How to Download and Install Apple iOS 4 (Manually)

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

iOS 4 Apple has released the latest operating system — iOS 4 for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch and iPhone 4 at June 21, 2010. The iOS 4 for iPad will be available later in September 2010. Jailbreak iOS 4 should be coming soon, too.

iPhone OS: What everyone ought to know about

How to install iOS 4 using iTunes

download iOS 4

To install iOS 4, you simply connect your iDevice (iPhone/iPod Touch) to your computer.
Launch iTunes, select your iDevice under Devices then click “Check for Update” button.
iTunes will download and install iOS for your iDevice. Do not disconnect your iDevice until the update has finished.
Your iDevice would be restarted after installation and… Walla! It is using iOS 4!

Note: Before you install iOS 4, make sure your iTunes has been updated.

If you have a bad connection like mine, you might want to download iOS 4 via a direct download link. It is faster and resumable.

Direct download iOS 4 firmware, and manual installation

There are couple sites provide direct iOS 4 downloads, I got mine from http://ios.e-lite.org/. Download the firmware that match your iDevice and you would get a .ipsw file like “iPhone2,1_4.0_8A293_Restore.ipsw”.

To manually install iOS 4, you hold “Shift” key (“Option” key on Mac OS X) while clicking the “Update” button in the iDevice tab in iTunes. A dialog box will come up and select the iOS 4 firmware you just downloaded to start the installation.

My two cents

It took me an hour to download and minutes to install iOS 4 on my iPhone 3GS. It works great. The first thing I do is changing the Home Screen’s wallpaper (new in iOS 4).