How-to get your Apple device ready for iOS 9 TODAY

Apple is introducing a number of new features with its free iOS 9 software upgrade

APPLE will roll-out its latest iPhone, iPod and iPad operating system iOS 9 today. Here's everything you need to do to make sure you're ready.

 

After months of waiting for the latest iOS update, Apple fans will be able to download the latest operating system later today.

The OS brings a slew of changes to your device including a new News app, more proactive Siri and BIG boosts in battery life.

Apple's iOS 9, which is available as a free update, is expected to hit the UK at 6pm today – and there is likely to be huge numbers of people flocking to update.

So, if you want to be prepared for the latest iOS update here are a few things you can do to make sure your iPhone, iPod or iPad is ready.

 

Time For A Spring Clean

Apple has slimmed down the update file needed to upgrade your device to iOS 9.

The US firm faced some criticism last year when iOS 8 required a staggering 4.58GB of free space to install.

Luckily those days are in the past and Apple claims iOS 9 will only need 1.3GB to update.

However if you are running a 16GB iPhone, that's still a sizeable chunk of your available memory.

Now would be a good time to take a long, hard look at all those apps you have installed.

Do you really need Angry Bird, Angry Birds 2 and Angry Birds Star Wars installed at once?

 

The default Home Screen that arrives alongside iOS 9 when it rolls out worldwide

If you need to quickly find out which apps or services are hogging all of your internal storage head to Settings > General > Usage > Manage Storage to see a list of the biggest culprits.

Alternatively if you don't want to part ways with your photos or plethora of apps – plug your Apple device into a laptop and download the iOS update using iTunes.

This means the update can install without needing gigabytes of space on the device itself.

Check Your Device Is Compatible

Every device capable of running iOS 8 will be able to update to iOS 9 tomorrow night.

In fact – Apple is even promoting the fact that iOS 9 will improve speed and performance on older hardware.

Sadly, not everyone will be able to flick a switch and join the iOS 9 party tomorrow.

Those with an original iPad or iPhone 4, for example, will be left behind.  

 

All of the Apple devices which are able to update to iOS 9, courtesy of the latest iOS webpage

Back-Up Your Device

Whether you plan on restoring and installing the new iOS update, or simply updating – its always worth making a backup of your data.

It's unlikely anything will go wrong but if it does – would you want to lose all the data stored on your smartphone?

Me neither.

 

Perform an encrypted backup via iTunes to make sure your account passwords and Health data is included in the backup.

This sensitive information will not be included in an iCloud backup for security reasons.

This is also a good way to ensure you bring across a year's worth of steps, heart-rate, weight loss and other health data, should you change to a newer model of iPhone on September 25.

Apple iPhones also update over the iCloud online storage solution automatically overnight.

To double-check and make sure the system has been working to preserve your data, head to Settings > General > Usage > iCloud > Manage Storage and then under Backups look for This iPhone.

This will launch a new menu which will let you know when the last iPhone backup took place over wifi.