Here’s How Long the iOS 10.3.3 Update Takes

Apple’s new iOS 10.3.3 update is surprisingly big but it shouldn’t take long to install it on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

The iOS 10.3.3 update is finally out of beta and ready for all iOS 10-powered devices. As expected, Apple’s latest iOS 10 upgrade is a maintenance update aimed at squashing bugs and improving device security. It features two dozen security patches.

Its change log might be short but the iOS 10.3.3 update is actually pretty big. iPhone 7 users upgrading directly from iOS 10.3.2 are looking at a 137MB download. The update is also quite large for other iPhone models.

While some might people might want to take a rain check, most iOS 10 users should install the iOS 10.3.3 update today or sometime in the near future.

One question we typically get from prospective upgraders is about the download time and how long an upgrade takes to install.

The answer is that there is no definitive answer. Times always vary from person-to-person, device-to-device. That said, we can help you approximate how much time to set aside if you want to download iOS 10.3.3 update onto your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

If you’re prepared for iOS 10.3.3 and you’ve connected your device to a fast Wi-Fi network, installing iOS 10.3.3 could take you less than 15 minutes to complete. If you haven’t prepared, the process could take a lot longer.

Prepare for iOS 10.3.3

If you’re planning to install iOS 10.3.3 on your phone, tablet, or iPod, you’ll want to do some prep work. A little prep can go a long way toward preventing problems and headaches.

We recently put together a pre-installation guide that takes you step-by-step through the process we use every time Apple releases a new iOS update.

Depending on what you need to do, you might be able get through these steps in a matter of minutes. However, if you haven’t backed up or checked in with your IT department or researched iOS 10.3.3, this part of the iOS 10.3.3 update could take you an hour or more.

At the very least, you’ll want to backup your important files. This way, if you something goes wrong, you won’t become one of the horror stories we hear every time Apple releases a new software update.

iOS 10.3.3 Download Time

After you’re prepared, it’s time to download the iOS 10.3.3 update on your device. Your download size and time will depend on your device and the version of iOS you’re currently running.

If you’re upgrading directly from iOS 10.3.2, your iOS 10.3.3 update could be over 100MB. Again, the iPhone 7’s iOS 10.3.3 update is 137MB.

If you’re using a high-speed Wi-Fi connection, your download should take under two minutes. If you’re on a slower Wi-Fi network, the download could take longer.

If you’re upgrading from an older iOS update, expect your download to be a little (or a lot) bigger due to the updates you missed along the way.

iOS 10.3.3 Installation Time

Once the download is complete iOS 10.3.3 will begin to install on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. This will take a little longer than the download.

We’ve installed the iOS 10.3.3 update on two devices, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 5. The iPhone 7 iOS 10.3.3 installation took seven minutes to complete while the iPhone 5 iOS 10.3.3 update took about eight minutes. Again, we were coming directly from iOS 10.3.2.

If you’re coming from an older update, like iOS 10.2.1, it could take upwards of 10 minutes to complete. We recommend putting aside 15-20 minutes of quiet time so you can monitor the installation for issues.

Post-Installation

Once the installation process finishes up, the job isn’t done. You might need to spend time logging back into iCloud and apps and services that’ve logged you out.

You’ll also want to spend some time checking your important files (photos, music, etc) to ensure they’re still present. We also recommend testing your core apps and services to ensure they’re working properly.

You’ll also want to poke around for bugs and monitor your device’s performance (battery life, connectivity, etc).

If you do run into a problem with iOS 10.3.3, take a look at our list of fixes for common iOS 10 problems before scheduling an appointment at the Apple Store.

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