Skip current iOS updates?

[AMSOS]

I am currently running iOS 12.1.4 on my iPhone 8. The phone works great and I can see the difference in speed and smoothness from when I used the 7 on iOS 11.

I see that some updates have recently been sent out and the latest version is 12.3.1. Is this a crucial update? Am I missing out on some important security patches?

I am thinking of just waiting till iOS 13 is released and then upgrading directly to that. What do you say?

Thanks!

 

[Newtons Apple]

I always update soon after they come out and have never had it slow my phone down.
Apple is somewhat vague in it descriptions of it's updates.

 

[Shirasaki]

Unless you have jailbreak, why not going for iOS 12.3.1? You can go directly for iOS 13 but iOS 13.0 would be a hell of a mess because it is still new. It’s your call.

 

[eyoungren]

I am currently running iOS 12.1.4 on my iPhone 8. The phone works great and I can see the difference in speed and smoothness from when I used the 7 on iOS 11.

I see that some updates have recently been sent out and the latest version is 12.3.1. Is this a crucial update? Am I missing out on some important security patches?

I am thinking of just waiting till iOS 13 is released and then upgrading directly to that. What do you say?

Thanks!

You can skip any update you like for as long as you like. Apple doesn't force it on you (anymore) - but they will keep bothering you about it.

What they WON'T let you do is downgrade.

On my iPhone 6s+ I've skipped every update from iOS 9.1 on up. Been sitting on 9.0.2 for almost four years now. 😉

 

[AMSOS]

Unless you have jailbreak, why not going for iOS 12.3.1? You can go directly for iOS 13 but iOS 13.0 would be a hell of a mess because it is still new. It’s your call.

Good point. So far, I've kept myself a bit behind the latest updates. So, e.g., I went from 11.4.1 to 12.1.4. This is simply because of the gremlins associated a major update. Perhaps due to skipping a few "mini" versions, I've had a good experience with the OS so far.

That means I won't be upgrading to iOS 13 as soon as it's released and will wait for 13.1.3 or 13.1.4. Which makes me think that it might be a good idea to go to 12.3.1 now.

But, can you explain what major changes have been made going forward from 12.1.4 to 12.3.1?

Thanks!
[doublepost=1561144582][/doublepost]

Apple is somewhat vague in it descriptions of it's updates.

Exactly. And the update I see now is nearly 1 GB, which is pretty big. I am left wondering if this has major changes from the previous versions, or it's big for other, perhaps not very important, reasons?

 

[Newtons Apple]

Exactly. And the update I see now is nearly 1 GB, which is pretty big. I am left wondering if this has major changes from the previous versions, or it's big for other, perhaps not very important, reasons?

You can go to the apple site and get a more detailed idea of what it does.

If you do not want to to it, don't!

It is not that big of a deal either way.

 

[AMSOS]

What they WON'T let you do is downgrade.

On my iPhone 6s+ I've skipped every update from iOS 9.1 on up. Been sitting on 9.0.2 for almost four years now. 😉

Ah! I didn't know that. Which means, one should be careful and first know what one is getting into. Speaking of which, what's so special about the current 12.3.1 version? I am thinking Ill skip it and just go straight to 13.1.3 or 13.1.4 (I'll wait for teething problems to be sorted out with 13.1.1 and 13.1.2).

Whoa! You definitely don't follow the herd. I just had a friend tell me that he's still using the 6 on 10.3.x! And the phone is pretty smooth to use, though I can tell the difference in performance between it and my 8.

Can you explain why you decided to stay away from upgrades? Especially since iOS 12 was touted (and rightly so) to be especially made to help older hardware.

Thanks!
[doublepost=1561145014][/doublepost]

If you do not want to to it, don't!

It is not that big of a deal either way.

Thanks. I am quite happy with the performance of my 8 on 12.1.4 and part of me doesn't feels like upsetting the applecart 🙂

I really don't care about most new features but security is an issue. Do you also mean to say that not upgrading is not a big deal even from the point of view of security?

