Switching to iOS 11: How to prepare optimally

New features in iOS 11

The update brings some new features to your iPhone and iPad.
These include a revised Control Center, a "Files" app and "Drag and Drop" gestures.
In addition, iOS 11 offers a small design update.

First of all, you should check whether your device is compatible with iOS 11 at all.
With iPhones, every part of it came after the iPhone 5. Accordingly, your iPhone SE and the 5s are suitable for iOS 11. Only the sixth generation iPod Touch is compatible with iPods.
Regarding the iPads: on the 12.9 "iPad Pro (the first and second generation), the 10.5" and the 9.7 "iPad Pro, the iPad Air 1 & 2, the iPad of the fifth generation and the iPad minis 2, 3 and 4 you can install iOS 11.

iOS 11 can provide personalized tips to help you get the most out of your limited storage.
However, before you can use the services, you should ensure that there is enough free space for the update.
It is advisable to go through the installed apps critically. Many 32-bit apps will unfortunately no longer run on iOS 11. So you can safely part with them. In a separate tip, we explain how to check whether your apps are also compatible with iOS 11.
You should also take a closer look at social media apps like Facebook. After some time of use, they inflate quite a bit due to cache data and the like. In this case, you should clear them and reinstall them to reset the cache.
If you use WhatsApp, it may be worth opening the memory usage in the settings under Data and memory usage. With "Manage ..." you can repeat some of the space used.
Finally, you should carry out all other updates for your programs in the AppStore. This way you can be sure that they also work on iOS 11.

If something goes wrong, it is always advisable to have a backup. This also applies to the switch to iOS 11. If the installation does not work and you have not saved your data beforehand, it will be lost.
An archived backup saves the current status of your device without the risk of it being replaced by later backups.
If you have carried out a normal backup, you will find the "Devices" tab in the iTunes menu. With a right click on the backup you can "archive" it.
As soon as the backup has been archived, the date and time of the archiving appear behind it.

iOS 11 will likely be released around 7 p.m. However, since usually not everything runs smoothly at the beginning, we recommend that you only install the update one or two weeks later.
As always, you should make sure that your device is charging or fully charged. Because the update could take a while.

In our next practical tip, you will find out what the acronym iOS 11 actually stands for.