Prepare Your Iphone For Ios 26 - 6 Things I Do Before Every Update

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Apple's latest mobile operating system, iOS 26 -- yes, if you've not been keeping up, that's what will travel aft iOS 18 -- is landing existent soon (September 15), and it'll beryllium pushed retired to hundreds of millions of compatible iPhones worldwide wrong a fewer days. For nan astir part, nan immense mostly of these upgrades will beryllium soft and painless.

Also: Every iPhone that tin beryllium updated to iOS 26 (and erstwhile you tin instal it)

Maybe I'm being overly cautious here, but, arsenic personification who's knowledgeable a achy upgrade, I for illustration to return a fewer precautions earlier I let a caller update to spell chaotic connected my system. And it's not for illustration immoderate of these steps are a immense chore aliases devour a batch of time.

First, will you moreover get iOS 26?

Good question. Every awesome release, I invariable get messages from group endlessly checking for an update only to find that their iPhone is astatine nan extremity of nan statement of upgrades.

The bully news is that if your iPhone is moving iOS 18, past there's a very bully chance that you'll beryllium getting iOS 26. In fact, everything from nan iPhone 11 and iPhone SE 2nd gen onwards will get iOS 26, and nan only iPhones moving iOS 18 that won't get upgraded are nan iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.

Also: Every iPhone that tin beryllium updated to iOS 26 (and erstwhile you tin instal it)

So, connected Monday, nan merchandise time of iOS 26, nan iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR will beryllium nan past successful nan line.

With that retired of nan way, let's look astatine really to hole your iPhone. 

1. Declutter your iPhone

We each person those apps that we downloaded and ne'er used, aliases nan crippled that mislaid its entreaty erstwhile we realized it was going to bombard america pinch ads each 48 seconds.

This is nan cleanable clip to get free of those apps and free up immoderate space. The aforesaid goes for each those videos you changeable of that eel successful nan aquarium and that UFO that turned retired to beryllium a drone.

Also: How to clear your iPhone cache (and why you should do it earlier upgrading to iPhone 17)

For a full-on, heavy declutter of my camera reel, I usage CleanMy Phone. Yes, it costs a fewer bucks a month, but that mightiness prevention you from having to walk much money connected retention erstwhile you bargain a caller iPhone.

2. Update your apps

I urge updating each your apps if you've abnormal automatic updates and hide to do them manually. Running older apps connected nan caller iOS merchandise tin origin glitches and issues.

Even if things update automatically, I for illustration to do a manual update conscionable to beryllium sure. To unfastened nan App Store, pat your Profile icon astatine nan apical right, and past scroll down to spot pending updates. You tin pat nan Update fastener adjacent to individual apps aliases pat Update All to update everything astatine once.

3. Backup!

After decluttering comes ensuring that what you person near is protected successful lawsuit things spell wrong. Imagine your photos gone, your banking app deleted, aliases each those unfastened tabs connected your browser missing.

Even if you don't suffer immoderate data, mounting up an iPhone from scratch takes a batch of clip and effort.

Also: The champion unreality retention services: Expert tested

I urge having 2 backups of your data -- 1 successful nan unreality successful lawsuit things spell bad, and 1 connected a PC aliases Mac successful lawsuit things spell really bad.

Apple has a support document detailing really to make effective backups to iCloud connected a Mac aliases PC.

4. Put your iPhone connected its charger

While you tin technically imaginable to update iOS pinch only 50% battery, it's acold amended to beryllium safe than sorry and put it connected a charger.

Running retired of powerfulness mid-update wouldn't beryllium good.

Also: iPhone 17 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: I compared some models, and here's who should upgrade

5. Use nan champion net relationship possible

It is imaginable to update an iPhone complete a sketchy net connection, but it's acold amended and little frustrating to transportation retired nan update complete a fast, reliable connection. Choose nan champion spot, whether that beryllium astatine home, work, aliases nan nearest Apple Store.

6. Choose nan clip and nan place

Now you're fresh for nan update.

While you could hold for nan iOS update to beryllium downloaded and installed automatically, you tin besides do what I do: Take complaint and download it connected your terms.

Tap Settings > General > Software Update and footwear disconnected nan update erstwhile you want.

Or you mightiness want to wait

Almost each awesome iOS update seems to person a adjacent stock of bugs. If your livelihood depends connected your iPhone, you mightiness see delaying nan update for a fewer days truthful you tin spot conscionable really buggy this merchandise is, aliases moreover hold for nan iOS 26.0.1 bug hole merchandise that will inevitably beryllium rolled retired successful a fewer weeks.

Also: Why I'm breaking nan 5-year iPhone upgrade rhythm - and I'm not alone

However, iOS updates are besides brimming pinch information updates, truthful I don't urge waiting excessively long.

Also, if you want to skip this update for now, you do request to make judge that your iPhone isn't going to automatically update itself. To do so, spell to Settings > General > Software Update and move disconnected Automatic Updates until you are fresh to update.