 

[chrfr]

I am left wondering if this has major changes from the previous versions, or it's big for other, perhaps not very important, reasons?

There are a number of articles on this site detailing new features in both 12.2 and 12.3.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Ah! I didn't know that. Which means, one should be careful and first know what one is getting into. Speaking of which, what's so special about the current 12.3.1 version? I am thinking Ill skip it and just go straight to 13.1.3 or 13.1.4 (I'll wait for teething problems to be sorted out with 13.1.1 and 13.1.2).

Whoa! You definitely don't follow the herd. I just had a friend tell me that he's still using the 6 on 10.3.x! And the phone is pretty smooth to use, though I can tell the difference in performance between it and my 8.

Can you explain why you decided to stay away from upgrades? Especially since iOS 12 was touted (and rightly so) to be especially made to help older hardware.

Thanks!
[doublepost=1561145014][/doublepost]
Thanks. I am quite happy with the performance of my 8 on 12.1.4 and part of me doesn't feels like upsetting the applecart 🙂

I really don't care about most new features but security is an issue. Do you also mean to say that not upgrading is not a big deal even from the point of view of security?

YOU need to go to Apple and see the details and decide for yourself.

 

[shenfrey]

You should always update

 

[now i see it]

The last update of iOS 12 (or any iOS version) that's typically released by the end of summer is THE BEST VERSION of that iOS version that will ever exist.
That is the one to definitely install.

The first release of a brand new iOS version (13 in this case) will be the buggiest and worst version of its existence.
The best time to install a new version of iOS (if you dare) is usually right about now- early summer. That way most of the glaring bugs have been worked out.

The bottom line is.... Be patient. Don't install brand new iOS releases on launch day. Wait

 

[AMSOS]

The first release of a brand new iOS version (13 in this case) will be the buggiest and worst version of its existence.
The best time to install a new version of iOS (if you dare) is usually right about now- early summer. That way most of the glaring bugs have been worked out.

The bottom line is.... Be patient. Don't install brand new iOS releases on launch day. Wait several months.

Great. I'll update now and then wait for the initial bugs of iOS 13 to be cleared out.

Btw, are there any plans afoot to make using Siri mandatory? In my current setup I've switched it off and don't use it at all. I am wondering since they're also debuting the new Maps.

Thanks

 

[Skylar.]

It shouldn't slow down your phone. iOS 12 was focused on speed improvements and with it just being small a update it'll hardly add anything or slow down anything. It's up to you, but personally, I'd install it.

 

[bodonnell202]

I am currently running iOS 12.1.4 on my iPhone 8. The phone works great and I can see the difference in speed and smoothness from when I used the 7 on iOS 11.

I see that some updates have recently been sent out and the latest version is 12.3.1. Is this a crucial update? Am I missing out on some important security patches?

I am thinking of just waiting till iOS 13 is released and then upgrading directly to that. What do you say?

Thanks!

iOS 12.3.1 has been great on all my devices - it's great on my 8 and may have even improved battery life slightly. I would definitely recommend updating to it. iOS 13 is also looking good, but once it is released to the public you may want to wait for a later version of iOS 13 when more of the bugs are worked out.

 

[eyoungren]

Can you explain why you decided to stay away from upgrades? Especially since iOS 12 was touted (and rightly so) to be especially made to help older hardware.

I have a fully-untethered jailbreak. The second to last one (9.1 was the last). Nothing I do with my phone has changed since Christmas 2008 when I got my first smartphone and Apple hasn't offered anything I've considered worth upgrading for since iOS 6. I've only upgraded because of a new iPhone or a repair/replacement.

 

[supergt]

I tend not to update immediately after the mess that was iOS11. Instead, I typically wait a few days so that I can evaluate the results of the people that feel compelled to update right away. I will also keep relatively close track of what's being offered in the update and decide if it is necessary. Right now both my devices are on 12.1.4 and I'm quite happy that way.

I am excited for iOS13 and it will be hard to not update right away unless they eliminate 3D touch functionality. If that's the case I'll likely update eventually and be pissed.

