If you need to update your iPhone, you've come to the right place.
Like most tasks on an iPhone, keeping everything up to date is pretty simple. You have a few ways to back up your phone and apps, depending on how you prefer to work with your iPhone. We'll show you what you need to know about updating iOS and much more. Most of these tips work the same for iPad and iPadOS too.
Before You Begin: Clean Up and Back Up
First, it's a good time to clean old data off your iPhone. This will help your backup and update installation complete more quickly.
You can see what's taking up the most space on your device by visiting Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Here, your phone will recommend a few actions to clear a large amount of space in a short time. Check out our guide to freeing up space on your iPhone for more details on how to clear up photos, apps, and other clutter.
Before you install any system updates, you should create a backup. There are two ways to back up your iPhone: using iCloud or backing up to your computer. Neither is perfect, but they are both easy to perform.
Backing Up Your iPhone via iCloud
Backing up to iCloud is convenient since it runs automatically. Also, because your backup is offsite, you're protected in case of natural disaster, theft, or similar.
However, unless you've paid for more iCloud storage, backing up your phone to iCloud is not a viable option for most people. Apple only provides 5GB of free iCloud space, which is likely far less than what's on your phone that you want to back up.
Check out the iCloud pricing page for a breakdown of the upgrade options. You can get 50GB for $1/month, 200GB for $3/month, or 2TB for $10/month. Thanks to iCloud+, you can share any of these plans with family members. So if several people pitch in, backing up to the cloud will only cost you a bit per person.
To turn on iCloud backup, open Settings on your iPhone. Tap on your name at the top to open the Apple ID page, then select iCloud. In the list of apps using iCloud, tap iCloud Backup.
If you aren't already backing up to iCloud, toggle the slider here to enable the feature. You may see a popup warning that your phone will no longer automatically sync with iTunes/Finder if you do this.
After that (if needed), tap Back Up Now. A progress bar shows, revealing how long the process will take. Depending on your internet speed and how much you need to back up, this can take a while.
Once this completes, your data is safely backed up in iCloud. You can move on to the next steps to update your iPhone.
Backing Up Your iPhone to Your Computer
Backing up to your computer does not require much setup. If you're a Windows user, you'll need to use iTunes to back up. On macOS Catalina and newer, iTunes is no longer around. Instead, open Finder and click your device name under Locations on the left sidebar for a similar interface.
Plug your phone into your computer, then launch iTunes or Finder. If this is your first time connecting this device, you'll need to accept a prompt on your phone to trust the computer, which includes entering your passcode.
In iTunes, wait for the device button to show up in the top toolbar (under Controls and Account). Select that button to go to the device page in iTunes (you may need to click your phone's name at the top too), followed by Summary on the left sidebar.
Meanwhile, on a Mac, all the backup options are under the General tab.
On either platform, the second box down on the device page is Backups. You have two options for automatic backup: iCloud and This computer. Select This computer to ensure that your iPhone backs up every time you plug it in.
If you want your backup to include all your passwords and accounts (which is a good idea), you need to select Encrypt local backup and set a password for it. This is an extra step, but saves you time if you ever need to restore your phone. Be sure to keep the encryption password somewhere safe, like a password manager.
Before backing up, click Sync at the bottom of the window if you need to transfer data between your phone and iTunes. You can also use the items on the left sidebar to check what's on your device and move anything if needed. Note that in the Options box below, if you check the option Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi, your phone will sync to iTunes whenever your phone is charging and you have the app open on your computer.
When you're ready, click Back Up Now to back up your iPhone to your computer.
Over-the-Air vs. Wired iPhone Updates
Nowadays, almost everyone updates their iPhone through the Settings app. This is called an over-the-air (OTA) update, since you don't have to connect your iPhone to another device to perform it.
While this is the most common method, it's not the only one. You can also decide to apply an update through iTunes/Finder on your computer.
If you're low on iPhone space, updating your phone over-the-air can be a problem since major updates require a few gigabytes of space. If you don't have a lot of space left even after following the guide above, it might be easier to use iTunes or Finder instead.
