iOS 16.1 Beta 3 Lets You Preload In-App Content After Installing Apps So They're Ready to Go

[MacRumors]

In the latest iOS 16.1 beta, Apple has added a new toggle to the App Store's settings that allows apps to automatically begin downloading their in-app content after they're downloaded and before a user launches them for the first time.

"Automatically run apps in the background to download content before you first launch them," the description of the toggle says. With the new option enabled, after a user installs an app from the App Store, it'll automatically begin running in the background to download their in-app content so that when the user opens the app for the first time, it's ready to go.

The new toggle was added in iOS 16.1 beta 3 and macOS Ventura beta 9. Also, in the latest macOS Ventura beta, Apple has a new dynamic version of its Ventura marketing wallpaper.

Article Link: iOS 16.1 Beta 3 Lets You Preload In-App Content After Installing Apps So They're Ready to Go

 

[twocents]

Yeah… pass on that all things considered Meta

 

[solarflab]

I dont get it. Why? If you are downloading an app, aren't you most likely going to open that app as soon as its installed? Why even make it an option?

 

[justinwithers]

Seems to be enabled out of the box, interesting but not critical tweak I guess

 

[adamlbiscuit]

I can't recall the last time an app required an additional download after installing. Does anyone have any examples? The only ones I can think of are games.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

I can't recall the last time an app required an additional download after installing. Does anyone have any examples? The only ones I can think of are games.

Yeah only games for me as well. I recall Simpsons Tapped Out taking an eternity.

 

[ignatius345]

I can't recall the last time an app required an additional download after installing. Does anyone have any examples? The only ones I can think of are games.

Content streaming apps. One of the first things I've had to do with a new phone is launch Spotify and let it start downloading the many GB of music I've saved to play offline. Same would apply to stuff like HBO Max that also lets you locally cache content for offline use. Could maybe apply to something like Dropbox to preload pinned files.

But yeah, even considering the above it's not like I'm getting a new phone every week and need to keep doing this. Whatever, might save some time at some point ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[TimmKook]

GOOD MORNING!

This is a sneaky way for us to enable Background App Refresh for new apps, considering most people turned BAR off a long time ago after realizing we only use it to track users and it provides the user nothing.

 

[antiprotest]

I can't recall the last time an app required an additional download after installing. Does anyone have any examples? The only ones I can think of are games.

Many games do this. But I am not sure if that setting is a good idea. Like, the game might say it's 1GB on the app store, and then they want to hit you with another 15GB after you launch it.

 

[9594864]

Talk about really teaching for unnecessary changes when there are critically important things that need addressed immediately.

Notifications are being missed by hundreds of millions of iPhone users thanks to the moronic hidden submenu they’re delegated to now.

 

[Shirasaki]

Wow, those mobile games will definitely use this feature EXTENSIVELY after every month‘s maintenance. Aside from that, I dunno who will benefit too much from it.
Just did a quick test and Genshin took advantage of that very well. O_O

 

[Berti10]

That will be great for REAL RACING 3

 

[USB-Adapter]

I think, in a rare case you install an app with in-app content to be downloaded in background, App Store could just ask if you want to allow downloading after the app installation.

I dont get it. Why? If you are downloading an app, aren't you most likely going to open that app as soon as its installed? Why even make it an option?

Sometimes I install a bunch of apps like games or learning apps for the kids etc. without starting them. But I do so not very often.

 

[SaguaroSeven]

I find it humorous that in an Apple Store yesterday, a hardware genius literally told me I should disable background refresh completely or for as many apps as possible, to improve battery life. Haha!

I've seen a number of games wanting to download extra content, usually with a dialog asking if that's "ok." Why is this even the case? What's the point of an app that doesn't include all the components and data needed to run/play? This is quite different from the examples of a music app, HBO, or podcast app....

This makes me wonder two things:
1. What is the best practice for background app refresh settings?
2. Why is this new setting even necessary? 🤔

 

[MikhailT]

I find it humorous that in an Apple Store yesterday, a hardware genius literally told me I should disable background refresh completely or for as many apps as possible, to improve battery life. Haha!

I've seen a number of games wanting to download extra content, usually with a dialog asking if that's "ok." Why is this even the case? What's the point of an app that doesn't include all the components and data needed to run/play? This is quite different from the examples of a music app, HBO, or podcast app....

This makes me wonder two things:
1. What is the best practice for background app refresh settings?
2. Why is this new setting even necessary? 🤔

Because Apple devices do not have large drives, so Apple's SDK is designed to help developers build content in chunks for their games and apps that can download on the fly as needed.

