by Choose one of the three methods and just follow the instructions.
Artyom Kozoriz
What you need to know
Apple regularly releases updates with bug fixes and improvements, and once a year big iOS updates with new features. They are quite easy to install both from the device itself “over the air” and using a computer.
At the same time, starting with iOS 14.5, it is possible to choose whether to stay on the current firmware and receive only important security updates, or switch to the current version in order to have the latest software on the device.
This is quite useful because, despite the fact that older iPhones and iPads support modern versions of iOS, experience shows that installing them is not a good idea. This results in a drop in performance and battery life, so think twice and look at the reviews of other users, for example by looking at reviews on YouTube.
When installing an over-the-air update, downloading firmware files requires a certain amount of free space, and if it is not enough, iOS may offer to automatically remove bulky applications. Do not worry and agree – after the update, all information will be reloaded. If you are still low on resources, try freeing up the storage yourself.
1. How to update your iPhone automatically
If you have a current model or an iPhone that is 2-3 years old, the easiest way is to skip the hassle and use the auto-update feature. In this case, when a new version of iOS is released, the smartphone will automatically download and install it at night, provided it is connected to charging and Wi‑Fi.
To enable this scenario, open Settings and go to General → Software Update.
Tap on “Auto-update” and make sure that the “Download iOS updates” and “Install iOS updates” toggle switches are enabled.
2. How to update iPhone manually “over the air”
It is also a very simple way. Make sure your iPhone is at least 50% charged and has a stable internet connection via Wi‑Fi or cellular.
Go to “Settings” and tap on “Software update available” or go to “General” → “Software update”.
Select “Download and Install” to get a fresh version of your current OS version, or “Upgrade to iOS 20” to upgrade to the next firmware version. Enter your passcode.
Next, confirm the installation by agreeing to the terms of use and wait for the process to complete.
3. How to update iPhone manually using a computer
To update this way, you need a Mac or Windows computer with iTunes, as well as an iPhone connection cable. This option comes in handy when you experience errors while downloading over the air or when your smartphone is running out of memory.
Connect your iPhone to your computer with a cable, and then open Finder (in macOS Catalina and later) or iTunes (on earlier versions of macOS or on a Windows PC).
Select your iPhone in the sidebar and click Update.
Then – ” Upload and update”.
After that, agree to the terms of use by clicking “Accept”. Enter the passcode on the screen of your mobile device and wait for the update to download and install.
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