iOS9 Getting Ready for the Upgrade

Apple will be releasing iOS 9 tomorrow, and by all accounts, the new operating system for iPhones, iPads, and iPods looks to be a good one. Featuring Ad blocking, a new power saving mode, an update in Siri's abilities and lots more, iOS9 will run on iPhone 4S, iPad 2, iPod Touch 5th gen and anything newer. Early reviews say it may bring new life to the iPhone 4S, perhaps running faster and better than the disappointing performance drop many saw with iOS8. So… now is the time to get ready. 1. Save all your photos and videos to the cloud or to your computer. There's no sense risking losing them if anything goes wrong, and they're taking up space that could be needed during the upgrade. My practice is to have copies in the cloud and on a hard drive. 2. Remove the apps you never use. It will free up space and declutter your home screen. 3. Make a backup. Check your backup. Your device should be backing up to iCloud every night, but it's a good idea to check, and make sure that you have a current backup. I strongly recommend connecting your device to your computer and making a backup to it using iTunes. It's a more complete backup, and if something goes wrong, it's a lot quicker to restore from iTunes than to restore from iCloud. (I speak from experience. Trust me.) 4. If at all possible, do your update via iTunes. The over the air updates seem to be OK these days, but again, in the event of complications, having the computer and iTunes handy can make for an easier recovery. If you are tight on space on your device, the iTunes update is definitely less of a hassle. Finally… Maybe just wait! If your phone is critical to your survival (social or business) maybe wait a couple days. Even the finest software on the planet has some… issues… when first released to the public. I guarantee you that not everything will work well for everybody, and that some people tomorrow will really wish they waited for the 9.01 update. In the past, people have seen problems with extreme battery drain, key apps failing to function, wifi interruption or general unexpectedly slow performance. Why not let the cowboys and thrill seekers check out the new territory and send some messages back from the front. As I've said before, you won't get a prize for updating first, but you may get some surprises. It's better to be a fast follower than a first mover.