How to prepare your iPhone for the iOS 27 update

DANIEL CONSTANTE/Shutterstock Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover iOS 27 introduces a variety of design and UI refinements, as well as a sizable revamp to Siri AI to compete with the big names in the space. Thankfully, iOS 27 works on phones as old as the iPhone 11. If your device is compatible with this update, it's wise to get prepared before you install it. You'll need to make sure your phone has the space and power to usher in the upgrade, plus you have to decide how you want to run it: automatically overnight, or as soon as it becomes available. How to ensure a smooth transition to iOS 27 Yalcin Sonat/Shutterstock First, there are the core requirements. The update process requires room for temporary files along with the main download, so you'll want to have a good amount of free space. Try to have around 18 to 25GB available, using unconventional ways to clean up your iPhone if you're currently low.  You'll also need enough power to update your device. While 50 percent battery life should be enough to get you through the process, it's much safer to keep your phone plugged in while updating. Keep your phone connected to Wi-Fi too. Furthermore, you'll need to decide if you want to start the update yourself or let it run automatically. Head to Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates to configure this. If you choose Automatically Install, your phone won't start installing iOS 27 as soon as it's available. Rather, it will update when charging and connected to Wi-Fi overnight. You might get a notification about this, which could be days or weeks after the update becomes available. To start the update manually instead, wait on the Software Update page.  While you're considering this, you should also check if you've updated to iOS 26.6, which includes an indexing update to make the shift to iOS 27's Siri changes smoother. Back up your phone before iOS 27's big changes Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock Importantly, don't forget to back up your device. Installing any update, especially major ones like iOS 27, can lead to issues and possible data loss. You can back up through iCloud by visiting Settings > Apple Account > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now. Alternatively, back up your data to a Mac or Windows PC. You should also make sure you have your Apple ID credentials handy to keep yourself from being locked out if something happens.  Carrying out these measures will make the upgrade process far smoother and prepare your device for the wealth of goodies arriving with iOS 27. Chief among these features is the new Siri app in iOS 27, Apple's attempt to catch up to competitors like Gemini and ChatGPT. This version also brings a more readable design, faster performance, new child safety features and many tweaks to other iOS apps.