How to Install iOS 12 on Your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

Unfortunately, for a few older devices, iOS 12 is the end of the line, so read on if you have one of these that’s still running an older version of iOS.

• iPhone 5s
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 6 Plus
• iPad Air
• iPad Mini 2
• iPad Mini 3
• iPod Touch (6th generation)

Note that you can update straight to iOS 12 from an older iOS version — you don’t need to install iOS 11 first. However, devices that aren’t capable of running iOS 11 won’t be able to run iOS 12 either.

Updating to iOS 12 shouldn’t erase any of your data, but it’s always a good idea to make a backup before you update, just in case. That way, if you lose anything while installing the new OS, it will be easy to restore things back to the way they were. If you have enough storage in your iCloud account, you can do this directly from your iPhone without the need to connect to a computer first. Here’s how:

Step 1: Ensure you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network.

Step 2: Open Settings, select your name, and tap iCloud. (If you’re using iOS 10.2 or earlier, you’ll have to scroll down and tap iCloud).

Step 3: Tap iCloud Backup. (For those on iOS 10.2 or earlier, tap Backup). Also, make sure that iCloud Backup is turned on.

Step 4: Tap Back Up Now.

You’ll see the date and time of the last backup at the bottom of this screen.

If you don’t have a large enough iCloud storage plan, or you’d simply rather keep your backups locally, you can choose to back up your device to your Mac or Windows PC instead. You can also do this in addition to making an iCloud backup, as it never hurts to have a second backup around. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC. If you’re using macOS Catalina or later, you’ll need to open Finder instead, as Apple removed iTunes from recent versions of macOS.

Step 2: Unlock your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch and connect it to your computer using a USB to Lightning cable.

Step 3: Check your device screen, as a a prompt may appear asking you to authorize the connection to your computer. If so, tap Trust This Computer to proceed.

Step 4: Your device should appear in the left sidebar in iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina or later).

Step 5: Click on your device name in the sidebar.

Step 6: Click Encrypt Local Backup and enter a password when prompted. This ensures that sensitive data such as saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings, health data, and call history get included in your backup. For security and privacy reasons, this data is only included if you choose to encrypt your backups.

Step 7: Click Back Up Now to begin backing up your device to your computer. Once the backup completes, you should see the date and time of the last backup to your computer.

The easiest way by far to update to iOS 12 is to install it through the built-in Software Update tool right on your device. Since iOS updates can be quite large, Apple doesn’t allow you to do this over a cellular data connection, so you’ll need to be on a Wi-Fi network to install iOS 12 wirelessly.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

Step 2: Tap General > Software Update.

Step 3: After a few seconds, you should see a notification that a new software update is available.

Step 4: Tap Download and Install to begin the process.

The iOS update will be downloaded in the background, during which time you can still use your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. When it’s ready to be installed, you’ll be prompted to begin the update process or postpone it to a more convenient time.

If you don’t have a Wi-Fi connection available, you can install iOS 12 using iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC instead (or Finder if you’re using macOS Catalina or later).