iOS 10 was announced at Apple’s annual WWDC event in June. Although the beta has been out for a while, the official public release will happen on 13th Sep’16, around 10:30PM IST.Now, before you start jumping with excitement, take a couple of minutes to read this guide so that you know how to install the new OS properly. You don’t want to end up losing your data or all the apps you downloaded, right? So, here’s our complete iOS 10 Installation Guide —
Let’s start by checking your device’s compatibility with iOS 10.
Compatibility
Complete list of devices that will support iOS 10:
Note: While all the devices mentioned above are compatible, it doesn’t mean that iOS 10 will run smoothly on all of them. Older devices like the iPhone 5 might struggle to keep up with the latest OS. So think twice before updating.
Features Check
After confirming that your device supports iOS 10, it’s time to check which features will actually work.
Confused? Let us explain.
As you may be aware, iOS is bringing loads of exciting new features. But not all devices will support every feature. The latest models (iPhone 7 & iPhone 6S) will enjoy maximum benefits, but as you move to older models, the supported feature list will start reducing. Here’s the complete device-wise feature compatibility of iOS 10.
Back Up
The next step for you is to back up your device. It’s unlikely that you will lose your data while updating your device, but there’s no harm in being cautious, is there?
You can use 3 methods to backup your device:
1. iCloud
2. iTunes
3. Third Party Tools
iCloud
iCloud backup might already be enabled on your device. Check by going to Settings > iCloud > Backup. Note the Last Backup timestamp at the bottom of the screen. You should have the latest backup before you update the OS.
Note: iCloud backup is the most convenient way to restore your contacts, photos and other data in case the iOS update goes wrong. But it DOES NOT backup your entire iPhone. You will lose some settings and all the apps will need to be installed again. This is where iTunes comes in.
iTunes
You can take the entire backup of your device on iTunes. We strongly recommend doing this, even if you have an iCloud backup.
Follow these steps:
– Open iTunes on your Mac or PC
– Connect your device via USB.
– Summary screen will open by default
– Under ‘Backups’, select ‘This Computer’
– Click ‘Backup Now’ (under Manually Backup and Restore section)
Pro Tip: Enable ‘Encrypt backup’ as it includes the stored passwords and apps.
Third Party Software
Backing up data on iCloud and iTunes is enough for most users. However, if you want to go a step further, use third-party software that give you more options and greater control.
Our favourite is iMazing. It has a nice clean layout and offers system level back up options, like saving messages, call logs and even game saves!
It’s a paid app but well worth the investment if you like to backup your data religiously. Check it out here: https://imazing.com.
Storage
Lastly, make sure that you have around 1.6 GB of free storage on your device to update to iOS 10.
This is NOT the size of the software files that you will be downloading, but the space your device needs to download the iOS files and open up the package on your device.
You will get the extra space back once you have updated your device.
Download & Install
We are finally ready to install iOS 10 on your device. There are 2 ways of downloading & installing the software update:
Over the Air (OTA) Update
OTA update happens on your device itself. All you need to do is go to Settings> General> Software Update and click on ‘Update and Install’ option. Of course, the option will be available only after Apple has released the software files. So be patient.
You might get a notification from Apple about the available software update. In that case, you only need to click on it and you’ll be redirected to ‘Update and Install’ screen.
Update over iTunes
Connect your device to iTunes and it will automatically show you the message for an available update. You can then click on update and proceed.
Note: You must be using the latest version of iTunes (12.4) to get the software update.
The files downloaded from iTunes are larger in size than OTA update. Therefore, we recommend using iTunes only if you have to install the updates on multiple devices. It saves you the trouble of having to download the files again and again. For single device users, OTA update is a better option.
That’s it! Follow all these steps and wait for Apple to release iOS 10 for public. It’s expected around 10:30PM and we’ll be sharing the news on our Facebook page as soon as it’s available. We hope that this iOS 10 installation guide has been of use to you. Don’t forget to share your feedback.