Apple
Here’s How Long the iPadOS 15.6.1 Update Takes
Apple’s iPadOS 15.6.1 update is a small point upgrade but it could take quite a bit of time to install on your iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad mini.
iPadOS 15.6.1 is available to download provided you have a compatible iPad. The software is compatible with iPad mini 4 and later, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad fifth-generation and later, and all iPad Pro models.
Apple’s new iPadOS 15 software brings a pair of important security patches with it. These patches will help protect your tablet from harm.
If you’re moving from iPadOS 15.6 to iPadOS 15.6.1, you will see the smallest download size. If you’re upgrading from an older version of iPadOS, your iPadOS 15.6.1 download may be larger. That’s because the changes from the update(s) you skipped are baked into the software.
While some of you might want to refrain from downloading iPadOS 15.6.1 right now, most iPad users should install the software today or at some point in the near future.
If you do decide to install iPadOS 15.6.1 on your iPad, you’ll want to set aside some time to get the new software properly installed on your device.
Moving your tablet from one version of iPadOS to another can cause problems so you’ll want to make sure you have time to monitor the download, the installation, and your device’s performance after the installation finishes up.
We can’t tell you exactly how long the process will take because it will vary. That said, we can help you approximate how much time you should set aside if you choose to install iPadOS 15.6.1 on your iPad.
If you’ve prepared for the move and your tablet is on a fast Wi-Fi connection, it could take 15 minutes or less to complete.
| Task | Time |
|---|---|
| Sync (Optional) | 5-45 Minutes |
| Backup and Transfer (Optional) | 1-30 Minutes |
| iPadOS 15.6.1 Download | 5 Minutes to 1 Hour |
| iPadOS 15.6.1 Installation | 7 Minutes to 15 Minutes |
| Total iPadOS 15.6.1 Update Time | 12 Minutes to 1 Hour+ |
Pre-Installation
Before you initiate the iPadOS 15.6.1 download, make sure you’re ready.
If you don’t know how to prepare for a software update, please take a look at our pre-installation guide. It’ll take you through the most important steps to take before you start the download.
Most of you should be able to get through these steps in 30 minutes or less, but there’s a chance you’ll need more time. In some cases, a lot more.
You don’t need to follow every single step in our guide, but at the very least you’ll want to make sure your iPad’s data is backed up properly.
iPadOS 15.6.1 Download
Once you’re ready, you’ll want to start the iPadOS 15.6.1 download.
The exact size of the iPadOS 15.6.1 download will, again, depend on your version of the iPad and the version of iPadOS your tablet is currently running.
If you’re running iPadOS 15.6, your download should be several hundred megabytes. If you’re running an older version of iPadOS, the download could be bigger.
If you’re connected to a speedy Wi-Fi network, the iPadOS 15.6.1 download should finish up in 10 minutes or less. If your connection is slower, it will obviously take longer.
iPadOS 15.6.1 Installation
Once your iPad is done pulling iPadOS 15.6.1 from Apple’s servers, the installation process will begin. This may take longer than the download.
The iPadOS 15.6.1 installation could take around 10 minutes or so to complete. It took about eight minutes to install it on an older iPad Pro model.
Note that your iPad might reboot itself a few times during the installation process. This is perfectly normal and isn’t a cause for concern.
Post-Installation
After the iPadOS 15.6.1 installation process finishes, you might need to spend time logging into your iCloud account, signing into your device’s various apps and services, and/or setting up Apple Pay.
We recommend spending some time checking your important data (photos, videos, music, etc) to make sure everything is where it should be.
After that, you should test your core applications and services to ensure they’re working normally. If you notice an issue with an app, try downloading the latest version. Developers are rolling out iPadOS 15 support updates and they should help stabilize performance.
You’ll also want to poke around iPadOS 15.6.1 for bugs and performance issues. If you notice something take a look at our list of fixes for the most common problems.
