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How could an OS update "off load" an App? I could understand an App no longer being supported such as major version iOS update. But off load feels like to be a

by ksec 2y ago

How could an OS update "off load" an App? I could understand an App no longer being supported such as major version iOS update. But off load feels like to be a new blacklist with new iOS update. At what point will Apple "off load" my contacts, photos or videos?

fckgw 2y ago
If the device is low on space to perform the OS update, it will temporarily remove any large apps from the device, perform the OS update and then re-download the apps from the app store. If the app was removed from the app store it cannot re-download it.
- MichaelZuo 2y ago
  This must be selected/confirmed by the user, or else the update won’t proceed, last time I tried it at least.
aleph_minus_one 2y ago
Simply read the old rantings by Richard Stallman from the 80s and 90s, and you know what might happen.
- amiga-workbench 2y ago
  He wasn't wrong, we have already had Amazon remotely deleting books from peoples Kindles.
orev 2y ago
One of the storage management options is to allow the phone to automatically offload (i.e. delete) unused apps, but not the data, and then automatically download it again when the user launches it. Installing an OS update would need temporary storage space on the phone, which could trigger the offload process if the storage space is low. Then the app wouldn’t be able to be downloaded again if it was removed from the store.
easeout 2y ago
If you have the offload feature turned on, downloading a new app or an OS update can cause least recently used apps to have their app bundle deleted while their Home Screen icons remain, such that they'll be downloaded again when you next launch them. I think the app sandbox files are kept on the phone, so you're still logged in. It's a way to cope with not having a big enough flash disk. OS updates are bigger than apps so the feature unblocks some users from upgrading. To your last question: Contacts don't take much space, so probably never. Photos and videos, if you use iCloud sync, you can choose to hold lower or original quality on your device but either way iCloud is the authoritative storage point. I don't think they get offloaded like apps when you need more space but they're big enough for that to be realistic. Conversely I think when your local storage is full, new photos taken elsewhere won't sync down.

by ksec 2y ago

fckgw 2y ago

If the device is low on space to perform the OS update, it will temporarily remove any large apps from the device, perform the OS update and then re-download the apps from the app store. If the app was removed from the app store it cannot re-download it.

MichaelZuo 2y ago
This must be selected/confirmed by the user, or else the update won’t proceed, last time I tried it at least.

aleph_minus_one 2y ago

Simply read the old rantings by Richard Stallman from the 80s and 90s, and you know what might happen.

amiga-workbench 2y ago
He wasn't wrong, we have already had Amazon remotely deleting books from peoples Kindles.

orev 2y ago

One of the storage management options is to allow the phone to automatically offload (i.e. delete) unused apps, but not the data, and then automatically download it again when the user launches it. Installing an OS update would need temporary storage space on the phone, which could trigger the offload process if the storage space is low. Then the app wouldn’t be able to be downloaded again if it was removed from the store.

easeout 2y ago

If you have the offload feature turned on, downloading a new app or an OS update can cause least recently used apps to have their app bundle deleted while their Home Screen icons remain, such that they'll be downloaded again when you next launch them. I think the app sandbox files are kept on the phone, so you're still logged in. It's a way to cope with not having a big enough flash disk. OS updates are bigger than apps so the feature unblocks some users from upgrading. To your last question: Contacts don't take much space, so probably never. Photos and videos, if you use iCloud sync, you can choose to hold lower or original quality on your device but either way iCloud is the authoritative storage point. I don't think they get offloaded like apps when you need more space but they're big enough for that to be realistic. Conversely I think when your local storage is full, new photos taken elsewhere won't sync down.