Apple

10 Things to Do Before Installing iOS 16.7.7

Published

4 days ago

03/21/2024

Installing Apple’s iOS 16.7.7 update might be tempting, but there are some steps you should take before moving your iPhone from your phone’s current version of iOS to iOS 16.7.7.

Apple’s released a new version of iOS 16 for iPhone models that didn’t make the move to iOS 17.

iOS 16.7.7 is a small maintenance upgrade and the software brings under-the-hood improvements to compatible iPhone models.

If your iPhone is currently running the latest version of iOS 16, you get the shortest change log and the smallest download.

If you’re moving from an older version of iOS, your iOS 16.7.7 update will be more substantial. That’s because the changes from iOS updates you skipped are baked into your upgrade.

Most iPhone users should install iOS 16.7.7 today or at some point in the near future. That being said, it’s difficult to predict how the new software will impact your iPhone’s performance.

While some of you could see a boost to your iPhone’s performance, others will run into frustrating bugs and performance issues. And that’s precisely why it’s important to do some prep work before you start the installation.

A little work ahead of time could help you avoid serious problems.

Table of Contents

With that in mind, we want to help you prepare for the transition from an older version of iOS 16 to iOS 16.7.7. This guide will take you step-by-step through the process we use before we tap install.

Make Room

If you’re running out of space on your iPhone, you might need to do some cleanup in order to install iOS 16.7.7.

iOS 16.7.7 requires a chunk of space on your iPhone’s internal storage. If you’re near the threshold, go through your device’s storage and delete files you no longer need to make sure you have room for the download.

If you don’t have enough space, iOS will temporarily delete applications to make room for the software. If you’d prefer to avoid that, use this time to delete data to make room.

Backup Your iPhone’s Data

Data loss issues are fairly rare, but don’t take your chances. Make sure you backup your files before you install iOS 16.7.7.

Many of you already know how to properly backup your iPhone’s data (photos, videos, etc), but if you’re unsure, we’ve got you covered.

Some of you will want to backup using Apple’s iCloud service. It’s an easy way to ensure your important files are safe. If you’re unfamiliar with the iCloud backup process, you’ll want to check out Apple’s guide.

If you don’t want to use iCloud, you can backup your files using iTunes. If you’re running macOS Sonoma, macOS Ventura, macOS Monterey, macOS Big Sur or macOS Catalina, you’ll need to use Finder, not iTunes.

If you store a ton of data on your iPhone, the backup process could take awhile so remain patient.

Get Familiar with iOS 16.7.7

Make sure you get familiar with iOS 16.7.7’s changes before you start the installation process.

We’ve released a walkthrough that will hold your hand through the biggest changes on board the latest versions of iOS 16, including iOS 16.7.7.

Dig Into iOS 16.7.7 Reviews

If you’re feeling leery about the move to iOS 16.7.7, and we don’t blame you if you are, you should dig through feedback from people using the software.

Again, there’s a chance you encounter bugs and/or performance issues on your device after moving it up to Apple’s latest iOS 16 firmware.

iOS software updates often hits older iPhone models the hardest so if you’re concerned about the move to iOS 16.7.7, you’ll want to gather feedback from those who have taken the plunge.

This feedback will alert you to potential bugs and problems. You also might learn about some potential benefits of Apple’s software.

You’ll want to poke around on Apple’s discussion forums, YouTube, and social media sites for feedback from iOS 16.7.7 users.

Some of you might want to wait for long-term feedback to emerge before committing to iOS 16.7.7. Others might even want to wait for Apple to roll out its next batch of bug fixes before downloading the firmware.

For more about iOS 16.7.7’s performance, check out our quick review.

Find Fixes for iOS 16.7.7 Problems

We’re already hearing about a number of iOS 16-related problems. Some of them are minor bugs, others are far more problematic.

If you don’t have an encyclopedia of fixes for iOS issues stored inside your head, you’ll want to track down and bookmark fixes for potential problems.

We’ve put together a list of fixes for the most common iOS 16 problems. This is an excellent place to start if you can’t find a fix for your issue.

We’ve also released guides that will help you improve your iPhone’s battery life as well as your device’s overall performance.

Learn How to Downgrade

Apple allows you downgrade back to older versions of iOS. This is useful if your current version of iOS 16 starts causing problems on your iPhone.

The downgrade path back to the company’s previous version of iOS won’t be open forever and Apple will close it off without warning.

We recommend getting familiar with the downgrade process right now so that you aren’t scrambling if and when you need to use it.

Check with IT

If you use your iPhone for work you might want to check with your IT team (if you have one) and make sure you’re got the green light to install iOS 16.7.7.

Enterprise problems plague every single version of iOS and they can be particularly nasty immediately after Apple releases new iOS software.

If you depend on your phone to get you through a day of work it’s important to get in touch with IT to see if the iOS 16.7.7 update is safe to use.

If you’ve got an IT department, they should be able to provide you with feedback about the core applications and services you use on a daily basis.

If you don’t have an IT department or a tech on site, you might want to ask around the office or talk to friends who use the same services and see how they’re doing on iOS 16.7.7.