Install iOS 15.8.2 for Better Security | |||||||||||||||
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If security is important to you, and you missed older versions of iOS 15, you'll want to think about installing Apple's iOS 15.8.2 update right away. iOS 15.8.2 doesn't have any security updates on board. But, if you missed prior versions of iOS 15, you'll get their patches when you upgrade. iOS 15.8.1 wasn't a big update, but it did have a pair of security patches on board. They're important and they will help protect your device from harm. iOS 15.8 had an important security patch on board. iOS 15.7.9 brought a new security patch with it. It addressed an issue where hackers could gain access via PassKit (Apple Wallet) image. For more information, head over to Apple's website. iOS 15.7.8 had 10 security patches on board. These patches are essential if you want to keep your device and its data safe from harm. Apple's outlined the changes in detail and they're worth a look. iOS 15.7.7 brought three security patches to iPhone models lingering on iOS 15. For more about them, head over to Apple's security site. iOS 15.7.6 had several security updates on board. For more information about those patches, head here. The iOS 15.7.5 update patched up actively exploited vulnerabilities making it an extremely important upgrade for your iPhone. To learn more about the patches, check out Apple's guide. iOS 15.7.4 brought important security fixes to older iPhone models as well. If you want to learn more about these changes, check out Apple's guide. iOS 15.7.3 also brought a batch of security patches to iPhone. You can learn more about these changes right here. iOS 15.7.2 brought numerous patches along with it. For more about them, head over to Apple's website for more details. iOS 15.7.1 update brought 17 security patches with it while iOS 15.7 delivered 11 security patches to iPhone. If you want a look at the details, head over to Apple's security site for more information. If you missed iOS 15.6.1, it had two security patches on board. You can read more about the pair on Apple's website. If you missed Apple's iOS 15.6 update, it had 30+ security upgrades on board. You can learn more about them right here. If you missed iOS 15.5 it brought 27 new security patches to the iPhone. You can learn more about these patches over on Apple's security site. If you missed iOS 15.4.1, it had one new security patch on board. You can read more about it over on Apple's website. If you missed the iOS 15.4 update, it had a whopping 36 new security patches on board. If you want to learn more about these patches, head on over to Apple's security site for the particulars. If you missed iOS 15.3.1, it had one security patch on board. For more about it, head over to Apple's security page. If you missed iOS 15.3, you'll also get its patches with your upgrade. iOS 15.3 brought 10 new security patches to iPhone users. If you're interested in the details, you can read more about them right here. If you missed iOS 15.2.1, you'll get its security patch with your upgrade. You can learn more about the change over on Apple's website. If you missed Apple's iOS 15.2 update, you'll get its 30+ security patches with your upgrade. You can read all about them over on the company's security site. iOS 15.2 also included some important upgrades to privacy. The software brought the company's App Privacy Report to Settings. This lets you see how often your apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, contacts and more during the last seven days. You can also see their network activity. In addition, iOS 15.2 brought Apple's communication safety features for kids. You'll find these features in the Messages app, in Siri, in Spotlight, and in Search. If you missed iOS 15.1, iOS 15.8.2 will bring its security patches to your iPhone. You can read more about them on Apple's website. If you missed iOS 15.0.2 you'll also get its security patch with your upgrade. You can learn more about it right here. iOS 15.0 also brought numerous security patches to your iPhone. If you'll be moving up from iOS 14 and you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website. Apple's updated its website with new information about iOS 15's batch of security patches. The company now says the software patched up an issue that could have exposed a user's private Apple ID information and in-app search history. It also says iOS 15 patched up an issue that allowed apps to override Privacy preferences. If you skipped iOS 14.8 or any older versions of iOS, you'll get the security patches from those updates with your iOS 15.8.2 update as well. In addition to those patches, iOS 15 comes with some security and privacy upgrades including improvements to Siri. Requests made to Siri are now processed on the device itself using Neural Engine. This makes it more secure. If you're an Apple Card user, you'll now get a security code that changes regularly to use when you make online transactions. Apple's also included a built-in authenticator that's similar to Google Authenticator. This will let you generate verification codes for enhanced sign-in security under your Passwords. There's also a Mail feature that hides your IP address. | |||||||||||||||
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