 

[Shirasaki]

Can you explain why you decided to stay away from upgrades? Especially since iOS 12 was touted (and rightly so) to be especially made to help older hardware.

For your friends that kept iOS 10.3.3 forever, it is likely they have a bunch of 32-bit apps that can no longer be used in iOS 11 and Up. I kinda wish they stay at iOS 9 though, whatever.

Great. I'll update now and then wait for the initial bugs of iOS 13 to be cleared out.

Btw, are there any plans afoot to make using Siri mandatory? In my current setup I've switched it off and don't use it at all. I am wondering since they're also debuting the new Maps.

Thanks

Nah. Nothing “explicitly” requires Siri except the brand new voice control and maybe CarPlay as a whole. I disable Siri entirely as well (wish I could disable it using MDM, well). In my opinion, Siri is created to let people Become even lazier, period. And I just could not get away with this “AI taking control of my life” thing.
They do make a lot of features 2FA mandatory though, which is pretty annoying. Sigh.

 

[AMSOS]

In my opinion, Siri is created to let people Become even lazier, period. And I just could not get away with this “AI taking control of my life” thing.
They do make a lot of features 2FA mandatory though, which is pretty annoying. Sigh.

Couldn’t agree more. I find it weird walking around and constantly working into a phone.
Yes, but I wonder where things will be in a few years. And knowing apple, they may well integrate AI into the core of iOS.
Don’t tell me! I’ve managed to keep away from 2FA on both my laptop and phone. It’s convokuted and I read somewhere there’s a real chance of you getting permanently locked out of your own digital life if you’re not careful with the rescue password, or some such thing.
[doublepost=1561217087][/doublepost]

Right now both my devices are on 12.1.4 and I'm quite happy that way.

I am excited for iOS13 and it will be hard to not update right away unless they eliminate 3D touch functionality. If that's the case I'll likely update eventually and be pissed.

Yes, after the update my phone is working pretty smooth, perhaps even a tad bit smoother/faster than before.

Well, I could live without 3D Touch but I do find it useful for some things I do. I hope they implement that Xr system at least.
[doublepost=1561217287][/doublepost]

with it just being small a update it'll hardly add anything or slow down anything.

Thanks, I updated and everything’s workings fine.
Speaking of the size of the update I saw that the file size was around 1 GB when I checked the update on my phone.

But when I eventually updated using iTunes on my Air, it downloaded a nearly 3 GB file. How come?!

 

[eyoungren]

But when I eventually updated using iTunes on my Air, it downloaded a nearly 3 GB file. How come?!

OTA updates contain only the files that change in order to keep the download as small as possible.

Downloads of updates through iTunes have the entire set of files.

 

[AMSOS]

OTA updates contain only the files that change in order to keep the download as small as possible.

Downloads of updates through iTunes have the entire set of files.

Hmm. So, if the smaller download via the phone is sufficient, why get all the files again when you download on the computer?

So, if I update via the computer then there's 3 GB of data being written on my phone, as opposed to less than 1 GB when I upgrade via OTA?

Why download all the files when a 1 GB package will do fine? And what differences between these two ways of downloading should one expect to see in the long run?

 

[RLT]

I am currently running iOS 12.1.4 on my iPhone 8. The phone works great and I can see the difference in speed and smoothness from when I used the 7 on iOS 11.

I see that some updates have recently been sent out and the latest version is 12.3.1. Is this a crucial update? Am I missing out on some important security patches?

I am thinking of just waiting till iOS 13 is released and then upgrading directly to that. What do you say?

Thanks!

[doublepost=1561242933][/doublepost]I always update to the latest version asap, but when I upgraded from 12.2 to 12.3.1 my battery drained like crazy. So I quickly went back to 12.2 and am happy with that. I have always been the biggest fan of Apple until the last 3-4 years. Now I leery of their updates and their new iPhones, etc. Very disappointing.

 

[Shirasaki]

Yes, but I wonder where things will be in a few years. And knowing apple, they may well integrate AI into the core of iOS.

