Even if you’re not trading up for the iPhone 5, you can still make your old iPhone (or iPad, for that matter) new again by installing Apple’s iOS 6 software update onto your handset.
Update: Looking for tips on installing iOS 7 to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch? Click here!
Apple just pushed the iOS 6 update live on its servers, and you can install it on your iPhone or iPad wirelessly, in just a few taps.
Why bother with the upgrade? Well, I can tick off at least seven nifty new features right here, including turn-by-turn car navigation through the new Maps app, full-screen web surfing, a “do not disturb” mode for calls and alerts, the ability to decline a call with a text message, easier Photo Stream sharing, and more.
A red badge should appear on your iPhone’s (or iPad’s) Settings app once iOS 6 is available to download. After that, all you’ll have to do it tap the “Download and Install” button, and your device will take care of the rest.
That said, there are a few things you should do before updating iOS on your iPhone or iPad to the latest and greatest version, starting with…
1. Update iTunes
Apple recently issued a new version of iTunes to go along with iOS 6, and while there’s nothing earth-shatteringly new about the update, iTunes 10.7 is designed to play nice with iPhones and iPads running the iOS 6 software update.
Given that, it’s probably a good idea to update your copy of iTunes before taking the iOS 6 leap. Here’s how to do it.
For iTunes on a Mac:
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen, then select Software Update.
- The Mac App Store application on your Mac should open automatically, and it will scan your system for software that needs to be updated. Near the top of the list, you should see an entry for iTunes; just click the Update button.
For iTunes on a PC:
- Open iTunes, click the Help menu, then select Check for Updates.
- After a few seconds, a window should appear prompting you download the new version of iTunes; go ahead and click the “Download iTunes” button.
2. Back up your iPhone/iPad
The process of updating an iPhone or iPad is usually a smooth one, although snafus have been known to happen—particularly last year, with the rocky release of iOS 5.
Indeed, a stalled iPhone/iPad update could freeze your device or corrupt its data, including your photos, contacts, music and apps.
That’s why it’s critical you back up your iDevice before beginning the iOS 6 installation process. Here’s how:
Using iCloud
If you’re using Apple’s free iCloud service on your iPhone or iPad and you have iCloud backups enabled, your device should be backing itself up automatically whenever its locked and connected to a Wi-Fi network.
Nice, but it’s still a good idea to check the date on your most recent iCloud backup—and if the backup file is more than a few days old, you should probably perform a manual backup before proceeding.
- Tap the Settings icon, then tap iCloud, Storage & Backup.
- Scroll to the bottom of the next screen and check the date of your last backup. Was it more than a day ago? If so, tap the “Back Up Now” button to manually create a new backup file.
Using iTunes
Still syncing your iPad or iPhone with iTunes? If so, iTunes creates a backup of your iDevice with each and every sync, and it’s worth it to perform one last backup before installing iOS 6.
- Connect your iPhone or iPad to iTunes on your desktop using its USB sync cable. Or, if you’re using Wi-Fi to sync your device with iTunes, you should see it already listed in the left column of the iTunes interface.
- Click the “Sync” button on iTunes, sit back and wait; within a few minutes or so, iTunes will have created a new backup of your iPhone or iPad data.
3. Plug your iPhone or iPad into a power source
One thing you definitely don’t want to happen during the iOS 6 update process is have your iPhone or iPad run out of juice midway through the installation; it’s a sure-fire way to corrupt your device’s data, or worse.
With that in mind, make sure to plus your iPhone or iPad into a wall outlet using its power adapter or connect it to a powered USB port on your PC or Mac before you install iOS 6. Better safe than sorry, right?
4. Be patient
Whenever there’s a major new iOS update available for download, a stampede of eager iPhone and iPad users tends to slow Apple’s servers to a crawl—and when that happens, downloads that normally take minutes could take an hour or more.
Also, the actual installation process may take a good 30 minutes-plus, after the initial download.
And if you find yourself staring impatiently at a seemingly endless “Preparing Update…” message while iOS 6 is busy installing itself on your iPhone or iPad, relax—you’re not the only one. (For the record, it took about half an hour for my iPhone 4 to move past the “Preparing Update” step.)
All told, it took nearly an hour and a half to update my iPhone to iOS 6, so make sure to set aside at least that much time before taking the plunge yourself.
