How to Update Phone Without WiFi [2024]

Emilija Emilija

Written by Emilija

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If you're like most people, you rely on your smartphone to stay connected with the world.

But what happens when your phone loses WiFi connection, and the latest software update is just too tempting to resist?

You can probably guess the answer: you have to find a way to connect to WiFi.

But what if there's no WiFi available?

This blog post will show you how to update your phone without WiFi.

Let's get started!

How to Update a Smartphone without Wi-Fi?

It is necessary to have a stable internet connection to download a software update, but if users do not have a wireless connection, they must utilize their cellular data.

Downloading software updates using a mobile data plan is possible; however, it may take much longer if users don’t have enough data to download the update.

Also read: How to Fix: Why Won't My Watch Ping my Phone

Update Your Android Phone Without Wi-Fi

  1. Go to your phone’s Settings app.
  2. Find the ‘About Device’ or ‘Update and Security’ option.
  3. Go to the ‘Updates’ option.
  4. Tap on ‘Check for updates’.
  5. If you are not connected to the Wi-Fi, it will ask you to join to one.
  6. Turn off the ‘Download updates automatically’ button.
  7. This should allow you to download the latest version of the OS via mobile data.

Update other apps from the Play Store

  1. Open the ‘Play Store’ app.
  2. Tap on your profile icon on the top right side of the screen.
  3. Tap on ‘Settings’ next.
  4. Select ‘Network preferences’.
  5. Change the settings from ‘App download preference’ to ‘Over any network’.
  6. Change the ‘Auto-update apps’ settings to ‘Over any network’.

Also read: What Does No Caller ID Mean?

Update Your iPhone Without Wi-Fi

Updating an iPhone through mobile data is a bit more complicated than Android devices. There are a few things users need to provide:

  • A USB cable
  • Mac
  • iPhone
  • Mobile data

System Update with Mobile Data on iPhone

Note: Make sure the wifi on both your Mac computer and iPhone is turned off. Then, turn on the cellular data.

  1. Connect iPhone Mobile Data to Mac
  2. Connect your phone to your Mac computer using the USB cable.
  3. Next, go to ‘Personal Hotspot’ on your iPhone.
  4. Turn off the ‘Allow Others to Join’ and select the ‘USB Only’ option.
  5. Tap on ‘Trust’, and enter your iPhone password.
  6. Switch to your Mac computer and click on the Apple logo in the top right corner and from the dor down menu select ‘System Preferences’.
  7. Click on the ‘Sharing’ option and click on ‘Internet Sharing’. But don’t check the small box.
  8. From the small drop-down menu named ‘Share your connection from’ click on ‘iPhone USB’.
  9. Below, from the ‘Computer using’ tab, select ‘WiFi’.
  10. Now, check the small box beside the Internet sharing option.
  11. Enter the correct information and click on ‘OK’.
2. Connect iPhone to Mac WiFi
  1. Open ‘Settings’ on your iPhone.
  2. Tap on ‘WiFi’.
  3. Turn on the toggle for ‘WiFi’.

When you see the username of your Mac WiFi, click on it and enter your WiFi password.

3. Update System Software
  1. Start by going to ‘Settings’.
  2. Next, go to ‘General’.
  3. Then tap on ‘Software update’.