You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!
When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
OK, so my iPad won't install updates due to 'lack of space'.
Good example, the 18.1.1 update:
1) update is 1.21Gb
2) I have 7Gb free space
3) system says 3.63Gb required to install update
4) when I try to install, just get message about not enough space, apps will have to be deleted.
See attached.
I can't understand this!
Any help appreciated.
When performing an OTA update from iPad settings, you temporarily require double the stated space requirement for the system software update - in this instance, 3.63GB x2 = 7.26GB. With storage constrained devices, in particular those models with 32 or 64GB internal storage (such as your own with 32GB), maintaining adequate unused storage can be a significant challenge.
It is generally recommended that you maintain 4-6GB of free space at all times - as your iPad needs some temporary space to complete many tasks. When performing system software updates, you may temporarily require more...
A system software update requires sufficient space to be downloaded, unpacked and verified prior to installation - major version updates (such as updating from iPadOS 17.x to iPadOS 18) requiring considerably more space than an incremental point-update. After the update is successfully completed, temporary files are automatically deleted - returning free space.
If your internal storage is full, or is insufficient for the task that you need to perform, your only option is to better manage the storage that you have - and delete unused Apps or unneeded data.
These support pages should prove to be helpful:
About storage on your device and in iCloud – Apple Support
What's the difference between device storage and iCloud storage? – Apple Support
Manage your iCloud storage – Apple Support
How to check the storage on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch – Apple Support
Clear Other storage on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
“Offloading” Apps can be a helpful method of creating temporary space for a software update. This is often an automatic process - as illustrated in your screenshot:
https://9to5mac.com/2020/01/21/how-to-offload-apps-in-ios-to-save-space-without-deleting-their-data/
Additional information about creating sufficient space for installation of a software update can be found here:
If you need more space for an update on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
External storage options can often help with managing limited internal storage. Depending upon your iPad model, the iPad will either have a Lightning or USB-C port - and may therefore require either an Adapter or USB hub to connect the USB Storage device. If your iPad has a Lightning port, you’ll need an Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter:
Thanks for that. I'm familiar with managing storage on iPads. My question really is, why does the dialogue box say 3.63Gb is needed, and fails when there is 7Gb available?
If, as you say it requires twice as much, then why not say that?
Also, I have to say that an OS that requires 8Gb to install a 1.2Gb patch seems very inefficient.
I can only provide guidance and comment as to how iOS/iPadOS actually works. I can't offer any authoritative commentary as to why Apple doesn't provide an in-depth explanation as to the inner workings of how the Operating System actually works - other than it is of little interest or consequence to the majority of end-users.
As already outlined, the system software update package requires sufficient storage space to be downloaded, unpacked and verified (requiring free-space) by the running Operating System prior to installation of the update. Once the update has been unpacked and verified, there must be sufficient additional free space to actually install the verified update. At this point, your iPad is still running the older OS version; only after the iPad reboots, using the updated code, can the old version (and associated update package) be deleted from storage - releasing space to be used again.
This methodology ensures that your device always has a bootable Operating System; for the most part, should anything go wrong with the update/patch process, the device can reboot to a running state - from which recovery should be straightforward.
Addendum
Consider that running "code" is not overwritten during the update process. Instead, a new block of code (the "patch" to use your description) is saved to the OS-partition; only when the new block of code is active can the former code-block be invalidated and removed from the filesystem.
Illogical to you or not, it is what it is...
My objective here is to (a) answer your original question - and (b) to help you successfully install the iPadOS 18.1.1 system update that in incorporates essential security fixes.
To install the update, you need to allow the iPad to temporarily offload Apps. After the update has been installed, assuming that the offloaded Apps remain available for download, they will be automatically reinstalled; no data will be lost.
Thanks again.
You have been very helpful. My points are general ones relating to the illogicality of a OS message that makes an incorrect statement.
I'm afraid when the statement 'it is what it is' is used, that does not alter the facts. I've never understood why we use that expression. I mean, if we always said 'it is what it is', no progress or improvements would be made in anything!
I understand all your are saying and I appreciated the time you have taken, however, I still find it somewhat illogical that the system says 3.63Gb is required when, apparently, 7.3Gb is needed.
Explain why my iPad won't install update
