iOS 10: How to download it

Downloading Apple's new operating system is fairly simple, but making sure you’re ready is slightly complicated

Tim Cook walks off stage after speaking during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference at the Moscone West center on June 2, 2014 in San Francisco, California (Getty)

Apple’s iOS 10 is now available to everyone. Here’s how to do it.

The new update was scheduled to roll out at around 6pm GMT, which means you’ll now be able to download it manually. If you don’t go through the manual route, your phone will probably alert you in the next couple of days to the fact that the update is ready.

Downloading is done by heading to the Settings app. There, click on General and head to Software update. If you press on that, your phone will take you through the steps of downloading it.

If nothing shows up, then the update probably isn’t out yet. It might also mean that Apple’s systems are overloaded – which isn’t unusual on launch day – and so trying again slightly later should solve any problems.

The actual process of downloading the new update is fairly simple. It’s getting ready for it that’s slightly more complicated.

Before you download the update, you should make sure your phone is backed up either to iCloud or to your computer or both. That means that if anything should go wrong during the update you’ll be able to restore your phone.

Unlike previous updates, this one won’t require too much space and so won’t send you on the . But in case of issues with space, Apple offers a special tool that will delete big apps and then re-download them again when you’re done – saving the bother, so long as you don’t mind the demand on your Wi-Fi.

You can of course clear space on the phone manually. Downloaded or local music, from your streaming service or computer, if often the quickest way to clear up a bit of storage space.

If you really don’t want to wait until 6pm, or whenever it drops, you can download iOS by getting hold of Apple’s public beta. That will also give you access to future updates to iOS – including iOS 11 and any incremental changes that come before then.

That’s done by heading to Apple’s special beta page and signing up your phone.

You’ll only be able to download it if your phone is new enough. But you’ll probably know if it’s not, since you won’t have been able to download iOS 9, either.

Here’s the full list of everything that can download the new iOS:

iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPod touch 6th gen, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, iPad 4th generation and the subsequent iPad Air, iPad Air 2, and iPad Pro models.

Click here to pre-order the iPhone 7 Plus from Vodafone