Apple unveiled the iOS 16 in June this year and now, the public beta version is out for users to download. It’s a major upgrade from the iOS 15, offering several new fetures like customizable lock screens, ability to edit and unsend iMessages, schedule emails for the future, new Safety Check feature, and more.
If you’re hungry to try iOS 16 and give its new features a look, you can install it. But as you may know, iOS updates can be a hassle and take a long time, especially if it’s a new one like this that’s still in active development.
So, actually how long does the iOS 16 update take then? Well, that’s what we’ll focus on in this article and we’ll also show you what you can do in case your iPhone gets stuck during the update. Read on to learn more.
It’s hard to give an exact time of how long does an iOS update take since the duration is depended on several factors which vary from device to device. There are some new iOS updates that would take a long time, and others that would take a short time. Furthermore, Apple tends to release its updates regularly, unlike Android updates which are usually released once in around two to three years.
The Apple updates can be just a minor update that offers a few improvements such as bug fixes, font changes, and security improvements, or can be a major update which normally happens once a year.
In other words, the fewer the features the smaller the OS and vice versa. As such, a significant update, for instance, from iOS 15 to the latest iOS 16 version will have more features thereby taking longer to update.
So, on average, how long does the iOS 16 take to download and install? Well, the complete iOS update can take around 30 to 60 minutes and it goes through four stages, each having a waiting time.
If your iOS update continues to run after an hour with no changes, then there’s a problem.
As we mentioned earlier, several factors can slow down iOS updates and they vary from device to device. Some common ones include:
Backing up everything on your phone before starting an update is essential as iOS updates can disrupt or affect your data and applications. Doing the back up plus other preparations can take around 10 to 30 minutes which in turn extend the update time.
iOS update files vary in size depending on the number of features and upgrades they carry. If you’re switching from iOS 15 to iOS 16, then you’re looking at around 5GB of iOS update file. That’s a large update carrying many features, so downloading and installing it and then configuring the apps will take a pretty long time.
Every update comes with something new that needs space to be accommodated. Therefore, if your iPhone storage is not sufficient, then any iOS update you start is likely to freeze halfway or even terminate after running for a long time. Before initiating the update process, always check how much space is available on your phone in contrast to the size of the update file.
It’s possible for Apple servers to affect an iOS update. Lots of iPhone users worldwide tend to update their iOS immediately Apple release it. As such, the servers can easily get overloaded by this enormous traffic and thereby slow down. Delays can happen too when you update your iPhone while Apple servers are undergoing maintenance.
So, check the Apple Server status to confirm it’s working fine before starting an update. When you visit the Apple System Status page, the dot next to App Store, iCloud and Sign In, etc should be green. If any of the dots is not green, then you have to wait until Apple fixes the server before you proceed to update your iPhone.
When the network connection is slow, so is the download and installation process. It’s not just the strength of the network connection. The consistency does matter too. If it fails or slows down halfway through the update, the update duration extends.
A lot of resources is used when updating iOS, so if there are other running apps in the background, the resources available get split which ends up slowing down the update process.
The age of your iPhone can also influence the duration of iOS update. Older models are usually sluggish because each newer update has features that need better hardware. So, consider the model and age of your iPhone before you try an update.
We’ve tackled the question, “how long does a software update take?” and gave you an idea of the factors likely to lengthen an iOS update duration, now is time for solutions. Here is what you can do to guarantee a faster update.
1. Prepare early for the update. Backup your iPhone and make all other preparations before you move to perform the update. You can do this a day before time, especially if you know the exact release date of the new iOS.
2. Ensure you have a solid internet connection. You can do a speed test on your iPhone to confirm your network strength before you proceed to do the update. Try opening YouTube or Safari as well just to confirm that the internet is working fine.
3. Stop other running background apps, then initiate the update. Closing the active background apps means more available resources for iOS update hence shorter update duration.
4. Create more storage pace. Considering that certain updates can be large, you can delete some apps and files to create room for the update to offload its goodies.
5. Wait a couple of days after the new iOS release before updating your iPhone. Apple’s servers won’t be overloaded and slow by this time as the traffic of users trying to update would have decreased.
6. Try to cancel the update if it’s not moving or if it’s taking longer than expected and then reboot your phone. This will give the update a clean slate to start a fresh. You may need to delete the downloaded update file too before restarting your phone and beginning the entire process again.
7. Ensure your phone has enough battery power before updating. Updates can’t happen when the battery power is less than 50%, so plug your phone into a wall outlet. The update will resume as it charges or once the power is above 50%.
8. Try resetting the network settings if the issue persists. This will remove any glitches or errors that could be interfering with the network connections. To reset the network, launch Setting, go to General, tap Reset, then Reset Network Settings. Put your passcode and confirm the rest.
A great alternative way to solve iPhone is taking forever to update issue is to use FoneGeek iOS System Recovery software. This effective, professional tool can thoroughly fix your iOS errors to enable a smooth update process. It’s very powerful yet easy to use thanks to it’s intuitive interface, plus it’s fully compatible with the latest iOS 16/15 and iPhone 14/13 models.
If all the solutions above have failed, we highly recommend you use this FoneGeek iOS System Recovery software to fix the iOS issues and update your iPhone to the latest iOS 16. Here’s what you need to do:
Now you know how long does iOS 16 update take to install on your iPhone. If you encounter any issues, one of the factors highlighted above could be the cause and you should be able to remedy it using the solutions we’ve provided.
In case you still have problems, use the FoneGeek iOS System Recovery to fix the iOS issues. It’s very effective and simple to use to update your iPhone to the latest iOS 16.
Fay J. Melton has explored the area of technology and software for more than 5 years and he is enthusiastic about helping users solve various technology issues.
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Fay J. Melton
Last updated: Thursday on Aug 25, 2022, 09:34:59
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