This setting is likely to help download the chunks if there are available space for it in advance, instead of the app checking on first launch and then download it.

 

[daveheinzel]

That will be great for REAL RACING 3

Totally! Every race on my new phone is like, "Downloading an additional 204 MB..."

 

[Osxguy]

Why wasn't this a version 1 kinda thing. Especially in the data capping days of our favorite cellular companies...I am honestly asking, was it a dev issues, was it an apple issue... Im that person if I buy a game and have to spend 20-30 minutes to download your updates/game play I hit the delete button or stop playing the game..

 

[ss2cire]

Yeah, the only thing I can think of for this feature is games that require additional content downloading. At least Apple finally added the option to do this.

 

[sdf]

I dont get it. Why? If you are downloading an app, aren't you most likely going to open that app as soon as its installed? Why even make it an option?

Personally, I'm likely to lose interest while the app is still downloading and not get back to it for several hours.

 

[zarmanto]

I dont get it. Why? If you are downloading an app, aren't you most likely going to open that app as soon as its installed? Why even make it an option?

This is just a guess... but if the feature also applies to app updates, than it'll eliminate the need for the user to wait for those content updates which are separate from the in-store app update, as the app updates are commonly performed overnight, and with this feature, the content update can immediately follow.

As for the question of "why does this separation even exist?": I believe performing content updates separately from in-store app file updates is a method for getting around the app file size limitation. As noted by others, games benefit the most.

I presume there will also have to be some kind of accommodation for users who are not on Wi-Fi; Simpsons Tapped Out routinely verifies with every content update that I'm okay with performing the download over my cellular connection. While I have a legacy "true" unlimited data account, (until my carrier finally decides to do away with grandfathered accounts, of course) I don't imagine that unlimited data is anywhere near ubiquitous enough to forgo asking that question entirely... but perhaps asking it one more time might be in order.

 

[DaPizzaMan]

Content streaming apps. One of the first things I've had to do with a new phone is launch Spotify and let it start downloading the many GB of music I've saved to play offline. Same would apply to stuff like HBO Max that also lets you locally cache content for offline use. Could maybe apply to something like Dropbox to preload pinned files.

But yeah, even considering the above it's not like I'm getting a new phone every week and need to keep doing this. Whatever, might save some time at some point ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But apps like Spotify and HBO Max will require a login before they can download content for offline use. Plus - at least in the case of streaming apps - that offline content is per-device. Meaning it will not re-download on a new device.

I think this targets predominantly games that have extra content.

 

[adamjackson]

I don't play games on my iPhone like ever so that's one use case but I also use a LOT of navigation apps. I think I Have 6 of them and they have monthly or quarterly offline map updates that I wish would just load without prompting me.

My Off road dirt bike app will get opened when I'm going out riding and by then I'm already suited up and don't want to update the offline maps.

before you guys call me crazy, I live in an area with no cell phone service so when I leave my house, if it's not an offline map, I'm pretty much lost

 

[ignatius345]

But apps like Spotify and HBO Max will require a login before they can download content for offline use. Plus - at least in the case of streaming apps - that offline content is per-device. Meaning it will not re-download on a new device.

I think this targets predominantly games that have extra content.

True, hadn't considered that!

Is it possible, though, that if you pay for your HBO Max account subscription through Apple, it would "log in" automatically (that is, detect there's an active subscription for your Apple ID)?

 

[DaPizzaMan]

True, hadn't considered that!

Is it possible, though, that if you pay for your HBO Max account subscription through Apple, it would "log in" automatically (that is, detect there's an active subscription for your Apple ID)?

You're forgetting:

Plus - at least in the case of streaming apps - that offline content is per-device. Meaning it will not re-download on a new device.

 

[Lord Hamsa]

I've seen a number of games wanting to download extra content, usually with a dialog asking if that's "ok." Why is this even the case? What's the point of an app that doesn't include all the components and data needed to run/play? This is quite different from the examples of a music app, HBO, or podcast app....

A lot of games update content very frequently (weekly or more often). To avoid having to publish a new app version for review each time, the apps are segregated into to core game itself (the part you download from the app store) and data files used by the game, which can be updated by the developer outside of the app store process. The app itself only updates when the core game engine needs to be changed.

In most cases, the extra downloads are mandatory, though there may be some optional features that you can do without if you'd prefer to save space (language packs, extra audio, etc.).