There are some other catches. Your phone won't start downloading an OTA update until you connect to Wi-Fi. Also, your device's battery level must be over 50 percent, or your phone asks you to start charging it before updating. This is to prevent the issues that would arise if your phone ran out of power during the update.
As a plus, when updating over-the-air, your iPhone will ask if you want to install the update overnight. This can be a handy option to take care of updates while you're asleep.
Updating over-the-air with your iPhone is an "in-place" upgrade, meaning it only changes parts of the OS that are new. If you've had any weird performance issues with iOS in the past, you should probably install the full OS via iTunes instead.
In general, iTunes/Finder updates are a bit more work, but have fewer restrictions. Updating iOS from your iPhone is easier, but has stricter requirements. Feel free to update right on your iPhone unless you have a reason not to.
Updating iOS on Your iPhone
Installing an update within iOS is a simple process. Open the Settings app and select General > Software Update. You'll see the details of the update on the next screen. While here, it's also worth tapping Automatic Updates and making sure your phone is set to automatically download and install updates in the future.
Starting with the launch of iOS 15, you'll be able to apply any available updates for your current iOS version, in addition to installing the latest major version. This lets you decide when you're ready to upgrade—it can be worth waiting if you're concerned about bugs.
If your phone has not automatically downloaded the update already, tap Download and Install. This shows Install Now instead if it's already downloaded. Once it's ready, a dialog will appear asking you to confirm by tapping Install once more—you can choose to try it later if you prefer. You'll need to enter your passcode to confirm the update.
Should you keep getting errors about verifying the update, you may need to re-download it. You can remove the update data by going back to General in the Settings app. Tap iPhone Storage, then find the iOS update in the list. Select it and choose Delete Update, then try to re-download it.
Updating Your iPhone via Your Computer
Even if your phone is set to sync via Wi-Fi, you need to plug it in using a Lightning cable before you can update with iTunes or Finder. Once you connect your phone to your computer, open iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and newer) and the device indicator will pop up again. Click on it and select your phone from the top.
On the device page, in the top box, click Check For Updates (or Update if it's already found one). A popup will notify you of the new version; click Download and Install. If you use a passcode, you need to enter it before applying the update.
Restarting and Fixing iPhone Update Issues
Regardless of the method you used, your phone has to restart to apply the update. This screen shows an Apple logo with a progress bar. Once that finishes, your phone should reboot to your lock screen as normal. Once you unlock it, you may need to tap through some menus to agree to any changes and re-enter iCloud info.
If your phone hangs at the Apple logo, you may need to restore it. Try pressing a button on your phone; you'll see a message if the update is still working. If it's unresponsive for some time (more than an hour or so), try force-restarting it. Only do this if you're sure that the update is frozen, as forcing your iPhone to shut down while it's installing an update can cause problems.
After that, reboot your phone. If you get a screen with a computer icon and a USB cable, you'll need to restore it. Connect it to iTunes/Finder again and click Restore iPhone on the same screen where you updated your phone. Sometimes the update will continue from where you left off and complete as normal after a forced restart.
How to Update iPhone Apps
When you need to update the apps on your iPhone, you can do this through the App Store. Apple removed the ability to manage iOS apps in iTunes a while ago.
To check for updates, open the App Store on your iPhone. Tap your profile picture at the top-right, then pull from the top down to check for updates. You'll see apps with updates pending at the top of the list. Choose Update All or Update each of them individually as needed.
If you haven't already set your iPhone apps to update automatically, you should do so. See our guide to mastering the App Store's settings on your iPhone for this and more tips.
Your iPhone Is Now Updated
Now you know everything about keeping your iPhone up-to-date. In most cases, updating right on your phone is the most convenient and works fine. You should only need to update via iTunes or Finder if you've had an issue with your iPhone recently.
If this didn't work properly, you can try some troubleshooting fixes to figure out why you can't update your iPhone.