Your iPhone gets a whole new operating system today. Once that telltale red dot shows up on your device's Settings app, you're ready for iOS 10. Apple rolls out the update gradually beginning on the morning of Tuesday, September 13. Be aware that it might take upwards of 24 hours to actually get the iOS 10 update delivered to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod. So keep checking.
One rule of thumb: backup your device before updating. It's not uncommon for phones to freeze up during the update. There are reports of this update causing problems, but Apple's fixed the bug, it says. Still, it's important to back up everything just before you make any big changes. Whether you use iCloud or iTunes, have the most recent backup ready in case you have to restore your device.
There are two must-dos in order for the update to install. You battery must be at least 60 percent charged or connected to a charger at the time of update. Plug it in to be safe, because the backup could take a while. Also, your phone has to be connected to Wi-Fi. If you try to update over a cellular data connection, it won't work.
An iOS update could require between 1GB and 2GB of free space on your phone. To be on the safe side, make sure there's at least 2GB of space freed up before you update. This will be a bigger issue for those with 16GB iPhones or iPads, and not so much for those with larger-capacity devices.
When the update is ready to download, your device should show you a popup alert to tell you so. You can also check manually: tap on the Settings icon, then the General tab, and tap Software Update. You'll see whether the update is ready.
The download time usually depends on your Wi-Fi speed and the amount of traffic Apple's servers are seeing. Expect it to take between 30 minutes and an hour.
Once you get the download, enjoy all the new features!
