OTA Updates: What Are Over-The-Air Updates?

Over-the-Air (OTA) updates have become the predominant method for distributing software and firmware updates to devices via the internet, significantly simplifying the update process compared to older methods that required physical media. This approach is prevalent in updating smartphones, tablets, IoT devices, and even vehicles, allowing for seamless and timely installation of updates that enhance security and performance. OTA updates reduce the complexity traditionally associated with manual updates, such as those needed for PC motherboard firmware, by automating the download and installation process, which often occurs in the background. For Android devices, the introduction of 'seamless updates' with version 7.0 Nougat brought innovations like A/B partitioning, enabling updates to be applied to an inactive partition while the system runs, thus minimizing downtime. These updates can be either streaming, where changes are applied directly from the network, or non-streaming, which involves downloading the update package before application. Additionally, backend implementation involves APIs that manage update checks and deployments, ensuring that devices receive the appropriate updates based on their current OS version and device ID, contributing to more efficient and reliable software deployment.