Apple will release iOS 11 on Tuesday, September 19, which comes with hundreds of new features such as the all-new and customizable Control Center, powerful multitasking features for iPad, new Files app, AR experiences using ARKit and lots more.
Tips to Prepare Your iPhone and iPad for iOS 11 Release
Here are some tips to help you get ready for iOS 11 release:
#1. Check for Device Compatibility
Before we start it is important to know if your iPhone or iPad supports iOS 11. iOS 11 supports the following devices:
- iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 5s
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2nd generation, 12.9-inch iPad Pro 1st generation, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad 5th generation, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2
- iPod Touch 6th generation
#2. Delete Unused Apps
A major OS upgrade is a good time to think over the apps you have installed, and delete ones that you hardly use. While you can always delete apps from your home screen, another way is to go to Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage> Manage Storage and then tap on the app you don’t need and hit “Delete App”. You will be able to see how much space is being occupied by the apps, so you can at least delete the ones that are taking up too much storage space.
#3. Free Up Space
iOS 11 update generally require at least 2GB of free space, so if you’re running low on free space on your iPhone or iPad, it might be a good idea to free up some space by deleting unwanted stuff from your device. You should have at least 2.5GB or more free space to be on the safe side.
Read: 15 Tips to Free up Storage Space to Install iOS 11 on Your iPhone or iPad
#4. Install Latest App Updates
App Developers have been working hard to get their apps ready for iOS 11. So don’t forget to install updates for the apps so that you can enjoy all the new iOS 11 features such as ARKit, and you don’t face any crashing issue.
Please note that 32-bit apps are not compatible with iOS 11, so check this post to find out if any of your favorite apps are incompatible with iOS 11.
Read: How to Find 32-Bit iPhone and iPad Apps That Won’t Work in iOS 11
#5. Update to Latest iTunes
If you are planning to install iTunes to install the iOS 11, then make sure you’ve updated to the latest version of iTunes, iTunes 12.7 on your Mac or Windows PC. Please do remember that Apple has removed the App Store section from iTunes 12.7.
#6. Backup your iOS Device
It is always a good idea to take a backup of your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch before updating it with the latest iOS software update. (Note that if you choose to encrypt your backup using iTunes, along with normal data, secure information like passwords etc. are also backed up.)
You can back up your iOS device using iTunes or iCloud. If you need help then check out our step-by-step guides.
We recommend taking a backup of your iPhone or iPad using the iTunes method, as it will allow you to downgrade to iOS 10.3.3 if required.
#7. Jailbreakers
If you have jailbroken your iOS device and cannot live without your favorite jailbreak apps and tweaks then it is recommended that you avoid updating to iOS 11, until a tool is released to jailbreak iOS 11. You can check our post to find the latest status of the iOS 11 jailbreak.
Read: iOS 11 Jailbreak Status
#8. iOS 11 Release Time
Apple should release iOS 11 at around 10 AM PST/1 PM EST. Since iOS 4 in 2010, Apple has released a major iOS software update at that time. If you’re wondering what time it will be released in your timezone then we’ve you covered. Check our post if you want to find out what time it may get released in your timezone.
#9. Installing iOS 11
iOS 11 will be available as an update via iTunes as well as an over-the-air update, which allows you to download iOS software updates (just incremental changes) without plugging your iOS device to the computer.
You can also update your iOS device to iOS 11 using iTunes by plugging it to your computer. If you want to jailbreak your device in the future, it is recommended to update via iTunes. We’ll be publishing direct download links as soon as they’re available.
Jailbreakers, note that if your device is jailbroken then OTA updates will be disabled, which is good if you plan to hold off updating, but if do want to upgrade, you’ll have to restore via iTunes.
After you’ve followed the steps mentioned above, you should be ready to download and install iOS 11 as soon as it is available and discovering the new iOS 11 features.
The only piece of advice I would have is to wait for a day to install the update or at least not immediately after iOS 11 is released on Tuesday. There is usually a flood of users downloading a major iOS software update, which can slow down the download of the software update and at times has also caused major issues. So be patient and download the iOS 11 software update after the floor of requests has slowed down. It also gives you enough time to find out if there is a major issue with the update.
Let me know if you’ve any questions.
