On Wednesday, Apple not only announced the new iPhone 5, but also showed off iOS 6, giving it a September 19 release date. And since this release date concerns iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners, we wanted to share some tips on how to best prepare yourself for the release of iOS 6.
Like iOS 5 before it, Apple is adding more than 200 new features to the mix with iOS 6. Many of these features are ones that iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners have been campaigning for for a while.
Perhaps the biggest change found in iOS 6 is Apple’s new Maps app, which will replace Google Maps as the default navigation service on the iOS platform. The new Maps app includes many of the features iDevice owners are used to, along with some nifty features including 3D maps and turn-by-turn navigation.
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Streamline your iOS 6 setup with these quick tips.
iOS 6 also brings new features to Siri, Facebook integration, more functionality from Passbook for use with airline tickets, coupons and more, as well as FaceTime Over Cellular and the Phone app.
Of course, not all of these features will come to all Apple’s devices, so you’ll want to take a look and see what your device gets with iOS 6.
Additionally, iOS 6 will not come for all Apple’s devices. The free download will come to iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and the new iPad and fourth-generation iPod touch.
Clean Your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch
Whenever Apple releases a new iOS update, I tend to use it as motivation to clean up my iPhone and iPad. You should consider doing the same with iOS 6.
Over the past year, you’ve probably downloaded a number of apps you hardly use anymore, or content like music or shows you no longer watch.
These can take up a lot of space on your device and are especially problematic on variants of the device where space is limited, such as 16GB.
Make sure you trim apps you don’t use on your device.
So, before you download iOS 6, do a scan on your device and get rid of stale content. Press and hold the app’s icon, wait until it shakes and delete it. For programs you may have downloaded, open the Videos app and swipe from left to right. This deletes the content from your device.
Before continuing, you’ll want to make sure Restrictions is disabled on the device. If turned on, your device may not be able to transfer purchases, make backups, or synchronize them with the computer.
To do this go to your device and make sure it is disabled otherwise you may encounter an error while trying to perform some of these functions.
Transfer Your Purchases
Once you have iOS 6 up and running, you’ll be able to download all your old apps, but the process is extremely tedious, especially for those of you who use tons of apps on your device.
After cleaning your device and deleting dead apps, you can easily transfer your apps to your computer, which will make your transition from iOS 5 to iOS 6 much easier.
This is also a great opportunity to switch your device to a different computer that you prefer to use another device to sync with your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
I recently switched from my computer to my laptop because I used it a lot more. Once the device is connected and the laptop or PC is connected to Wi-Fi, iOS will back up the content to your computer.
Back Up Your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch
It is absolutely essential to back up your device before upgrading to iOS 6. In the unlikely event that something could go wrong with the upgrade process and you may not want to lose everything on your device. To be safe, it is wise to make a backup.
Be sure to back up your device before installing iOS 6.
The backup process starts after you plug your device into a computer. If it doesn’t happen automatically, you can have a backup occur.
Simply go to iTunes, right click on your device and choose Backup. I did this with my iPhone recently, and while it takes some time, it’s well worth it, especially when it comes to a new operating system.
Download the Latest Version of iTunes
To use iOS 6, you will need to download and install the latest version of iTunes. Currently available version is iTunes 10.7. It’s possible that Apple will release another version from today until September 19th, but what you want right now is iTunes 10.7.
Before installing iOS 6, make sure you have downloaded the latest version of iTunes.
There are two ways to get the latest version of iTunes. First, get over it. Apple’s website. There, you need to download the appropriate version and install it on your computer.
The second way is to manually check for an update. On Mac or Windows, go to. If you do not have the latest version, you will be prompted to download it.
Keep Your Apple ID at Hand
If you already own an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you have an Apple ID. When you sign in to iOS 6, you should have your credentials at hand, including your username and password. Your Apple ID is required when connecting iTunes to your iDevices.
For those who are bad at keeping track of these two items, now would be the perfect time to save them, as they will be useful when you install iOS 6.
Have your Apple ID information at hand.
You can do Reset your password via Apple.com If you’re not sure if you have an Apple ID, you can also check your Apple ID here.
Apple still doesn’t allow users to combine Apple IDs, so if you have two IDs, be prepared to choose just one to link to your iPhone 4S, new iPad, or fourth-generation iPod touch.
