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How to install the new iOS 16: step-by-step guide

By Rado Minkov

Published: Sep 13, 2022, 2:42 AM

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iOS Apple

How to install the new iOS 16: step-by-step guide

Apple's iPhone 14 event came and went, and as usual, with the new phones comes a new software update for all new modern iPhones, namely iOS 16, which is now out. If you're looking for some help on how to update your iPhone to iOS 16, you've come to the right place! Here's a guide for you, plus some tips and tricks you may find useful.

What you'll need before updating to iOS 16

First and foremost, make sure your iPhone is one of the models that iOS 16 supports, otherwise you won't be getting it. If your iPhone is not on the list below, it's unfortunately going to remain on whatever iOS version it most recently received.

iOS 16 supported phones:

iPhone 14 (all models)
iPhone 13 (all models)
iPhone 12 (all models)
iPhone 11 (all models)
iPhone Xs / iPhone Xs Max
iPhone Xr
iPhone X
iPhone 8 / iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone SE (second generation or newer)

If you have one of these phones - good news - you can upgrade to iOS 16!

The next step is to make sure you have enough available storage on your phone, as if you don't, you'll be asked to free up a few gigabytes before you can upgrade. If you need help with that, check out: How to free up storage on iPhone!

Before proceeding, consider backing up your iPhone

Before you go ahead and proceed with a major software update, Apple suggests to backup your iPhone's data. While not mandatory, you may want to do that for some peace of mind, in case your iPhone is ever replaced, lost, or damaged.

To back up your iPhone, simply navigate to the Settings app, then tap your name, then iCloud. Then tap iCloud Backup, and enable the option.

Make sure you're connected to a Wi-Fi network, which you'll also require for the actual software update. Let's get on to that...

Updating to iOS 16

Step 1: On your iPhone's homescreen, find and tap the Settings app. If you can't find it, swipe to the left to reveal your App Library, and input "Settings" in the search box up top.

Step 2: In Settings, scroll down to find General, and tap that.

Step 3: From here, tap Software Update.

Step 4: Here you'll get an option to "Install Now", tap that, then just follow the on-screen instructions. Your phone will eventually restart, and will require you to input your pass key.

Note: If your phone is on an older iOS version than iOS 15, you may be asked to update to that first, before you can proceed to iOS 16.

Congratulations, you're now on iOS 16! To see all of the cool new features it brings, feel free to check out our iOS 16 review. But in a nutshell, we're talking customizable lockscreens with Apple Watch-like widgets, an upgrade on how notifications work, where they appear, and how you interact with them, improvements for the Messages app, and plenty of quality-of-life improvements in general.

When did iOS 16 get released?

Apple released iOS 16 on Monday, September 12th, 2022, so you can update your iPhone at any time now. In fact, if you go into Settings, it will likely prompt you to do so.

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Rado, a tech enthusiast with a love for mobile devices, brings his passion for Android and iPadOS to PhoneArena. His tech journey began with MP3 players and has evolved to include tinkering with Android tablets and iPads, even running Linux and Windows 95 on them. Beyond tech, Rado is a published author, music producer, and PC game developer. His professional work on iPads, from producing songs to editing videos, showcases his belief in their capabilities. Rado looks forward to the future of mobile tech, particularly in augmented reality and multi-screen smartphones.