Palm Support

Palm provides system updates wirelessly to webOS phones. These updates are released periodically and are intended to increase stability, improve the user experience, and in some cases add functionality to the phone.

System update process

There are several steps to a system update, but almost all of them are performed automatically.

1. Background update—Palm Services notifies your phone that an update is available
   • When an update is available, Palm Services sends a background message to your phone.
   • You receive a notification that an update is available when it has been downloaded in the background and is ready to install.
2. Background update delivery
   • Once a system update becomes available, it downloads in the background over Wi-Fi when a Wi-Fi connection is available (if Wi-Fi is available on your phone and your phone is not in airplane mode).
   • For phones without Wi-Fi, the download begins. For phones with Wi-Fi, webOS checks for a Wi-Fi connection for 2 days before checking for and using a high-speed data connection.
   • If the download process is interrupted for any reason (for example, loss of signal, or the battery is removed), the process resumes as soon as the reason for interruption is remedied.
   • Updates are not downloaded when you have a low-speed data connection or a roaming connection, unless you have enabled data roaming. See Customizing phone settings .
3. Manual update—check yourself to see if an update is available
   • You can also check for system updates manually at any time by opening Updates .
   • If an update is available, you can download it immediately (or you can wait for it to download in the background at a later time). You are notified when the update is ready to be installed. The update screen contains a link to the Palm Support website, where you can get information on the contents of the update.
   • You can use your phone while an update downloads.
4. Update validation
   • During this stage webOS verifies that the update was downloaded successfully.
   • If the download fails to validate, the update is deleted. Your phone waits for another notification or manual check for an update.
5. Install notification
   • After an update has been downloaded, you are prompted to install the update now or later.
   • If you choose to install the update later, the next time you connect your phone to a charger, a message appears asking if want to install the update now or later. If no choice has been made after 10 minutes, the installation begins. If you choose to install later, the next time you connect your phone to a charger, the install now or later message appears again. The pattern repeats until the update is installed.
6. Installation
   • Installation can take up to 15 minutes.
   • While a system update is being installed, you cannot use any part of your phone, and all wireless services are disabled.
   • Do not remove your battery while an update is being installed. You may damage the phone.
7. If an update fails to install properly
   • In the rare event that an update fails, your phone restarts and attempts to reinstall the update up to three times. If your phone still fails to install the update, a message with information on what to do next is displayed on the screen for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, your phone turns off.