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Everything to Know About Apple’s New iPhone Software

3 minute read

Apple’s newest iPhone software upgrade, iOS 9, is out Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know.

How do I get it?

Your iPhone may prompt you to do a software upgrade sometime Wednesday. But to take matters into your own hands, open the “Settings” app, head over to “General,” then “Software Update.” When iOS 9 is available, you’ll be able to hit “Download and Install.”

A couple of protips here. First, back up your iPhone to your computer or to iCloud first, just in case something goes wrong with the update. Second, you’ll want to download the update over a strong Wi-Fi connection. If your iPhone is running low on storage space, try downloading the app to your computer and updating via iTunes.

What does it have?

Apple’s new iOS 9 is all about making your iPhone smarter. With the software installed, your iPhone will start to learn your daily routine, suggesting apps and offering up information it thinks you might need at the right time. For instance, if you tend to crack open a weather app right when you wake up every morning to see what you should wear to the office, your iPhone will start making that app easier to get to in the morning hours.

Another nice benefit: If you’ve got an event with an address in your calendar, your iPhone will nudge you when it thinks you should leave your current location based on road conditions and traffic.

Is that it?

Nope. Siri’s getting smarter, too. If you ask her to “Show me pictures I took at Zion National Park last year,” it’ll do the job just fine. And if you’ve got an important message, you can ask Siri a general request, like “remind me about this later,” and it’ll figure out what you mean by “this.”

Oh, and iOS 9 brings a big update for iPads, too, letting you more easily multitask across multiple apps at the same time.

Cool. Any new apps?

Yup. The biggie is News, the company’s new newsreading app. It’s got content from a bunch of different sources (TIME included!) and learns what you like to read about over time.

What about performance? My battery life stinks!

Then you’ll love iOS 9. Apple focused on optimization with iOS 9, and it’s packed with little tricks designed to squeeze the most out of your iPhone’s battery. A new low-power mode, for instance, shuts down a bunch of battery-draining, non-essential features if you’re in a pinch. It’s like Captain Kirk ordering the Enterprise into auxiliary power.

Will it work on my iPhone?

Probably. Apple says iOS 9 will run on any iPhone that’s a 4s model or newer, which yours most likely is. And unlike previous big updates, it’s optimized to run well on older phones.

Here Are All the Products Apple Unveiled Today

The iPhone 6S’s new 3D multi-touch interfaceApple
iPhone 6s & iPhone 6s PlusApple
iOS 9, available as a free update for iPhone, iPad and iPod touchApple
WatchOS 2 with native apps and new gold and rose gold aluminum Apple Watch sport modelsApple
Apple watch with Hermès bandApple
iPad Pro featuring a 12.9-inch Retina Display and Apple PencilApple
An iPad Pro with a keyboard is seen during an Apple media event in San Francisco, California
Apple’s new Smart KeyboardBeck Diefenbach—Reuters
Siri remote, tvOS, and the App Store running on the new Apple TVApple

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