iOS 11: How to Update to iOS 11 and Fix iOS 11 Update Problems

iOS 11 Update iOS Update Error Posted by Estrella H.| Last Updated: November 1, 2017

Download and install iOS 11 to enjoy new features!

Apple unveiled its new mobile operating system - iOS 11 on June 5 at Apple 2017 WWDC event, and officially released it on Tuesday September 19 to users in USA, UK and other regions. iOS 11 arrives with many new and improved features, such as peer-to-peer Apple Pay, augmented reality support, improved Siri capable of translating English into different languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish, a host of new features for iPad (e.g. persistent Dock, new App Switcher, more capable Apple Pencil), and revamped control center. Then, some people must want to know how to update to iOS 11 on their iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch for enjoying new features.

In this post, we will walk you through the steps of updating to iOS 11 from iOS 10/9/8 on iPhone iPad iPod, and offer the solutions to fix possible errors during or after downloading and installing iOS 11, such as iOS 11 freezing phone issue.

Note: You need approximately 4GB for updating to iOS 11 smoothly. Try the tool below to fast remove files of your iDevice to computer for space release, without data loss and quality damage.

Check how to update to the latest iOS 13.

iOS 11 file manager

Free up Space for iOS 11 Update

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Get off photos, music, videos, ebooks, and more off iPhone iPad iPod to PC, to backup data or release space for iOS 11 download & update.
Update to iOS 11

iOS 11 Update Guide: How to Update to iOS 11?

Before any further, check if your device is compatible with new iOS 11. Apple has confirmed that the following iPhone iPad and iPod devices should get iOS 11 update software once it's released.

iOS 11 Supported Devices List

iPhone
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 7
iPhone 6s
iPhone 6s Plus
iPhone 6
iPhone 6 Plus
iPhone SE
iPhone 5s

iPad
iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2nd generation
iPad Pro 12.9-inch 1st generation
10.5-inch iPad Pro
9.7-inch iPad Pro
iPad Air 2
iPad Air
iPad 5th generation
iPad mini 4
iPad mini 3
iPad mini 2

iPod
The iPod Touch 6th-generation

If your device meets the requirement, you can begin making some preparation work.

1. Make a backup of your device
There're 3 common ways to perform this task:

Method 1. Back up with iCloud: stay connected to WiFi until backup finishes -> Settings -> iCloud -> Backup -> turn on iCloud Backup -> hit Back Up Now. Once completed, you'd better go to Storage to check whether the backup is ok.

Method 2. Back up via iTunes: connect your device to computer and launch iTunes -> select your device in iTunes -> select Summary from the left sidebar -> tap on Back Up Now and click Done when it is finished.

Method 3. Backup data via third-party software like WinX MediaTrans. This tool is a top-notch iOS file manager and also an ace iTunes alternative, capable of backing up iDevice photos, music, videos, eBooks, iTunes purchased music/movies/audio books, and more to computer and other storage devices.

• Detailed information and steps on these 3 ways to backup and restore iPhone >>

2. Free up space if necessary
The iOS 11 update is listed as 1.7GB in size, but you need to prepare more space for that. According to experts, you will need at least 4GB of storage space before comfortably upgrading. So, make sure you have enough space. If your space is limited, you can delete some useless content or apps or take other measures to clean up your iPhone iPad iPod.

3. Make sure your battery is enough

Your battery is supposed to be at least 60% charged to ensure the whole iOS 11 update. To be on the safe side, keep plugging in the power supply until update is finished.

4. Connect to WiFi

WiFi connection is required if you choose to process iOS 11 update wirelessly on your iOS device. If you've some troubles about WiFi connection, check how to fix iPhone not connecting to WiFi.

Then, we come to the steps to update to iOS 11 official version. Two methods are available for you.

update to iOS 11 over the air

Method 1. Download and install iOS 11 on your iPhone iPad iPod over the air

Step 1. Open Settings, tap on General, and then click Software Update. And then your device will check for new updates immediately, and will display the latest iOS version available for your device with detailed introduction and the amount of storage space required.

Step 2. Hit Download and Install at the bottom, if iOS 11 is ready. Download time depends on WiFi speed and the amount of traffic Apple's servers are seeing. After downloading iOS 11, you can update now by taping Install, or update later by taping Later or choosing Install Tonight or Remind Me Later. Do remember to plug in power before going to bed if you opt for installing tonight. If iOS 11 doesn't show up, it means that iOS 11 isn't available now or not supported by your device.

Note: Over the air update isn't suitable for jailbroken iPhone.


download and update iOS 11 with iTunes

Method 2. Update to iOS 11 using iTunes

If you can't update to iOS 11 wirelessly for certain reason, such as WiFi is not working and you have a jailbroken iPhone, iTunes is the way to go.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone iPad or iPod to a computer via USB cable. And make sure the computer has installed the latest version of iTunes.

Step 2. Launch iTunes, and select your device.

Step 3. Click Summary located at the left column and then hit Check for Update. Then, choose Download and Update, and tick Agree to confirm. If you're required to enter passcode, just do it.

If you're desperate to experience new iOS 11 now, you can download and install iOS 11 public beta following the steps below.

update to iOS 11 public beta

Step 1. Get access to https://beta.apple.com/ from your eligible iPhone, iPad or iPod.

Step 2. Sign in with your Apple ID. If you don't have one, tap on the Sign up button and login in later.

Step 3. Click Allow when you see a popup saying "Apple ID Sign In Requested...".

Step 4. Enter the six-digit verification code your device receives and tap on Continue to verify your identity.

Step 5. Agree to the Apple Beta Software Program terms and conditions.

Step 6. Head over to Guide for Public Betas, and then press iOS tab.

Step 7. Scroll down to the Get Started section and tap on enroll your iOS device.

Step 8. At the Enroll Your Devices screen, select iOS tab, scroll down and tap the Download profile button. Click Allow on the pop-up.

Step 9. Then, iOS Beta Software Profile will open in the Settings app. Now, you should tap on Install at the top right corner, tap on Install on the Consent page, and tap on Install again at the bottom.

Step 10. Restart your iOS device to apply changes. Later, you should see iOS 11 beta has been downloaded on your device. Then, you can install iOS 11 public beta through Software Update option of Settings app.

iOS 11 Update Guide: How to Fix Errors While/After Upgrading to iOS 11?

Here we will list top 7 common iOS 11 update errors and throw out corresponding solutions.

unable to check for update when updating to iOS 11

1. Unable to Check for Update/Unable to Verify Update

When we update to iOS 11 over the air, we may see one of the following error messages:
"Unable to Check for Update. An error occurred checking for a software update."
"Unable to Verify Update. iOS failed verification because you are no longer connected to the Internet."

Solution: Click "Try Again" or "Retry" under the same network. If it doesn't work, you should connect your device to a different network, and try again. If this error still occurs, you're suggested to remove the update file and download it again. To remove it, you should do as follows: tap on Settings -> General -> Storage & iCloud Usage -> Manage Storage -> Find the iOS update, tap it and click Delete.

iOS 11 update OTA doesn't complete error

2. iOS 11 update OTA doesn't complete

Update requires quite a long time especially when your network is slow, your device has a number of files, and lots of people are doing update. But if the update never completes and the progress bar stays the same point for a very long time, you need to take some measures.

Solution: Turn off your device and later restart it to let the update complete.

iOS 11 Software Update Failed

3. Software Update Failed

One of the most common iOS 11 update problems when updating over the air is "Software Update Failed". People will see a message like below:
"Software Update Failed. An error occurred downloading iOS 11"

Solutions:
1. Try again after a few hours or longer time. Apple servers will bear the huge amount of traffic once the new iOS 11 is released. Thus, servers may fail to respond to some requests successfully. So, wait for some time and try again when there's less traffic.
2. Abandon over the air update, and perform iOS 11 update via iTunes as replacement.
3. Update to iOS 11 using iOS 10 IPSW file. Note that this method is recommended to advanced users only.

iphone stuck at recovery mode when updating to iOS 11

4. Stuck at recovery mode

This is a common error when we update to iOS 11 and jailbreak iOS 11 devices.

Solutions:
1. Shut down your device and restart it later. Then, check if this iOS 11 update error is fixed.
2. Restore your device from iTunes: update iTunes to the latest version and open it, connect your device to computer via USB cable, and then you will see an error message saying that it has detected a device in Recovery Mode. Then, click Ok on the pop-up error, navigate to iTunes, click on your device, select Summary, and tap on Restore device button. What is worth mentioning is that you may lose data and settings of your device if you haven't backed up your device.

iPhone battery drains faster after updating to iOS 11

5. iPhone Battery Drain

This is another common complaint after we upgrade to a new iOS. A standard iPhone is rated for 10 to 12 hours of battery life while chatting and surfing the web. However, some people may see abnormal battery drain after updating to iOS 11. Battery drains fast even without using.

Solutions:
1. Wait for a day or so. Update will expend a lot of power to download, search and do other things, so it needs some time to go back to normal. Wait for a day and see if it will return to normal level. If not, try other fixes.
2. Restart your device.
3. Check app battery usage and force quit a rogue app. To check battery usage, you should go to Settings-> Battery -> Show Detailed Usage -> Last 7 Days. And then you will see the battery usage of each app. Check if there's an app whose background time is much longer than on screen time. If there is, exit it from the background. If it keeps doing this, reinstall it or choose an alternative.
4. Turn on Low Power Mode.

cannot send email after updating to iOS 11

6. Cannot Send Mail. The message was rejected by the server.

After updating to iOS 11, Outlook.com, Office 365, and Exchange 2016 account holders reported that they cannot send or reply to emails using Apple's native Mail app in iOS 11. Instead, they receive an error message "Cannot Send Mail. The message was rejected by the server."

Solutions:
Currently, Apple and Microsoft are still working together to resolve the problem occurring after updating to iOS 11. A fix isn't delivered, but Microsoft offers the following workaround:
[1] Download the free Outlook for iOS client from the App Store;
[2] Ask the system administrator to disable HTTP/2 in Windows Server 2016, if you use the iOS 11 Mail app to sync data from Exchange Server 2016 that is running on Windows Server 2016.

iOS 11 freezing iPhone iPad

7. iOS 11 freezing phone

Many people reported that their iPhones, from iPhone 5s to iPhone 7 Plus, freeze randomly during normal use after updating to iOS 11, on Apple community and other sites.

Solutions:
1. Force your non-responsive iPhone or iPad to reboot.
2. Reset All Settings to fix iOS 11 freezing iPhone/iPad problem: go to Settings -> Reset -> Reset All Settings. Type in password if required. After doing this, you will only lose your preference for AirDrop, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, privacy and other settings rather than the apps, media files on your iOS 11 iPhone/iPad.
3. Downgrade iOS 11 back to iOS 10.

Generally speaking, if you come across an error when using iTunes to update to iOS 11, you're likely to fix it by: updating iTunes to the latest version, updating your computer, plugging your device directly into computer's USB port instead of an attached keyboard or USB hub, restarting computer and iOS device, checking your computer's security software, and trying update again.

If you still can't troubleshoot your problems caused by iOS 11 update, you can ask help from Apple.

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