My advice: be patient if the iOS 6 download and installation process takes longer than expected—and whatever you do, don’t interrupt it in mid-stream.
And if you’re willing to live with iOS 5 for a little while longer, consider waiting a day or so before pulling the trigger on iOS 6.
Bonus tip
You can check for the iOS 6 update manually on your iPhone or iPad by tapping Settings, General, Software Update.
Looking for more iPhone tips? Click here, or click here for iPad tips.
Thanks Ben. Gonna follow your advice and wait a day to two to update my iPad.
Smart man 🙂
Does the IOS 6 ask before it installs after downloading? Mine started downloading without asking and I do not want it installed. Will it stop after the download and ask me if I want to install it or will it install automatically?
It’ll start installing automatically once the download is completed. Yours starting downloading iOS 6 without asking, though? Weird…
BTW…It does ask before installing. So, after it downloaded it is just sitting there waiting for me to hit install now.
Interesting — it went ahead and installed on my iPhone without asking (or at least, if there was a prompt, it timed out before I saw it). Quick question: did you download iOS 6 on iTunes, or did you upgrade directly on your iPhone?
It gives you 8 second to reject it. If you don’t pick “Later” in 8 seconds, it installs and reboots.
Ah, good to know. Thanks!
Thanks for the info about “Preparing Update” delay cuz I was getting very nervous about that, especially since Android fried my Samsung Craptivate in January during a similar update. I am going to run some errands round the house for 30 minutes and by then I hope the “Preparing Update” is gone and that I am good to go. I won’t dare unplug from the power source I am connected to in my home office during the update; isn’t worth the potential risk of really screwing stuff up — spoke too soon, the “Preparing Update” is gone and I am now at “Verifying update…” message and phone is rebooting. Everyone be patient with this update and it should go smoothly. Can’t wait to try the new features, and quite frankly, no need to really upgrade to the iPhone 5 until I can afford it next year.
Thanks. I haven’t switched yet because I heard that the new Apple Maps may not be as accurate (in some cases) as Google Maps. Is there a separate Google Maps app download from Google? I can’t seem to find it in the App store, only Google Earth shows up.
There’s no official Google Maps app in the App Store yet, but I pulled together some alternatives right here: https://heresthethingblog.com/2012/09/20/ios-6-tip-google-maps-iphone-ipad/
What happens if the email account you use / have synced to iPhone is Gmail? Will ios6 still allow this or override it with their own email? Will any of my currently synced email data be damaged in the upgrade?
What happens if the email account you use / have synced to iPhone is Gmail? Will ios6 still allow this or override it with their own email? Will any of my currently synced email data be damaged in the upgrade?
Nope, your email accounts should all still be there, including your Gmail account. All you’ll have to do is re-enter your password.
I have iOS 6 and have also, from the App store, downloaded Live Street View – version 2.1.1 By Tim Broddin. This works perfectly.
I tried to update to IOS 6, but it did not work, midway through the update it told me “the iphone was disconnected, reconnect and try again”. I did that several times, the same prompt was repeated over and over. Any idea what to do?
I regret that I upgraded to iOS 6. No Google Maps and YouTube for the IPad, both I used a lot [there is a YouTube app for iPhone though] 🙁 It was an upgrade of the version but downgrade of the user experience as well as functionality. Shame on you Apple. I tried with the web version of the YouTube, no match with the earlier App.
How can I get rid of the red badge and avoid ios6 entirely?
what should i do my ipad has stopped the installation mid-way
i have a question. how can i stop or cancel the installation?? because i dont want to update my iphone to ios6 but my phone update it automaticaly. i dont want to update it. but everytime i connect it to wifi it continue to update so that until now i dont use wifi to my iphone to not to continue to update please help me. godd bless you.. or email me on [email protected]
Hi,
Could you tell me if I upgrade my iPhone, will it upgrade my iPad automatically as well? I don’t want to upgrade my iPad as it has all my pics on there and I was told it would wipe everything. Also what’s the quickest way to put all my pics and vids off my iPad onto a hard drive or something? My iPad is so slow.
Thanks!!!!
Not sure if I’ll see your reply. Could to email me? [email protected]
is it possible to fix a corrupted ipod?