Unable to apply the latest iOS software update because you’ve run out of storage space on your iPhone or iPad? It’s a common theme amongst owners of devices with just sixteen or, worse, eight gigabytes of storage.
If your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad is packed to the gills with apps and media, chances are you don’t have enough free storage to download and install an iOS software update.
As discovered by iOS developer Kaleb Butt, to ensure those people can still deploy iOS software updates without being greeted with an ‘insufficient space for download’ message, Apple has created an interesting new feature in iOS 9.
Called App Deletion, it offers to temporarily delete apps on the device in order to clear the necessary storage space. Any deleted app gets automatically reinstalled right after the software update completes, leaving all app data and settings intact so you can pick up right where you left off.
Attempting to install an iOS software update onto a device that has insufficient storage space yields a message below saying “in order to make room for the software update, some apps will need to be temporarily deleted.”
You can then decline the request by tapping Cancel or proceed by tapping Allow App Deletion. Apple says that all deleted apps will be automatically replaced after the software update is complete.
While the wording doesn’t directly confirm this, Twitter claims app data gets reinstated as part of the App Deletion process provided a user has enabled device backups through iTunes or iCloud.
This feature appeared in iOS 9 beta 2, seeded to developers today. Version one of iOS 9 Developer Preview apparently had this option, too, though it was disabled.
How do you like App Deletion so far?
Is it something that will help iPhone users with insufficient storage happy and permit them to keep up with new iOS releases, do you think?
Source: Kaleb Butt via 9to5Mac