iOS 17 is out, giving iPhone users the chance to update their phone with Apple’s latest software. If you’re getting an iPhone 15 when those new devices arrive in stores this Friday (September 22), you needn’t worry about upgrading every iPhone 15 model ships with iOS 17 pre-installed. But for the rest of us, it’s a matter of downloading and installing iOS 17 on our current phone.
The software update works on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max models that came out in 2018, plus any iPhone released after those models. Of the iPhones that could run iOS 16, only the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus and the iPhone X can’t make the leap to iOS 17.
Before downloading and installing iOS 17, we suggest you backup your iPhone, creating an archived backup. That way, if the update goes sour, you can always revert to your backed-up copy.
To obtain the latest version of iOS, you can follow these general steps:
1. Check for the iOS 17 update: On your iOS device, go to “Settings” and select “General” Tap on Software Update and then select Upgrade to iOS 17.
2. Download iOS 17: On the subsequent page containing iOS 17’s release notes, click on Download and Install. You’ll be asked to enter your passcode and then you’ll need to agree to Apple’s terms and conditions.
3. Install iOS 17: iOS 17 will start downloading onto your iPhone, with a status bar showing the progress. This is a fairly sizable upgrade so it’s going to take some time to download. We suggest you keep your phone plugged into a charger during this process. When the download is done, you’ll be prompted to install the update. After Apple verifies the update, your phone will restart and install the update.
Once your phone restarts, you’ll be prompted to enter your passcode. From that point forward, you’re running iOS 17.