Update Apps

If you rely on your apps to get you through the day you should read app reviews before you install iOS 16.7.7 on your device(s).

App developers continue to roll out frequent support updates. These updates will be crucial to your experience on the new operating system.

Before you install iOS 16.7.7 you’ll want to head to the App Store and read reviews from iOS 16 users. If reviews are mostly positive, you may want to go ahead and install the latest update(s).

If the feedback is negative, you might want to wait for a new version of iOS 16 or for the developer to update the app before moving your device to the latest software.

Installing iOS 16.7.7 on your device will prompt you to input your passcode and, in some cases, your Apple ID/iCloud account details.

Most of you should know these by heart, but if it has been awhile since you’ve had to login, or if you’re installing iOS 16.7.7 for someone else, you’ll want to make sure you have that information readily available when you start the installation.

There’s also a chance you’ll get logged out of some of your first and third-party apps and services after the installation completes so you’ll want to have this login info handy as well.

If you want to complete the iOS 16.7.7 installation process in the shortest amount of time, make sure you have all of this info ready to go.

Decide How to Install iOS 16.7.7

If you plan on installing iOS 16.7.7 Over-the-Air (OTA) through your device’s Settings app, you’ll need to have at least a 50% charge and you’ll need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network.

You can also install the iOS 16.7.7 update via iTunes. Simply plug your device in, find your device, and check for an update.

Note that if you’re running macOS Sonoma, macOS Ventura, macOS Monterey, macOS Big Sur or macOS Catalina you’ll need to update to iOS 16.7.7 via Finder, not iTunes.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 16.7.7 & 10 Reasons You Should

Install iOS 16.7.7 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's iOS 16.7.7 update on your iPhone right away.

iOS 16.7.7 has new security patches on board, but Apple hasn't revealed them yet. It's likely waiting to release additional software before doing so.

If you want to protect your device from harm, you should install the upgrade sooner rather than later.

If you missed older versions of iOS 16, you'll get the fixes and features from updates you missed when you upgrade to iOS 16.7.7.

iOS 16.7.6 delivered several security patches to iPhone users.

iOS 16.7.5 had nine security patches on board and they're important if you want to keep you device and its data safe from harm.

iOS 16.7.3 delivered several security patches including one that patches up an issue with the Find My app.

iOS 16.7.2 brought several security patches to iPhone models still running iOS 16. Learn more about them here.

iOS 16.7.1 carried two important security enhancements including one that addressed a kernel vulnerability. You can learn more about the pair over on Apple's website.

iOS 16.7 had three security patches on board and you can learn more about them right here.

iOS 16.6.1 brought two important security patches to iPhone. If you're interested in what they patch up, here's Apple's guide.

The iOS 16.6 update featured 16 security patches. For more information about the changes, check out Apple's rundown.

iOS 16.5.1 brought two security patches to iPhone users If you want to learn more, head on over to Apple's website.

The company's iOS Security Response 16.5.1 (c) update also included a security update and you can learn more about it right here.

iOS 16.5 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. You can find out more about them over on Apple's security site.

iOS 16.4.1 included two security upgrades . You can learn more about the pair right here.

Apple's iOS 16.4 update had a substantial number of patches on board. You can read about them in detail over on Apple's security site.

The iOS 16.3.1 update had three security patches on board including one for an actively exploited vulnerability. For more on the security contents of iOS 16.3.1, check out Apple's security page.

iOS 16.3 brought 10+ new security patches with it and you can learn more about all of those right here.

In addition, the software came with support for physical security keys for Apple ID. These will beef up your account security by requiring a physical security key as part of the two factor authentication sign in process. Learn more about the change right here.

If you skipped iOS 16.2, you'll get its changes with iOS 16.7.7. iOS 16.2 brought a ton of important security patches with it and you can dig into the details on Apple's security site.

The update also brought end-to-end encryption to iCloud, iMessage, iPhone backups, Notes, Photos, and more. If you want to learn more about it, head over to Apple's guide.

If you decided to missed iOS 16.1.2, you'll get its solitary security patch with your upgrade. Learn more about it right here.

If you skipped iOS 16.1.1, you'll get its security patches when you upgrade. You can learn more about them right here.

If you missed the iOS 16.1 update, it brought 19 security patches to the iPhone and you can learn about the particulars of those over on Apple's website.

If you failed to download iOS 16.0.3, it had one security patch on board, a fix for a potential exploit within the Mail app. For more about the fix, check out Apple's security site.

If you're still running iOS 15 your iPhone, you'll get a bunch of other patches when you upgrade.

iOS 16.0 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website.

In addition to those patches, iOS 16 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including Safety Check which, according to Apple, will help "people in domestic or intimate partner violence situations review and reset the access they’ve granted others."

The feature also resets system privacy permissions for apps and restricts Messages and FaceTime to the device on hand.

Apple's also made some improvements to Passkeys in Safari. iOS 16 brings a brand new sign-in method that's end-to-end encrypted and safe from phishing and data leaks.