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The wait is over: iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and watchOS 8 are now available. Software upgrades contain a ton of new features, including fun additions to FaceTime and Focus modes to better handle notifications. (Plus one a lot other stuff.) If you want the latest version, you will need to update your devices. But before that, here are some tips to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.
Make sure your device is compatible
Before trying to download new software, you should make sure that your device can actually run it. Here’s a quick look at which devices are compatible with iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and watchOS 8.
iOS 15:
- iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE, first and second generation
- iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR
- iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus
- iPod Touch, 7th generation
iPad 15:
- iPad Air, second generation and later
- iPad, fifth generation and later
- iPad Mini, fourth generation and later
- All iPad pros
watchOS 8:
- Series 7
- Series 6
- Apple Watch SE
- Series 5
- Series 4
- Series 3
Note: Before you can update to watchOS 8, you must update to iOS 15 on the phone it is paired with.
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Back up your devices
As always, it’s a good idea to make sure you back up all of your important information. before download new software. Usually the process is smooth, but prevention is better than cure.
The easiest way to backup is through iCloud. To do this, open Settings, tap your name at the top of the menu and select iCloud. Scroll to ICloud backup, then press Save now. This is by far the easiest way to do it, and once you’ve backed up your iPhone you’ll have automatically backed up your Apple Watch also.
If you prefer a local backup, you can plug your device into your computer.
On a Mac, you’ll connect your device to your computer by USB, USB-C, or wifi. Then open a new Finder window and select your device. From there, hit General and select if you want to store your backup in iCloud Where locally on your Mac. You can also choose to encrypt your backup with a password. Once all this is done, click on Save now.
On PC, you will need to launch iTunes. Click on Summary, then Save now. For an encrypted backup, select Encrypt the local backup, choose a password, then click Set password.
How to install iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and watchOS 8
Now that you have responsibly backed up your files, you can now move on to the right things. To get started, first make sure you are running the latest version of iOS 14. (In general, you should try to always run the latest software as it will contain the latest security updates.) If you are already using the latest software, you can go to Settings> General> Software update. The same goes for iOS and iPadOS. However, as a reminder, for watchOS 8 you will need to update your iPhone first. Once you have done this you can go to Watch the app > General > Software update. This can take a while, so it’s always a good idea to let people know that you might be unreachable for a while and to make sure your device is on its charger while updating. You can always choose to update overnight.
After performing the update, check the best iOS 15 features to try first and read our previews to see what’s new.
Why should you wait
There’s a reason the First Wave is called the Vanguard. They are the first to everything, and that includes bugs. Apple has run several public and development beta versions of each software release over the past few months, but there is always a chance that something great will happen that needs to be fixed. If you’re the cautious type, you might want to wait a few days, or even a week or two, for the dust to settle. However, don’t wait too long. We will find out in the next few days if there is a major issue and as we mentioned earlier, it is Security 101 to make sure you are using the latest software.
Are you updating right away? Feel free to share in the comments what are your favorite parts of iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and watchOS 8.
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