Devices installed from a disk image now get updates over the air

From Anthias 2026.05.2, a device flashed from a disk image gets new stable releases over the air, the same way a device added through balenaHub does. Before, it stayed on the version you downloaded, even after new releases came out, and the installation guide said so.

The image still comes with the release it was built from already on it, so the device doesn't have to download Anthias before it starts. Once it's online, it follows the balena fleet for its board and installs each stable release as it's published.

The first boot needs a network connection. The image doesn't carry the fleet's boot settings, such as the graphics driver, so a new device starts on balenaOS defaults, fetches the fleet's settings and restarts once into them.

This applies to devices flashed from a 2026.05.2 image or newer. Devices on the official fleets that were flashed from an older image catch up too, from Anthias 2026.06.3, when an hourly job started clearing their pin. The answer to "How do I update Anthias?" in the FAQ and the disk image section of the installation guide now describe it.