Many Apple devices are in for new features with the introduction of iOS 13. Most notably, Apple is finally giving iOS users a Dark Mode. Dark mode changes the color scheme of your iPhone, making bright areas black or dark gray, which is said to be easier on the eyes and improve readability. You’ll have easy control over it via Settings or Control Center.
Another exciting feature of the new iOS is the ability to apply most existing photo editing capabilities to video editing, so it’ll be possible to crop, rotate, add filters and more, even on videos up to 4K resolution.
Apple also added general performance improvements aimed at speeding up your experience. Face ID, for instance, is said to be 30% faster, and apps are said to launch up to two times faster and take less time to download, thanks to both a reduction in app size and smaller downloads required for app updates.
Most, but not all iPhones are eligible for iOS 13. Below is a list of devices that can update:
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 6s/6s Plus
- iPhone 7/7 Plus
- iPhone 8/8 Plus
- iPhone X
- iPhone XR
- iPhone Xs/Xs Max
- iPhone 11/
- iPhone 11 Pro/11 Pro Max
- iPod touch (7th generation)
Step 1: Back up
Even though it’s unlikely anything will go wrong, before you update, it is vital to back up your info to iTunes or iCloud so you can be 100% sure none of your data is lost. To do so with iTunes, plug your phone into your computer, select it in iTunes, and under the summary tab on the left, press “Back Up Now.” To back up to the cloud using your phone, go to the Settings app, tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud. You will see a list of apps using iCloud and which are switched on to sync up. Take a look to see which apps (including contacts, mail, photos) are doing so and select any you want to add.
Step 2: Download and install
Now you can move on to updating. Like the backup, you can update on a computer with iTunes or with the device by itself. To do so with iTunes, make sure your device is connected to a computer, open iTunes and select your phone, click Summary and then Check for Update. Finally, click the Download and Update option.
To update your device, make sure your iPhone or iPod is plugged in, so it doesn’t run out of power midway through. Next, go to the Settings app, scroll down to General and tap Software Update. From there, your phone will automatically search for the latest update. When iOS 13 shows up, you will see a description of the update and an option to “Download and Install.”
Step 3: Restart and log in
Your device will automatically reboot after the update. You then will need to log back into your Apple ID using the associated email and password. If you have two-factor authentication enabled, keep an eye out for the code and enter when prompted.
Now you’re ready to jump into iOS13!
