Apple Increases Over-the-Air App Store Download Limit to 200MB

Friday May 31, 2019 4:32 AM PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple has increased the over-the-air download limit for the App Store to 200MB, up from 150MB.


The download limit is now 200MB for iPhones and iPads. The limit affects the maximum size of an app that can be downloaded over 3G or 4G networks.

The file size limit is designed to prevent iOS users from accidentally downloading a large app over cellular and using up all their data allowance or running up data charges. But as 9to5Mac notes, there's no way to opt out of the limit, which can be frustrating for users with unlimited data plans.

Apple officially increased the App Store cellular over-the-air download limit to 150 MB in September 2017.

Developers frequently work hard to keep their apps under the over-the-air download limit, as they believe going over that limit reduces the likelihood of spontaneous purchases.

Tag: App Store
66 comments


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dumastudetto
16 weeks ago
Great news, but there really should be a power users toggle to disable the limit if you don't want it.
Rating: 33 Votes
Avatar
s54
16 weeks ago
That is frustrating and frankly something that I never quite understood.

It’s 2019. Aren’t most people sporting unlimited plans? - I’ve had unlimited for over a decade. First with Verizon and now with T-Mobile.

The fact that I can’t download many apps without WiFi just sucks.
Rating: 12 Votes
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jezbd1997
16 weeks ago
Why isn’t there a toggle yet I don’t get it
Rating: 12 Votes
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Pelea
16 weeks ago
This is a terrible update that’s going to cause innocent users like myself to spend billions and billions of dollars on extra internet usage fees. How could you apple!
Rating: 11 Votes
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Jsameds
16 weeks ago
From Reddit:

I believe network congestion has a lot to do with this cap. It’s not that YOUR data cap is unlimited and you have no throttling, it’s that multiple apps publishing updates all the time and distributing it over cell network limits EVERYONE’s bandwidth. After all, all networks have limited bandwidth.

Imagine a football match, stadium pack full of people have auto update turned on and a ticketing app or google maps decides to publish a major update. Now no one has any network.
Rating: 10 Votes
Avatar
DougieS
16 weeks ago

There is no real unlimited plan. I’ve had AT&T and Verizon and after you cross a certain usage point they throttle your speed to uselessness.


* in USA

Other countries have truly unlimited unthrottled plans.
Rating: 8 Votes
Avatar
Wanted797
16 weeks ago

Literally the only app (that I use) that always releases updates that are over the limit is Facebook.


There’s a solution to that.
Rating: 8 Votes
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genovelle
16 weeks ago

That is frustrating and frankly something that I never quite understood.

It’s 2019. Aren’t most people sporting unlimited plans? - I’ve had unlimited for over a decade. First with Verizon and now with T-Mobile.

The fact that I can’t download many apps without WiFi just sucks.

There is no real unlimited plan. I’ve had AT&T and Verizon and after you cross a certain usage point they throttle your speed to uselessness.
Rating: 7 Votes
Avatar
MLVC
16 weeks ago
Literally the only app (that I use) that always releases updates that are over the limit is Facebook.
Rating: 7 Votes
Avatar
Shirasaki
16 weeks ago

* in USA

Other countries have truly unlimited unthrottled plans.

Nope. Unless people want to pay over $100/mo, in Australia, mobile data usage is almost always capped.
[doublepost=1559357468][/doublepost]

From Reddit:

I believe network congestion has a lot to do with this cap. It’s not that YOUR data cap is unlimited and you have no throttling, it’s that multiple apps publishing updates all the time and distributing it over cell network limits EVERYONE’s bandwidth. After all, all networks have limited bandwidth.

Imagine a football match, stadium pack full of people have auto update turned on and a ticketing app or google maps decides to publish a major update. Now no one has any network.

Unfortunately most people don’t realise that, like, at all.
Rating: 4 Votes
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