You’re staring at that little red notification bubble on your Settings app again. It's annoying. Most people ignore it for weeks because, honestly, who has the time for a twenty-minute restart when you’re in the middle of a group chat or scrolling through TikTok? But here's the thing: skipping those updates is basically leaving your front door unlocked in a neighborhood where hackers are literally roaming the streets with lockpicks. Apple isn't just sending you new emojis—though the melting face one was a top-tier addition—they’re usually patching a "zero-day" exploit that's already being used to snoop on people.
Updating is easy. Usually. But when it goes wrong, it goes spectacularly wrong, leaving you with a "brick" that won't turn on or a phone that drains its battery in three hours.
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Why you need to know how to update your iPhone the right way
Most of us just hit "Install Now" while we’re half-asleep. That’s a gamble. Before you even think about touching that software update button, you have to talk about backups. If your phone dies mid-update because the Wi-Fi cut out or the battery hit 1%, and you haven't backed up to iCloud or a MacBook lately, your photos are gone. Forever.
I’ve seen people lose years of baby photos because they thought "it’ll be fine." It wasn't fine.
The pre-update checklist (Don't skip this)
First, check your storage. If your iPhone is screaming that it’s 63.9 GB out of 64 GB full, the update will fail. It needs "elbow room" to download the file, unpack it, and move things around. Think of it like trying to put on a tuxedo in a cardboard box; you need space to move. You generally want at least 5GB to 10GB of free space for a major iOS jump. If you're tight on space, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and offload some apps you don't use.
Second, get on a stable Wi-Fi connection. Don't try to update your phone on Starbucks Wi-Fi or while you're riding the train. If the connection drops during the "verifying" stage, it can get messy. Plug it into a charger, too. Even if you're at 80%, updates are surprisingly power-hungry because the processor is working overtime to rewrite the core operating system.
The standard "Over-the-Air" method
This is how 99% of people do it. It’s called OTA (Over-the-Air).
You open Settings, tap General, and then hit Software Update. If an update is available, you’ll see it there. Sometimes Apple gives you a choice—like staying on iOS 17 with security patches or jumping to iOS 18. Honestly, if you’re using an older device like an iPhone 11 or 12, sometimes it’s smarter to wait a week and see if the internet starts complaining about battery life on the new version.
Once you hit "Download and Install," your iPhone does the heavy lifting. It’ll ask for your passcode. Then it’ll sit there "Requesting Update..." for what feels like an eternity.
What’s actually happening during that "Preparing Update" bar?
Your phone is downloading a massive encrypted file, checking its "checksum" to make sure it wasn't corrupted during the download, and then literally rewriting the foundation of your device's software. This is why the phone gets hot. Don't put it under a pillow or in a hot car while this is happening. Let it breathe on a cool surface.
Using a computer (The "Pro" way)
If your iPhone is acting glitchy—maybe the touchscreen is ghosting or apps are crashing for no reason—updating via a Mac or PC is actually better. When you update via the Settings app, you’re just patching the existing software. When you use a computer, it downloads the entire "IPSW" file (the full OS) and replaces the old one more cleanly.
- On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, open Finder. (On a PC or older Mac, use iTunes).
- Connect your iPhone with a lightning or USB-C cable.
- Trust the device if it asks.
- Click on your iPhone in the sidebar.
- Under the General tab, click Check for Update.
This method is way more stable. If your iPhone ever gets stuck on the Apple logo, this is also the way you fix it. You put it in "Recovery Mode" and let the computer reinstall the software. It’s like a digital heart transplant.
Automatic updates: Should you turn them on?
Apple has this "Automatic Updates" toggle. It sounds great in theory. Your phone updates while you sleep, and you wake up to a fresh OS.
In reality? It’s a bit of a mixed bag.
Automatic updates usually wait until your phone is charging and connected to Wi-Fi overnight. But Apple often staggers these. You might not get the update for three or four days after it’s released. If there’s a massive security flaw being reported in the news (like the Pegasus spyware or similar "zero-click" exploits), you shouldn't wait for the automation. Do it manually.
I keep mine off. I like to choose when my phone is going to be out of commission for twenty minutes. There's nothing worse than waking up five minutes late for work and realizing your phone is in the middle of a "restarting" screen and you can't check your email or call an Uber.
The "Beta" trap
You might see an option for "Beta Updates." Unless you’re a developer or a total tech nerd who doesn't mind their banking app suddenly not working, stay away. Betas are unfinished. They’re buggy. They’ll make your phone run hot and kill your battery health. If you do join a beta, make sure you have a computer backup first, because "downgrading" back to the regular version usually requires wiping your whole phone.
Common problems and how to kill them
"Unable to Verify Update" is the boss fight of iPhone errors. Usually, this happens because the Apple servers are being slammed by ten million people trying to download the update at the exact same second. If this happens, just wait. Try again in two hours.
If the update is stuck on "Estimating Time Remaining," it might be a ghost in the machine. Force restart your iPhone (Volume Up, Volume Down, then hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears) and try the download again.
Sometimes, the update downloads but won't install. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, find the iOS update file in the list of apps, delete it, and start the download over from scratch. It sucks, but a fresh download usually fixes a corrupted file.
Why your battery feels worse after an update
Every single time a new iOS version drops, people flock to Twitter (X) to scream about their battery life. "Apple is slowing down my phone!"
Actually, for the first 24 to 48 hours after an update, your iPhone is doing a ton of background work. It’s re-indexing your photos (so you can search for "dog" or "beach"), re-cataloging your files, and optimizing apps. This uses CPU cycles. CPU cycles use battery.
Give it two days. If the battery is still dying fast after 48 hours, then you might have a real bug. But usually, it settles down once the "housekeeping" is finished.
Actionable steps for your next update
Stop waiting for the "perfect" time and just get your device secure.
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First, open your iCloud settings and force a manual backup right now. Just do it. Second, go through your photos and delete those 50 blurry screenshots you don't need so the update has room to breathe. Finally, plug your phone in tonight, go to the software update menu, and start the process manually.
Check your "Battery Health" in settings afterward too; if your maximum capacity is below 80%, any new update is going to feel sluggish because your hardware just can't keep up with the new software's power demands. In that case, it's not the update's fault—it's time for a new battery. Keep your software current, keep your data backed up, and stop clicking "Remind Me Later." Your security is worth the ten-minute wait.