How to Get Apple’s New iPhone Software Update

Apple is bringing a load of new features to the iPhone and iPad through a software update launching Tuesday.

The new software, called iOS 10, brings a major refresh to some of the iPhone’s core apps and features, like Siri, iMessage, and the Photos app. Siri and iMessage will be compatible with third-party apps in iOS 10, meaning you’ll be able to do things like send money to friends within a messaging thread and ask Siri to call a Lyft for you. The new Photos app will use artificial intelligence to scan your photos and determine their subject matter, enabling you to search for specific images based on what’s in them, like dogs, trees, or food.

iOS 10 will be available for iPhone models dating back to the iPhone 5, the iPad mini 2 and later, and the iPod Touch 6th Generation.

It’s important to remember to back up your iPhone before upgrading to iOS 10. This ensures that should anything go wrong, all of your apps, data, and photos will be preserved. If iCloud Backup is turned on, your iPhone will automatically store all of your data whenever your device is plugged in, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi. Even so, it’s wise to back up your phone manually before updating as a precautionary measure. And make sure you have enough room in your iCloud account, otherwise you’ll want to back up to your computer instead.

The steps below will walk you through backing up your iPhone wirelessly and updating to iOS 10, but you can also plug your iPhone into your computer to back up through iTunes. (That often works better if you don’t have lots of free space on your iPhone.)

To back up your iPhone:

To update to iOS 10: