In addition to the release of the iPhone 15 series and Apple Watch 9, Apple’s September event brought us the release of iOS 17, the latest version of the iPhone operating system. This latest version of iOS includes some pretty major updates to existing apps like Messages, Maps, and Siri, while also adding new features like Standby mode and NameDrop.
read more: 7 Hidden Features of iOS 17 You Shouldn’t Miss
iOS 17 has been out for several weeks now, but even if you didn’t run the update immediately after it hit your phone, it’s not too late to give it a try. However, before you jump straight into updating, there are a few things you should know. Read on to find out everything you need to do before installing iOS 17 on your iPhone.
To learn more about iOS 17, check out the best features of iOS 17 and see if your iPhone supports iOS 17.
Look at this: We tried iOS 17 ourselves and so far we’re impressed
First, is your iPhone even compatible with iOS 17?
As long as you have an iPhone XS or newer, you should be able to download iOS 17. Below is a complete list of every iPhone that is compatible with Apple’s new software update. And if your current phone isn’t on the list, here are some more recent iPhone models to consider purchasing.
The iPhone 15 series, Apple’s latest phones, already have iOS 17 installed, so you don’t need to update.
Next, make sure your iPhone is fully updated
Before updating to iOS 17, make sure you’ve updated to the latest iOS 16 version so you don’t run into any issues if you decide to return. It’s also good to always be up to date with the latest mobile software version, in case there are major bugs or other issues in older iOS versions.
To update your iPhone to the latest version iOS 16, go to Institutions > General > Software update and check for available updates.
Back up your iPhone now before installing iOS 17
This is important: Even though iOS 17 has been out for a few weeks, updating your phone could still compromise it. You may lose photos, text messages, app data, and other precious memories you saved on your phone. However, you can protect yourself against the risk of losing data when you update.
The best way to protect your data is to backup your iPhone while iOS 16 is still running. The reason for this is so that if you update to iOS 17 but then decide to go back to iOS 16, you will have a current backup. back to so you can keep your most recent photos, text messages, app data, and more.
There are now two ways to backup your iPhone: via iCloud And your computer.
Back up your iPhone with iCloud
By default, your iPhone should automatically back up once a day, as long as your device is connected to both a power source and Wi-Fi and is locked.
To check if this feature is enabled, go to Institutions > [your name] > iCloud backup and make sure Back up this iPhone is enabled. If you have a compatible 5G iPhone, including the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14 models, you can also Back up via mobile to backup your iPhone via your cellular network when you are not connected to Wi-Fi.
You can also just manually backup your iPhone with iCloud. In the same iCloud backup page, just tap Back up now. Below that you will see the last time a successful backup was made. below All device backupsyou can view more information about your backups, including backup size, and customize what is backed up.
If your iPhone doesn’t back up automatically, you can do it manually in your settings.
Back up your iPhone with Mac or Windows
If you don’t have storage space on your iPhone or iCloud, you always have the option to back up your device via your computer.
On Macconnect your iPhone to your computer via a lightning cable, open Finder and select your iPhone. Then check the circle next to it Backup all data on your iPhone to this Mac and then hit Back up now.
You can back up your iPhone to your Mac if you don’t have phone storage.
The process with Windows is quite similar. Reconnect your iPhone to your computer via cable, but this time open it up iTunes app and click on the iPhone button top left of the window. In the Resume page, click Back up now to backup your iPhone to your Windows PC.
For more information about Apple, here are today’s best iPhone deals the best iOS 17 features.