They have integrated Siri into core iOS already. Automatic suggestion is part of Siri, for example. It will only go deeper as time goes on. I am ok with this. I just don’t want to use Siri like other people do: creat alarm, make calendar events or calling someone by saying “Hey Siri” followed by words.

Hmm. So, if the smaller download via the phone is sufficient, why get all the files again when you download on the computer?

So, if I update via the computer then there's 3 GB of data being written on my phone, as opposed to less than 1 GB when I upgrade via OTA?

Why download all the files when a 1 GB package will do fine? And what differences between these two ways of downloading should one expect to see in the long run?

You seemed to have some misunderstanding here. On iOS, updating system is like windows update update the windows. When majority system files are there, downloading them again is useless and a waste of time and data. On the other hand, when you update your device using iTunes, iTunes have no idea How many system file are changed. This is like you want to update your windows from another computer, and Microsoft won’t know how many files or patches you need to download, and have to push a whole system image to you and overwrite everything.

A side note: update size 1GB does not mean there will be 1GB dats written on your iPhone. It only shows the compressed installer package size. The actual size written on your iPhone can easily reach 2GB or so after unpacking the installer on your iPhone.

As of the difference in the long run, my opinion is no. No difference at all.

 

[Skylar.]

Thanks, I updated and everything’s workings fine.
Speaking of the size of the update I saw that the file size was around 1 GB when I checked the update on my phone.

But when I eventually updated using iTunes on my Air, it downloaded a nearly 3 GB file. How come?!

You downloaded the entire operating system file from iTunes, instead of just the updates needed for your phone. If that makes sense.

 

[AMSOS]

I upgraded from 12.2 to 12.3.1 my battery drained like crazy.

Sorry to hear that. My phone is running fine after the upgrade. In fact, there may even have been a minor improvement in battery life.
One thing I’ve always followed is to reinstall the OS after every big upgrade on my phone or computer. That has possibly helped in no small measure.

I have always been the biggest fan of Apple until the last 3-4 years. Now I leery of their updates and their new iPhones, etc. Very disappointing.

Completely agree! The laptops are going down in quality for no good reason other than the pressure if slimming firm the machine and driving up prices.
There was no reason to stop producing the much loved SE form factor. And now even Touch ID phones seeM give forever.

I guess the saving grace is this talk about a 5.4” full screen phone. But then it may still not have half-decent one-handed use, and will likely be burdened with too many cameras.
[doublepost=1561311881][/doublepost]

On the other hand, when you update your device using iTunes, iTunes have no idea How many system file are changed

I see. I get it now. But does this mean that lesser amount of data will be written on to the phone via OTA versus via iTunes?

 

[ApfelKuchen]

I see. I get it now. But does this mean that lesser amount of data will be written on to the phone via OTA versus via iTunes?

The iTunes download package supports full erase/reinstall (restore as a new iPhone) as well as incremental updates. By downloading the complete installer package once, the computer can then support both updates and restores of multiple devices running varying older versions of the OS.

If you mean, "Will the fully-installed size of the OS be smaller if you do OTA than iTunes?" No. The full install "manifest" will be the same.

The difference between OTA and iTunes updates is that, compared to most computers running iTunes, on-device space is at a premium on the iOS device (unless you happen to have a 256 GB model). By downloading only that which is needed to bring a particular device current (let's say, only that which is needed to convert 12.0.1 to 12.3.1), it's more likely the owner will have the space necessary to hold the download prior to installing, less likely to encounter the dreaded "insufficient space to download this update."

And as to whether Apple will remove the option to use Siri/make it mandatory? I'm sure that option will never go away. There are simply times when you need the device to be totally silent, so other means of control must be allowed. There are devices like HomePod and AirPod where voice control will be the primary user interface, but the touchscreen in iPhone and iPad isn't going away, anymore than the physical keyboard and trackpad/mouse in macOS.

Bear in mind that Siri is now the brand for Apple's search capabilities - you can do a Siri search without spoken commands. Siri makes suggestions without spoken commands. Apple clearly intends us to use "Siri" to represent their system of machine intelligence, rather than simply a method of voice-control.