iPhone owners must prepare their handsets NOW ahead of big free upgrade coming tomorrow – don’t get caught out
IT’S THAT time of year when Apple unveils it’s big annual update: iOS 18.
It’s jam-packed with new features, and will be free to download from September 16.
But there are a handful of things iPhone owners must do to prepare their devices for the system overhaul.
Check your device is compatible
First, check that your device is compatible with the update.
Dozens of devices are capable of running iOS 18, check the full list below to see if you’re eligible:
iOS 18 supported devices
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
- iPhone XR
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
If your device is not listed, then you will not be able to use iOS 18 and it’s new features.
Update your device
On the day a major iOS update arrives, Apple’s servers can become overloaded, which can make installing it take longer than usual.
Before iOS 18 arrives, it’s wise to update your device to the latest software that is currently available.
This will help make sure that the larger iOS 18 operating system downloads smoothly.
It will also mean your phone is protected against cyber vulnerabilities, as it can be while before the server frenzy dies down.
You may also want to wait a week or so until Apple issues iOS 18.1, which is usually a fix for any bugs that arrive within the first iteration.
Create extra space
It is advised to have at least 15GB of storage space to spare on your iPhone to download iOS 18.
Iterations of iOS 17 currently take up around 11GB of storage on iPhones, while versions of iOS 16 typically took up 10GB.
If that trajectory is anything to go by, iOS 18 is likely to be 12GB or above.
If you don’t have enough storage, you should try and make some room.
You can do this a number of ways, such as deleting or offloading unused apps, axing downloaded content or shafting more images and videos onto iCloud.
Back up your iPhone
You may want to back up your iPhone using iCloud, or the Finder on a Mac or iTunes on a PC.
Previously, people have complained that they lost data like old text messages and photos during an update.
The Sun has detailed how you can back up your iPhone prior to an iOS update here.
Check your battery
Right before you hit that download button, you want to ensure your iPhone has enough battery to install the software properly.
If your battery dies while updating critical parts of iOS 18, it may well brick your iPhone.
Bricking is when an electronic device becomes completely unresponsive and can’t function.
Fortunately, most devices take about 30 minutes to update – so you don’t need masses of charge.
You can set up you iPhone so that it updates automatically overnight while it’s charging.
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Tap Automatic Updates, then turn on Download iOS Updates.
- Turn on Install iOS Updates. Your device will be updated automatically to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. Some updates may need to be installed manually.
iPhone tricks to try today
Here are some of the best...
- Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily
- Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs
- Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete
- Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen, then tap in the bar and type a currency (like €200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency
- Check if you’re due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you’re down to 80% capacity. If you’re below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple
- Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier