Apple

Here’s How Long the iOS 10.3.3 Update Takes

Published

7 years ago

07/19/2017

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.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 11.4.1 & 8 Reasons You Should

Install iOS 11.4.1 for Better Security

1 / 12

Apple's iOS 11.4.1 update comes with 15 patches for potential security issues. If you value your security, you should think about installing it today.

iOS 11.4.1 also comes with a USB Restricted Mode that disables the Lightning port on your iPhone or iPad if a device hasn't been unlocked or connected to a computer using a passcode within a certain amount of time.

The new setting is located in Settings > Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode. There you’ll see a new toggle for USB Accessories. It's toggled off by default.

This provides an added layer of protection and prevents the use of cracking tools like GrayKey.

If you skipped iOS 11.4, your iOS 11.4.1 update comes with 30+ patches aimed at improving your device's security. This makes it an essential download for most iPhone and iPad users.

If you missed any of Apple's previous iOS updates, your iOS 11.4.1 update comes with a lot more.

If you skipped iOS 11.3.1, your version of iOS 11.4.1 comes with iOS 11.3.1's four security patches.

If you skipped iOS 11.3, your iOS 11.4.1 update comes with 27 additional patches for potential exploits. Those of you lingering on iOS 11.2.6 would be wise to make the move sooner rather than later.

If you missed iOS 11.3, your iOS 11.4.1 update also includes a new privacy feature. When an Apple feature wants to use your personal information, an icon now appears with a link to access detailed information about how your data will be used and protected.

If you're running iOS 11.2.5 or older, you're currently exposed to an issue that lets people send a specific character that will crash an iOS-powered device and block access to the Messages app. It can also block apps like Facebook Messenger, Gmail, Outlook, and WhatsApp.

The iOS 11.2.6 update's main purpose was to patch up this issue. If you skipped iOS 11.2.6, you'll get these enhancements with iOS 11.4.1.

If you skipped iOS 11.2.5, you'll get 10 additional security patches including one for the malicious chaiOS link exploit.

If you're running iOS 11.2.2 or below and receive a certain GitHub link through your Messages app, your iPhone or iPad can lockup or respring. The Messages app will also become unusable.

If you're on iOS 11.2.1, your iOS 11.4.1 update includes security improvements to Safari and WebKit to mitigate the effects of Spectre.

Apple's iOS 11.2 update fixed several problems, but it also brought problems of its own including a potentially nasty zero-day iOS HomeKit vulnerability.

The vulnerability, discovered by Tian Zhang, allowed for unauthorized control of HomeKit accessories including garage door openers and smart locks.

Apple quickly rolled out a server-side fix, but the company restored full functionality with the release of iOS 11.2.1. If you skipped iOS 11.2.1 and use HomeKit, you should download iOS 11.4.1 right now.

If you skipped iOS 11.2, you'll get a few more patches with your iOS 11.4.1 update. Apple's iOS 11.2 update delivered 11 patches including one for Mail and one for Wi-Fi.

The iOS 11.2 and iOS 11.2.1 updates also patched up a widespread security issue called "Meltdown." Apple says its analysis suggests it "has the most potential to be exploited."

Meltdown affects all iOS 11 powered devices so we highly recommend downloading iOS 11.4.1 if you skipped iOS 11.2.

If you skipped iOS 11.1.2, iOS 11.1.1, and iOS 11.1, you'll get additional patches with your iOS 11.4.1 update.

The iOS 11.1 update delivered eight security patches including a fix for a serious Wi-Fi vulnerability called KRACK or Key Reinstallation Attack. KRACK is an exploit that targets the common WPA2 encryption protocol.

If you're just now making to move from iOS 10 (or whatever you're on) to iOS 11, your iOS 11.4.1 update will come with even more security-related features.

Apple's first iOS 11 update delivered several patches for potential exploits. iOS 11 also comes with new security features aimed at keeping your data safe.

In iOS 11 you can't establish trust with a PC using fingerprints alone. You'll also need to put in a full passcode in order to gain that trust.

If you want to protect the data you store on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you should make your move to the latest version of iOS. This is particularly important for those of you running older versions of iOS.