At the Apple iPhone 7 event on Wednesday, the company revealed that the ship date for iOS 10 and watchOS 3 is September 13.The free update is for users of the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch.
Following the Apple event, the company released to developers the golden master of iOS 10 and watchOS 3, as well as the GMs of macOS Sierra and tvOS 10. When beta software turns to golden master, it is usually considered the final version that will be eventually released to the general public.
When iOS 10 is officially released, it will be available to iOS users through Software Update in the Settings app. It’s a good idea to perform a backup before installing the new operating system. In case you have problems with iOS 10, you can always revert to the backup.
The following iOS devices can install iOS 10.
- iPhone 6s/6s Plus
- iPhone 6/6 Plus
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 5/5c/5s
- 12.9-inch and 9.7-inch iPad Pro
- iPad Air 2, iPad Air
- iPad 4th generation
- iPad mini 2, 3, and 4
- iPod touch 6th generation
To update your Apple Watch, you first need to connect your watch to a charger. On your iPhone, launch the Watch app, then tap General > Software Update.
Here’s a list of articles to get you up to speed on what iOS 10 has to offer.
- 10 features to try first in the public beta of iOS 10
- What iOS 10 reveals about the future of the iPhone
- 5 hidden iOS 10 features that are instant game changers
- 5 iOS 10 features to boost your iPad productivity
- How iOS 10 powers machine learning while protecting your privacy
- What iOS 10 can tell us about the new iPhone
- Why iMessage in iOS 10 is too much and yet not enough
- What happened to Apple Music in iOS 10?
- Swift Playgrounds guided tour: Learn to code on your iPad with iOS 10
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor
Roman has covered technology since the early 1990s. His career started at MacUser, and he's worked for MacAddict, Mac|Life, and TechTV.