Skip to main content

iOS apps to get bigger – and hopefully better – after Apple doubles max size to 4GB

apple doubles maximum size of ios apps to 4gb best iphone
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Developers held back by limitations in app size will be happy to hear that Apple has just raised the cap from 2GB to 4GB.

It’s the first lifting of the limit since the App Store landed six years ago, and presents app creators with the opportunity to develop even more complex offerings for users of Apple’s mobile devices.

Game developers, in particular, are likely to find the change appealing. A cursory glance at the app charts shows a number of games already pushing toward the old 2GB storage limit on the Cupertino firm’s phones and tablets, with more than a few looking like they could do with some extra space to play with. Take Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – that title currently comes in at a hefty 1.98GB. And then there’s Infinity Blade III, which eats up 1.92GB of storage.

And as MacRumors points out, the 2GB limit has prevented some games from even making it to the App Store. The maker of Final Fantasy VII, for example, said in 2013 that the limitation on app size meant that iOS users were “probably going to have to wait a few years” for its release. With this week’s change, the game’s launch now seems a likely prospect.

Of course, owners of iPhones and iPads packing no more than 16GB of storage won’t be feeling too excited about the development – download a couple of games hitting the 4GB limit and those tanked up devices will be begging for mercy. Those with the 128GB iPhone 6, on the other hand, will be looking forward to the arrival of even more advanced software for their device.

Despite the raising of the app size limit, Apple is, for the time being at least, keeping the the maximum available download via cellular networks at 100MB, meaning the meatier offerings still will have to be downloaded via Wi-Fi.

[Source: Apple]

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
YouTube TV just got even better on iPhones and iPads
Multiview on YouTube TV on an iPad.

If you use the most popular live-streaming service on an iPhone or iPad, things just got even better. YouTube TV — which boasts more than 8 million subscribers — just pushed multiview live on Apple's mobile devices, as previously promised.

It works basically the same way it does on a television. YouTube TV picks the programs available in multiview, and you get them all at once, with audio coming from one of the shows. Tap another, and the audio switches. And just as before, you can get multiview for sports, news, business, or weather. (Though we definitely don't recommend watching four news channels at once in an election year.) It's just in time for March Madness, which is great, though we hope you'll be able to pick your own games instead of just sticking with the multiple viewing options YouTube TV gives. This will be great come fall, though, when the new season of NFL Sunday Ticket takes hold.

Read more
8 iPhone browser apps you should use instead of Safari
iPhone browser apps

By default, the Safari web browser is available on every iPhone, including the iPhone 15 series. Nevertheless, several other web-browsing options can be found on the App Store, each with at least one unique feature that distinguishes it from the others. While some web browser apps like Google Chrome, DuckDuckGo, and Microsoft Edge might already be familiar to you, others such as Aloha and Arc Search may not be.

If you're looking for a Safari alternative, here are our favorite iPhone browser apps you should consider using instead.
Google Chrome

Read more
Apple just released iOS 17.4. Here’s how it’s going to change your iPhone
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro showing the screens.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro (left) and iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you have an iPhone, you'll want to check it right now for a big update. The iOS 17.4 update is officially rolling out right now and it includes some fairly significant new features.

Read more