How to get your iPad ready for iOS 11 upgrade- Here are few tips

Apple much awaited iOS 11 is now available and if you are thinking about upgrading your iPad then here are the few tips to follow to make your device ready to take the update. Before you start note that iOS11 supports iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad Pro, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3 and iPad mini 4. As not all devices that run iOS 10 can run the iOS 11 and therefore iPad 4 is not supported for this update

To get the iOS 11 upgrade simple tap Settings > General > Software Update and carry out the refresh from there. Alternatively, you can connect the iPad to a PC running iTunes and do the upgrade from there.

Facts to be aware of before you start your upgrade

Note that there are certain risks if you start your upgrade before knowing the following facts as things can go wrong, stuff may be broken, and you may lose data. Plenty of iOS launches have been marred by bugs and problems, so with that in mind, it’s a good idea to have an up-to-date backup, because making a fuss isn’t going to bring back your lost photos or documents.

You can either create a local backup using iTunes, or backup to iCloud by going to Settings > iCloud > Backup, and then turning on iCloud Backup.

Keep in mind that unless you’re willing to jump through hoops and do things that Apple frowns upon, going to iOS 11 is a one-way trip, so you might want to let other people to go ahead of you just in case there are gotchas

Tips to prepare your iPad for the update

1. Clean you iPad with unwanted apps and dust

As with time dust particles accumulate on your devices so better time to clean your device. Also you may see there are many apps that you may never have used or rarely used them so better get rid of them . iOS 11 doesn’t need as much free space to install, getting rid of things that you no longer use or perhaps have never used makes good sense.

2. Remember your Passwords

Following the upgrade, you’ll need to enter your iCloud password in order to be able to reconnect to all your data and photos. If you don’t have this close to hand — remember, having it on the device you’re upgrading isn’t all that convenient — then this might be a good time to do that. Also, if your iTunes backup is encrypted, then remember you’ll need that password if something goes wrong!

3. Many apps might be in nigh and its time to find better alternatives

As the end is nigh for all 32-bit iOS apps, so if you’re still relying on older apps, it’s time to find alternatives. Apple has been warning iPad users that legacy 32-bit apps may slow down their devices, but with the recent release of iOS 10.3, Apple has escalated things by making it clear that the end is nigh.

You can check installed apps for compatibility using the built-in checker tool (you need to be running iOS 10.3 or later for this to work).

You can find that by clicking: Settings > General > About > Applications.

From there, you’ll get a list of all the 32-bit apps on your iPad that won’t run on iOS 11. If you’re lucky, you won’t have any apps listed, or the apps that are listed will be old stuff that you forgot you had installed and no longer use. However, if an app that you are relying on is listed, then you need to get ready for its demise.

4. Upgrade or wipe the device to start from scratch

It’s a lot less hassle to just upgrade a device because you get to keep all your apps and settings. But devices that are wiped and reloaded for the new iOS onto, and then installed and re-setup all your apps and such, feel faster and seem to suffer from fewer problems such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi issues. However, wiping and reloading the apps and data is pretty big hassle, and it’s probably more work than most want to undertake. You need to make this choice.

5. Stick to patience and wait a while before you upgrade

Any new thing is accompanied by bugs at start. So if not in a hurry better to wait for a while with patience before you upgrade and let things settle down. In the meantime any last minute bugs or fixes will be squashed before you make a leap. Also, if you use your device in a BYOD setting, make sure you get the fine from the IT department before upgrading, in case you’re unable to access the network or data you need.

6. Back up your iPad

You absolutely must backup your IOS device before installing iOS 11. Backups allow you to restore a device and can prevent data loss. Do not skip the backup process, and you can backup to iCloud, or iTunes, or both.

For iCloud, open the Settings app in iOS and tap on your name to access iCloud settings in the latest system software releases.. Then go to “iCloud” and to “iCloud Backup” and choose to “Back Up Now”. Be sure you have a fresh backup made right before installing iOS 11 update.

In iTunes, simply connect the iPad to a computer with iTunes and choose to backup. You’ll want to encrypt the backup in iTunes as said above so that passwords, health data, and other useful stuff is kept in the backup too, since it makes the restore easier. Remember, iTunes 12.7 removes the App Store so app backups are no longer part of iTunes backups, instead they must be downloaded again.

Once you have upgraded your iPad, launch the apps and check their working formats and see whether all the things have gone smooth or not.