2 things worse than this whole stupid "forced download" business:

1. That indeed, as you say, this is likely just an oversight (and poor design) by Apple and yet they've refused to address the issue in a timely manner, due to them being the large corporation they are.

2. That a story like this, one of a legitimate usage concern, somehow manages to garner over 20 pages of MR replies just because a few obtuse fanboys, as usual, cannot accept that "Apple fixing the issue" just might be a better solution than the "user sucking it up".

Exactly.

 

[kdarling]

1. That indeed, as you say, this is likely just an oversight (and poor design) by Apple and yet they've refused to address the issue in a timely manner, due to them being the large corporation they are.

To be fair, it does take time to think about, test, and approve a solution with the fewest ramifications.

Especially in large corporations

 

[globalist]

To be fair, it does take time to think about, test, and approve a solution with the fewest ramifications.

Especially in large corporations

It takes almost zero time to assure the customer that indeed they are thinking about, testing, or approving a solution to his issue. If they are, that is.

 

[kdarling]

It takes almost zero time to assure the customer that indeed they are thinking about, testing, or approving a solution to his issue. If they are, that is.

Agreed !!

Apple under Tim Cook has been better than usual about keeping their users in the loop, so it's a bit disappointing that they've fallen back into their usual "pretend nothing is happening until we get a fix" mode.

 

[Swytch]

Yes, and NONE of that is even remotely the same thing as Apple bricking my otherwise functional hardware device just because they feel like it (as you previously claimed)

uhm... how is it not the same? You buy a game or movie, and can not play it, game is essentially a coaster or a brick (that you cant return because it is open)...

and if you need a better example, what about the mandatory XBOX360 dashboard updates that bricked consoles? Microsoft sent new consoles to affected users, but not because they were required by any law to do so (and what they got was an old refurbished console which may not necessarily be better except that it works , and would cause them to lose files on their old console).