How to Update Latest iOS Version in iPhone?

Smart technology products like iPhone do not work simply based on the hardware. It needs the software to seamlessly integrate various operations. Your iPhone needs iOS operating system in order to operate. iPhone comes with free iOS with the purchase along with few Apple apps like App Store, Calendar, Safari, iWork packages, etc. Similar to any other software, Apple releases continuous updates to iOS. In this article, we will explain how to update latest iOS version in iPhone to keep your phone up to date.

Updating iOS in iPhone  

It’s been a known fact that Apple publishes iOS features that are primarily supported in the latest version of iPhones. This is to push users to purchase new iPhone model if they want to use the latest iOS features. Besides that fact, it is always recommended to update your iOS as long as your device supports the new version.

• Security releases are important to protect your device from malicious attacks.
• You have to update the bug fix releases to fix the problems on your phone like overheating of battery or not able to sync multiple Apple devices.
• Major iOS versions come with new features that can help to improve your productivity.
• Some apps will work only on the latest version, so you need to update the phone in order to use those apps.

Major and Minor Updates

Generally, Apple releases two types of iOS updates.

• Major update – major iOS versions come with increment in a new whole number. For example, iOS 15 is the major update primarily for iPhone 13 and other latest models. It contains brand new features and sometimes new apps.
• Minor update – minor updates are released for security and bug fixing purposes and come with a fractional number increment. For example, iOS 15.0.1 is bug fix update for resolving unlocking iPhone 13 with Apple Watch.

Though the update process remains same for both versions, major update will take longer time for completing the installation.

How to Update Latest iOS Version in iPhone?

Unlike other software like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge,  Firefox, etc. Apple do not force automatic update of iOS. You can ignore the update and continue to use the older versions.

Accessing iOS Software Update and Check Release Details

Follow the below instructions to setup the downloading and installations of iOS as per your need.

• Tap on the “Settings” icon on your home screen and you will see a notification below your profile name. it will show “Software Update Available” and tap on it.
• Alternatively, go to “General” settings section and tap on the “Software Update” option.

• Under “Software Update” section, you will see the details of the latest available version with a link to Apple support page. You can click on the Apple support link or the “Learn more” link to read more about that iOS release. If the update is a major version, you will see a notification at the bottom indicating a new version is available.

• Tap on the “Upgrade to iOS xx” option to view the details of the latest version.

Setup iOS Software Downloading and Installation

Before installing the latest available iOS version, let us explain the available options for downloading and installing the software. Since, the process takes long time and you can’t use the device during installation, it is necessary to setup the iOS software update process in your iPhone. Tap on the “Automatic Updates” to view further options.

You will see few options like in the below screen.

By toggling automatically downloading and installing options in a combination, you can setup the installation process as you need.

• Disable updates – if you do not want to update to the latest iOS version, simply disable both download and install options. You can still enable the download and install when you need and then turn these options off.
• Semi-automatic – enable “Download iOS Updates” option to download the software automatically whenever a newer version is available. However, disable the “Install iOS Update” option so that you can manually decide when to update.  
• Enable automatic updates – if you do not worry about the updates, simply enable both options.

There are also options for automatically installing rapid security responses and system files which you can enable. Remember to consider the followings when updating your iOS:

• You should have sufficient space for downloading the latest version as major releases will be of large size. As you can see in the above screenshot, iOS 15 is of 3.24GB in size and installation process may need additional few GB size. Therefore, make sure you have sufficient free space before enabling automatic or semi-automatic update.
• For automatic installation, the process works only when you are connected to WLAN and while charging the iPhone. It will not work when you are using Cellular data or on battery. The installation happens at nighttime and Apple also will send you a notification before automatically installing the update.
• For semi-automatic, you should be having more than 50% of batter or connected to power for starting the installation.

Update Latest iOS Version

We recommend using semi-automatic update so that you can check the release notes and update manually when needed. In this case, the software download will be completed automatically and tap on “Install Now” button. If you are using manual update, then you will see “Download and Install” button to first download the software.

On the next screen, you have to accept the usage terms. Read the terms and conditions and tap on “Agree” link on the bottom to continue.

Your iPhone will send the update request to Apple server and you will see “Update Requested…” message as shown below.

Once the installation process starts, you will see the progress bar showing the remaining time for completing the installation.

Finally, you will see a “Preparing Update” message and then your iPhone will start rebooting with Apple logo.

Wait for the installation process to complete and after successful installation unlock your phone with passcode.

Now that you have updated your iPhone to the latest iOS version. You can go back to “Settings > General > Software Update” and confirm the latest version is installed.

Note: If you want to test the latest iOS version before the public release, you can use the beta version. Learn more on how to install iOS beta version and opt-out after testing. Apple also added an option iOS 16 version to get “Beta Updates” under “Software Update” section.