The third beta version of iOS 13.4 reveals the existence of a new feature called “OS Recovery”, which is quite suggestive. As best we can tell, it looks like a new way to restore an iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices without the need to connect them to a computer. It’s not yet possible to access it in the system as the feature is still under development and it could be scrapped at any time.
According to what we found in the system, it would be possible to restore the iOS directly over-the-air as well as by connecting the device via USB to another iPhone or iPad, similar to how Apple’s Migration Tool works.
This seems like one of those things that should’ve been the default for years now on both iOS and Android – so much so that I had to stop and think twice just to remember it isn’t, yet.
Don’t see the point quite honestly and I certainly don’t want it on my Android devices. It makes sense on a Macbook since you don’t have a computer with which to download an image, but is it that big a deal to plug your phone into a PC?
Why would you want something as dangerous as this to be the default for *ANYTHING*?
There’s a *REASON* for instance why router manufactures expressly tell customers *NOT* to upgrade the firmware of their devices via WIFI……..
It really shouldn’t matter through which way you receive/transfer firmware/OS that you want to use. All connections can go down, be interrupted or have corrupt data. It is up to the final installer to verify-before-apply.
Also, routers are pretty much connected by wires by default, so it is very easy for them to say “don’t upgrade without a wire”
avgalen,
Yeah, most devices don’t have any problem with wireless updates these days. It kind of depends on the way it’s engineered too. If the device has enough storage to hold 2 copies of the firmware image (the current running version and the new version) that it only needs to switch at the last possible moment, then it really makes very little difference how reliable the connection is since it’s trivial to abort/rollback. Ideally this could be robust even over a power loss, but I wouldn’t suggest trying haha. If, on the other hand, the device only has space for one firmware and needs to perform an in-place update (ie old routers with very limited storage), then having an unreliable connection could actually brick the device as there’s no way to abort an incomplete transfer.
IMHO the main obstacle with wireless recovery in modern devices isn’t really network reliability but that the recovery system needs a fully functioning mobile stack. All the recovery loaders I’ve seen on android are extremely basic and have to transfer files via USB. They lack the ability to get online (wifi/GSM/LTE).
Errrmm….sorry but all Apple machines already are recovered by an over the internet download.
When you recover a machine for a new install without a solid state backup, the machine downloads the installer and installs it.
Doing the same for iPhone shouldn’t be a big leap.
Maybe you should read the original article before commenting? iOS is not only used for a phone (that you could plug in to a pc), but also for an Apple Watch or HomePod that you cannot plug in to a pc at all.
But ask yourself this instead: Why would you need a PC to recover a phone? Wouldn’t it be easier/cheaper to not need a PC, cable, software at all and instead just boot your phone into recoverymode and then run the “final recovery if nothing else works” option?
And even if you don’t want to use it yourself, wouldn’t it be nice for other users to have this extra option that hurts you in no way?
(you might actually already have this on your Android device, but since you never knew it it surely didn’t hurt you)
Well, if they’re honestly trying to position the iPad as the next PC then… yes, I’d say it does. Plus, not having to use that abomination known as iTunes is reason enough in and of itself.
Apple is preparing for a no-ports, wireless charging only device that they can restore remotely, in order to, say, remove a jailbreak.
I think that’s going a bit overboard. macOS has had this for years now.
Yeah, I went too far.
But, it is Apple and if they want what I said (which I’m sure they do), they would be taking baby steps in that direction.
Citation needed. Macs have had this for going on a decade now, and I’ve not heard of one instance where it could be invoked without the user doing a specific keyboard combination during the EFI initialization. If you have citations, then by all means post them. There are enough real concerns in the tech industry right now without inventing more.
“Of course” it is possible for the OS to specify that it should reboot into recovery. It took me about 10 seconds to find sudo nvram “recovery-boot-mode=unused”. I am not saying that command is exactly correct but of course something like that would work.
Whenever you allow an OS to run updates on your machine that means you allow (technically, not legally) the supplier of those updates to take over your machine
avgalen,
Most consumers don’t care (at least to the extent that the updates work, which isn’t always the case and is extremely disruptive when it does not). However as a power user I am wary of updates that cannot be controlled and are forced upon owners. You are at the mercy of the corporation even when the updates include anti-features.
Cloud backup and restore of the entire device has been available on Android for a while now.
Not exactly the same. This would be a firmware recovery ability as well, not just a cloud restore. I.e. if your operating system gets really screwed up, you would use this either from the device itself or from another device. Think restore firmware from iTunes or installing a firmware image with the Android dev tools. You use something like this when even factory reset won’t get the job done.
Aha, I should have RTFA. So it is kinda new for phones, I guess. I had just assumed it was about backup/restore because it used to be the case that this was done via USB cable for iOS devices – quite possibly they’ve done away with that in the meantime now that iTunes is no more.
By “connect them to a computer” they mean “connect them to a Windows or Mac machine”. So this is good for 100% Linux PC households. Would still prefer iTunes on Linux.
You’d prefer iTunes for Linux? I’m just curious, but… why? Have you used iTunes within the past few years? Ugh! I’m glad Apple are contemplating getting rid of it even further than they already have.
I read “prefer iTunes on Linux” as “official, or semi-official, support for Linux” from Apple.
“Official, or semi-official, support for Linux” from Apple.” is correct. I am not a fan at all of iTunes as a piece of software.
Yet another wayfor Apple to slurp your personal data into it’s “Cloud”, yet disguising it as a feature for the masses.
This literally has nothing to do with getting your personal data into the Apple “Cloud”. This is the exact opposite of that. You cannot use your phone anymore and instead of needing a repair-service you can just “but to recovery server”, get data FROM that “Cloud” and get your device working again.
Also, this is hopefully a feature that the masses will never have to use
How do we moderate comments like this into oblivion?