How to Update iOS without WiFi? (iOS 14 Supported)

Worried about how to update iOS without WiFi? Our article breaks down the five simple methods you can make use of to update your iPhone without WiFi.
how to upgrade ios without wifi

How do you ensure your iPhone is protected from risks and has the latest perks from Apple? Simple – You update the iOS. Updating your iPhone not only boosts performance but also ensures your device has the newest security improvements to safeguard against hacking. Now, we know in most cases, we all would prefer to use WiFi to update our iOS, but what happens if it fails? In this article, we cover various tricks on how to update iOS without WiFi.

Part 1. Can You Update iOS without WiFi?

If you have this question on your mind, welcome to the club, you are not alone. Several individuals including myself have tried making an iOS update without WiFi. The challenge is that iPhone doesn’t make it easy for you to achieve this feat as the device manufacturer has place a restriction on updating iOS using mobile data.

But, guess what, we have a walk around for you to update iOS without WiFi. One such way is to use your spare smartphone as a personal hotspot. This way, the iPhone considers the connection as a WiFi and allows you to update your iOS.

Use these steps to set up your hotspot and update your iOS:

Step 1: If your other device is also an iPhone, tap on “Settings” and go to “Mobile Data”.

Go to Mobile data on iPhone

Step 2: Turn on “Personal Hotspot” from the “Mobile Data Settings”.

Turn on Personal Hotspot on iPhone

Step 3: Return to the phone that needs updating and launch “Settings”. Tap on the “WiFi” option then connect to the “New Personal Hotspot” you created.

Step 4: After establishing the connection, go to “Settings” then tap on “General” and then “Software Update”. Wait a while for the iPhone to check for the latest updates and download them.

software update on iphone

The above is a simple method of updating your iOS without using WiFi. But, before going into that, take note of the precautions below:

  • The other device must have sufficient mobile data for the update to complete.
  • Your current device must have sufficient space to accommodate the latest update.
  • Both devices must have sufficient battery charge to see the process through.

Part 2. Update iOS Using iTunes without WiFi

Another method that you can use to update iOS without WiFi is via iTunes. It requires you to have iTunes installed on your computer. Also, you should ensure that you have already backed up your data before you begin this process.

Why is it necessary to back up your data? It is essential so that you don’t suffer data loss during the update process. There are several ways to backup iPhone, including using iCloud or some other reliable iPhone manager software.

Note that you should also ensure that the iTunes software is the most recent update. Once you have all of this in place, you can dive straight into using the following steps.

Step 1: Open iTunes on the PC and establish a connection with your iPhone using a USB cable.

tap on the device icon on iTunes

Step 2: Look towards the top left of the window and tap on the device icon. From here, you should select the “Summary” tab.

select the Summary tab on iTunes

Step 3: The next thing to do is to click “Check for Update Now.” After this, you should select “Download and Update.”

Check for Update Now in iTunes

Step 4: If you have a passcode on your device, you will receive a prompt to supply that code. Once you enter the passcode, the newer iOS will download then install automatically.

That simple? Yes! The method only takes a few minutes.

Part 3. Update Your iPhone without WiFi or Computer (Using Cellular Data)

But we said that Apple placed restrictions on using cellular data to update iOS earlier. Yes, we did. Before iOS 12 iPhone users may have struggled to update iOS due to the due to the data cap restriction. However, with iOS 13, that is no longer the case.

In this section, we breakdown how to update iOS without WiFi using cellular data. The vital thing to take note of here is that you cannot go through with the update process unless you have a stable mobile connection. You should also note that sufficient cellular data is a must to see this process through. The iOS update process consumes a lot of cellular data, and doing the process halfway may affect your device.

Ensure that you have both enough data and sufficient battery power, before doing the below:

Step 1: Switch on your mobile data by going to “Settings” on your device.

going to Settings on your iPhone

Step 2: From here, tap on “General” Options.

go to general in settings on iphone

Step 3: Now check for “Software Update.” Tap on this and then watch your device search for the latest updates. If there are new updates, the device will inform you.

software update on iphone

Step 4: Simply tap on “Download and Install” then follow the instructions.

Step 5: The iOS update process commences immediately after the device finishes downloading the updates. You will get a notification asking if the device should install the new iOS quickly or wait for later. Once you tap “Install Now” your update begins immediately.

Step 6: While updating iOS, the phone screen goes black, revealing the Apple Logo. Don’t be scared when this happens, as it just shows that you are doing the right thing. It will also display you the installation progress. As soon as the installation is complete, you’ll notice that your device will restart. It will then require you to provide a passcode. Once you do this, your device is ready for use.

Part 4. Update iOS Using an iOS System Recovery without WiFi

Do you know that you can update iOS without WiFi by using third-party software? There are several third-party system recovery software on the market. For this section, the focus is on using Tenorshare ReiBoot to update the iOS.

Tenorshare ReiBoot is one of the trusted iOS system recovery software that help update iOS without hassle. It also saves you from the possible problems that come with the update process. Examples of such issues include iOS 13.4 update frozen and update stuck on the Apple logo.

Using this software is quick and straightforward. How does it work? It directly downloads the newest firmware version. After this, it installs the update to your device. Here’s how to use Tenorshare ReiBoot to update your iOS.

>> Get Tenorshare ReiBoot <<

Step 1: Download the software from the manufacturer to your computer and install it. After installation, you can plug the iPhone to the PC using a USB cord.

Tenorshare ReiBoot - Connect your device

Step 2: Click the “Repair Operating System.”

Tenorshare ReiBoot - Press Repair Operating System to repair your iDevice

Step 3: Click “Fix Now.”

Step 4: Click on Download to get the latest firmware.

Tenorshare ReiBoot - Download Firmware Package

Step 5: As soon as the download is complete, the software installs it to your device automatically.

Once the installation ends, you’ll get a prompt telling you that the process is a complete—simple and straightforward process.

Also Read: Tenorshare ReiBoot Review

Part 5. Download iOS Update without WiFi from Website

Download iOS Update without WiFi from ipsw

Here, we have the final method of updating iOS without WiFi. It is just as simple as the others and also requires an internet connection. Your computer needs to have internet access for you to employ this method. This method allows you to download the latest update to the computer then transfer and apply it to your iPhone manually.

Carry out the process using the following steps:

Step 1: Open your browser and visit the IPSW files official website.

Step 2: Search for your device and download the corresponding IPSW file. Make sure that you download the latest update for your device. You will also see the storage size of the download so you can check if you have enough space.

Step 3: After downloading the software update, simply connect your iPhone to the PC using a USB cord. You should then launch iTunes on your computer.

Step 4: If you are using a Mac PC, hold down the “Option” button while clicking on “Update.” For a Windows PC, first, select “Update” while holding down the “Shift” button on your keyboard.

Step 5: Pick out the IPSW file that you just downloaded to your PC. After this, let iTunes help you carry out the update on your device.

Within a few minutes, your iPhone should have the latest iOS updates. As you can see, this is also a straightforward process.

Conclusion

Any of the steps listed above should help you bypass the restrictions placed by Apple, and the good thing is they’re all relatively easy to update iOS without Wi-Fi.

We trust that this guide has provided you with the solution you need. Do you have any questions or other methods we can try? Feel free to drop them below.

2 Comments
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  1. We’ve tested and it works.

  2. Part 3 certainly does NOT work for iOS 14 with an LTE cellular plan.
    The system still insists on being connected to WiFi with no mention of other options unlike the iOS 13.6 screen shot provided for Steps 3 and 4.

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