Updating an iPhone’s operating system is one of the best ways to ensure that your device continues to perform without any glitches.
Regular updates also ensure that your iPhone’s security features are periodically enhanced.
Keep in mind that your iPhone will always support the newer and updated versions of the various apps that you install and use.
Once you have completed the setup and the installation, you’ll be able to use your iPhone just as you used to.
Despite these significant advantages, many people worry that updates can somehow ruin their phone.
So, we’re here today to tackle the question once and for all:
Will updating iOS delete everything?
The straight-up answer: iOS updates don’t remove ANY data from your iPhone.
Yes, it’s possible to be logged out of certain apps- especially if you had also recently run a phone cleaner app that might have deleted some cookies and cleared your login credentials from certain apps.
However, it’s extremely rare and not normal at all for the update process to remove any of your files!
Again, you may need to log in again with your phone password or Apple or email credentials, but your settings and other user information on the device will essentially remain unchanged.
Rest assured that no pictures, videos, or documents are deleted from your device without your permission!
iPhone Updates: Everything You Need To Know
One of the most common and easiest ways of updating your iPhone is to use the “Software Update” option on the device.
Once you receive an update notification, it’s best to run the iOS update ASAP to enhance the function and security of your system files.
However, there are certain factors you should account for during this process.
Time Needed
Depending on your download speed and the size of the update, it could take about thirty (30) minutes to an hour for the update to be fully downloaded and installed.
In the meantime, if your iPhone’s battery runs low on power, your iOS update could potentially become corrupt- and you may have to restart and restore your device as a result.
This is one scenario that can cause data loss or errors to occur on your iPhone, which could then potentially result in some files being deleted!
Although this is a sporadic occurrence, it’s best to create an iCloud backup before an update to avoid any data loss if you have sensitive and essential files on your iPhone.
Compatibility Issues
Outdated Apps
On the other hand, once a new update has been installed, some older apps that are now no longer compatible with the new iOS version may stop working.
If you have specific files stored within the app, you might not be able to access these anymore under these circumstances.
For example, ever since iOS 11 was launched, all of the apps that weren’t upgraded to 64-bit compatibility had stopped working on the updated iPhones.
Thus, it’s always a best practice to upgrade your apps as soon as you upgrade your iOS to avoid data loss.
To make this process failsafe, here’s what you can do. You can check if any of your apps’ performances will be affected after updating your iOS by checking for updates available for your app:
- First, go to “Settings.”
- Then go to “General.”
- Go to “About”
- Open the “Applications” tab
From here, you will be able to check all of the apps that haven’t been updated yet. You can update all of the older versions, and then proceed to update your iOS.
You also always have the option to update your device manually if you want to be extra careful about not losing any data.
You can also go to “Settings” and switch on the automatic backup before starting your iOS update as an added safety precaution for your data.
Choosing this option will back up your data to iTunes or iCloud automatically, which you can retrieve at a later time.
Taking these precautions allows you to make significant updates without the fear of losing any data!
Incompatible Operating System
With over 850 million active iPhone users, Apple will understandably keep upgrading its iOS to provide a top-notch user experience.
Updating the iOS won’t erase your data unless your device is corrupted, or the battery power runs out and subsequently creates an error.
Another scenario where you could possibly lose data and cause your iPhone to crash is when you attempt to install a much higher version of iOS than what your iPhone is capable of handling.
For example, if you try to install iOS 7 on an iPhone that runs on iOS 5, it could lead to errors, and your iPhone might crash.
When your iPhone crashes this way, you can only get it to work again by restoring the iPhone, and this almost always entails loss of data in some capacity.
However, restoring your iPhone and deleting your existing data can work in specific cases, such as if a virus has somehow corrupted your device.
In these cases, simply go to the “Restore” and then the “Update” option of your iPhone’s settings to restore your device.
All of the apps and files will be deleted; however, you can download all of your backed-up files from iCloud and iTunes.
Restoring the iPhone will remove all of your information and update your security settings and systems simultaneously.
Again, to ensure that you don’t lose any data during an iOS update, make sure to back up your files to iTunes and iCloud beforehand!
What Will Happen If I Update My iOS?
Once you’ve updated your iOS, your iPhone’s overall functionality and security features will likely see improvements.
You’ll be guided through a new setup process, and you’ll have to verify your Apple ID credentials and may be asked to log in again (depending on the version you are using).
Once all of the new features are installed, you can continue using your iPhone just like before, and you shouldn’t find any files missing!
You may also have to update some apps that haven’t been updated in a long time.
Following these precautions should render any threat of losing data next to nil.
When You Update Your Phone, Does It Delete Everything?
No, it does not.
Your iPhone typically makes sure that it has all your data synced with iCloud, therefore any accidental loss of data is also prevented.
You simply have to switch on the backup feature on your device to store all your information.
This is an important step if you want to ensure that any sensitive and irreplaceable data is secure.
In using this feature, you’ll be able to quickly transfer all of the files from your old iPhone to iCloud, and then download them back again to a new iPhone as well.
Is it Bad To Update Your iPhone to iOS 15?
Updating your iPhone is never a bad idea, regardless of the version you’re updating to.
iOS 15 has some pretty advanced features, and it can help take your iPhone experience to the next level!
For example, you’ll be able to enjoy Live Texts and smart stacks with suggested widgets.
In addition, you will be able to use a new Dictation feature, along with Spotlight.
The video playback speed can now be adjusted more easily, and you can also enjoy System-wide translation.
Certain apps have also been improved to match compatibility with the latest iOS, such as FaceTime, Maps, Memoji, Siri, and more.
There are plenty of accessibility improvements and a multitude of enhanced security features as well, such as a built-in one-time password authenticator and iCloud private relay, among others.
In Summary
To sum it up, updating your iOS won’t result in any loss of data as long as your update is running smoothly and your iPhone doesn’t have any internal hardware problems.
Data loss may occur only very rarely, and really will only take place in situations where your iPhone’s battery is fully consumed during the upgrade and your iPhone crashes (thus resulting in an error).
On the other hand, there may be situations where you have to restore your iPhone completely, resulting in all of your data being erased while your systems are updated.
In these instances, you won’t suffer any loss of data if you were able to back up all of your files beforehand via iTunes or iCloud.
After the update, you can keep using your iPhone like before!
Updating to iOS 15 will give you access to some advanced security features with enhanced performances of some regular features.
As such, there’s no need to shy away from future iOS 15 (and eventually, iOS 16) updates.
Update as required, and your iPhone will continue to perform to its optimum capacity!