How do I update my iPhone?

Not comfortable doing this yourself? That is completely fine. We can update your iPhone during a visit and walk you through anything that has changed. Give us a call.

What an update actually is

A software update is a new version of the software that runs your iPhone. Apple releases them every few weeks or months. Some updates are big and change how things look. Most are small and just fix problems behind the scenes.

The most important thing an update does is fix security holes. When Apple finds a weakness that scammers could use, they release an update to close it. A phone that has not been updated in a long time is easier to attack.

Before you start

You do not need to do much to prepare, but a few simple things make the process smoother and safer.

Make sure your iPhone has at least half its battery left, or better still, keep it plugged in during the update. Connect to your home Wi-Fi so you are not using up mobile data. And if you have photos or messages you would be upset to lose, it is worth knowing they are backed up first. Our photo backup guide covers that in plain terms.

How to check for an update

Open the Settings app, the grey icon with gears on it. Tap General, then tap Software Update. Your iPhone will check for a moment and then show you one of two things: either "iOS is up to date" or a button that says "Download and Install".

If you see the Download and Install button, tap it. You may be asked to type in your iPhone passcode. The download can take a few minutes on a reasonable Wi-Fi connection. Once it is ready, tap Install Now.

What to expect while it installs

Your iPhone will restart on its own. You will see a black screen with an Apple logo and a progress bar underneath. This is normal. The bar can sit in one place for a while before moving again. Do not press any buttons, do not unplug it, and do not panic. Let it finish.

Once it is done, the phone will start up as normal. It may ask you to type your passcode, even if Face ID was working before. That is expected after an update.

If the update gets stuck

Occasionally an update will appear to freeze. Before doing anything, give it at least an hour. Progress bars during updates often sit still and then jump forward.

If it really is stuck, a forced restart almost always brings the phone back to life without losing anything. The steps depend on your iPhone model, which is why a lot of people prefer to just call us rather than guess. This is one of the common requests we see across our phone and computer help visits, and it is a quick fix in person.

When to call us instead

Call us if your iPhone has not been updated in more than a year, if you are nervous about doing it alone, if it has already got stuck once, or if you simply do not want to deal with it. None of those are silly reasons. This is exactly the kind of thing we help with every week in Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, and Oshawa.