Updating the phone, without the dread
Install an update on purpose, at a time that suits you, knowing what it will and will not change.
Most of an update is repairs. Somebody found a hole that a criminal could climb through, and this closes it. That is the unglamorous truth of nearly every one.
The fear is understandable: last time, something moved. In practice a modern update changes very little that you would notice — your apps, photographs, contacts and settings all stay exactly as they were.
Key points
- Find Software Update under General and read what is actually in it
- Choose Install Tonight so it happens while you are asleep
- Know that your photographs, contacts and settings are never touched
- Let apps update themselves overnight, on Wi-Fi only
What to remember
- Choosing Install Tonight means it happens while the phone is plugged in and you are not using it.
- There is no rush of hours or days, but a phone that has not been updated in a year is genuinely more exposed.
- App updates and phone updates are two different things, in two different places.
Try this
Have a look at Settings → General → Software Update on your own phone tonight, with it plugged in. Even if you choose not to install anything, knowing what is waiting is better than wondering.
Practice: Updating the phone, without the dread. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.