The Secret to Skipping Long iOS 9 Downloads and Problems

You don’t need to wait through long iOS 9 download lines or sit with the “Update Requested” message on your iPhone or iPad. This guide will show you how to download iOS 9 without waiting in the slow lane and will also help you avoid many problems that we routinely see with an iOS update. With this set of instructions, you can avoid long iOS 9 download times and manually install the iOS 9 update on your iPhone or iPad so that you can use the new features faster.

Read: 12 iOS 9 Release Date Tips

You don’t need to pay to be a developer or for access to special downloads. You only need a computer with an Internet connection, iTunes, a USB cable and the iOS 9 download for your specific device.

Use this guide to manually install iOS 9 using the iOS 9 direct download links.

You don’t need to use this trick to get a faster iOS 9 download, but if you do, you can avoid many of the issues that we typically see on the first day of a new iOS release. If you see iOS 9 download times stretching into hours, you can use the iOS 9 direct download links to skip to the front and download in 10-15 minutes to your computer and upgrade with iTunes.

iOS 9 Direct Download Links

You can find the iOS 9 direct download links below. You need to make sure that you have the iOS 9 download for your specific iPhone or iPad in order for this to work. The iOS 9 direct downloads come right from Apple, so you are getting the legitimate update.

• iPhone 6 iOS 9 Direct Download
• iPhone 6 Plus iOS 9 Direct Download
• iPhone 5s iOS 9 Direct Download – GSM
• iPhone 5s iOS 9 Direct Download – CDMA
• iPhone 5c iOS 9 Direct Download – GSM
• iPhone 5c iOS 9 Direct Download – CDMA
• iPhone 5 iOS 9 Direct Download – GSM
• iPhone 5 iOS 9 Direct Download – CDMA
• iPhone 4s iOS 9 Direct Download
• iPod touch 5th Gen iOS 9 Direct Download
• iPod touch 6th Gen iOS 9 Direct Download
• iPad Air 2 WiFi
• iPad Air 2 Cellular
• iPad Air WiFi + Cellular
• iPad Air WiFi
• iPad Air CDMA
• iPad 4 GSM
• iPad 4 CDMA
• iPad 4 WiFi
• iPad 3 WiFi
• iPad 3 GSM
• iPAd 3 CDMA
• iPad 2 WiFi v2
• iPad 2 WiFi
• iPad 2 GSM
• iPad 2 CDMA
• iPad mini 3 WiFi
• iPad mini 3 Cellular
• iPad mini 3 China
• iPad mini 2 WiFi
• iPad mini 2 WiFi + Cellular
• iPad mini 2 CDMA
• iPad mini WiFi
• iPad mini CDMA
• iPad mini GSM

We will add the rest of the iOS 9 direct download links as they arrive. Expect to download iOS 9 in less than 15 minutes on a fast Internet connection using these links. You can use this guide to figure out which model iPhone you have.

Manually Install iOS 9 in iTunes

Now, you can manually install iOS 9 in iTunes. This is different from clicking Check for Update… which can still take a long time for many users.

Read: 10 Things to Do Before Installing iOS 9

The manual iOS 9 update will not erase your phone, so you will not lose your files and photos or need to restore from a backup — but it is still a good idea to make a current backup before you start.

1. Download the Official iOS 9 ipsw file to your computer.
2. Plug your iPhone or iPad in and open iTunes.
3. Perform a backup if you do not have a current one.
4. Click on your iPhone or iPad icon in iTunes so that you see options to Check for Update or Restore iPhone or iPad.
   

   Use this to perform a manual install of iOS 9.

5. Special Click on the Check for Update button.
   1. On Mac Hold alt/option and click Check for Update.
   2. On Windows hold Shift and click Check for Update.
   3. To perform a clean install of iOS 9 you can use the special click option on Restore.
6. In the window that pops up find the file you got using the iOS 9 direct download link and then click on the ipsw file.
7. Wait while the iOS 9 upgrade completes.

At the end of this process your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch will run iOS 9 and you’ll have skipped over all the annoying waits and issues.

iOS 9 vs iOS 8 Walkthrough - Home Screen

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The image above shows that the iOS 9 home screen looks very much like the one on iOS 8. This is not surprising, but you will notice one major change to this screen.  The new iOS 9 font on the home page carries over through settings and apps. It's surprising how much the look of the system can change with a small tweak to a new font. From the home screen you can now swipe left to a new search screen, and you can still swipe down to Spotlight from any of the home screen pages. When you upgrade you will also see options to add iCloud Drive to your home screen.  Apple adds two new default iOS 9 apps that you cannot delete. Find iPhone and Find Friends apps now come with the iPhone by default. You can hide them in a folder, but you cannot delete the apps. The Find My iPhone app is a very good addition, while Find My Friends is still not as widely used.

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