what is ota update

An OTA update, or over-the-air update, is a wireless delivery of new software, firmware, or other data to mobile devices. OTA updates are designed to upgrade the underlying operating system, the read-only apps installed on the system partition, and/or time zone rules. OTA updates are delivered through a wireless network, such as Wi-Fi or a cellular network, and are designed to be as small as possible to minimize energy consumption, network usage, and storage space. This is achieved by only transferring the differences between the old firmware and the new firmware, rather than transmitting the entire firmware. A delta of the old and new firmware is produced through a process called diffing; then, the delta file is distributed to the end-device, which uses the delta file to update itself. OTA updates are used in various industries, including smartphones, automotive, and IoT devices. OTA updates are important for cybersecurity, as manufacturers release updates to fix vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit, and installing these updates as soon as possible is vital to close down opportunities for criminals to exploit your data.