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If you’re having trouble installing iOS 14, try these steps

Normally, updates go through without a hitch, but sometimes issues can arise.

Custom iphone ios 14 homescreen
Image: Mary Motley / KnowTechie

Apple released the public version of iOS 14 last week, so your devices should all have the ability to update by now. That update brings new features that fix many of the annoyances with iOS in the past, such as smaller incoming call notifications, the ability to put widgets on your home screen, and better management in Messages.

We’ve also noticed reports of users having issues while trying to update their iPhones and iPads to iOS 14. Some of these issues can be fixed at home, so don’t despair. If you’re having trouble updating to iOS 14, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can do before having to contact Apple.

Check compatibility

The first thing to check is if your device is actually able to run iOS 14. You’ll need an iPhone 6S or newer, or an iPhone SE to be able to run the new version of iOS. If you own an iPad, you’ll need an iPad Air 2 or newer to run iPadOS 14. If you’ve got an older device, it might be time to start thinking about an upgrade, as it’s likely your battery is having issues by now.

Force reset your device

If your phone is stuck while downloading the update to iOS 14, or became stuck while doing the update, it’s time to force reset your phone. On older devices that means holding down the home button and power button at the same time, until the device reboots.

iPhone 7 owners need to hold the Volume down and power buttons until the device resets, iPhone 8 owners should press volume up and release, press volume down and release, then hold the power button for 5-10 seconds before the phone will reboot.

The iPhone X range needs you to hold volume up, volume down, and then hold the side button on the right edge until it reboots. And if you own an iPhone 11 model, you have to press volume up and release, press volume down and release, then hold the power button for 5-10 seconds before the phone will reboot.

Download issues

If you find the download is taking forever, try pausing it, waiting a while, then trying it again. You could also check your router (or download over cellular data if you have an unlimited plan), and make sure there are no outages of Apple’s services.

It might also be that you don’t have enough free space on your device to get the update files. If so, go clear some out, or use your computer to update your device.

If that doesn’t work, try removing the update completely, then retrying the update from scratch. Go to Settings > General > Storage, find the update in the list of apps, and delete it. Then head back to Software Update and download it again.

Hopefully, that will fix any issues you were having with updating your device to iOS 14 or iPadOS 14. If you’re still having issues and your device is on the compatible list, it’s time to contact Apple support.

What do you think? Have you had issues with updating to iOS 14? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere. His hobbies include photography, animation, and hoarding Reddit gold.

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