Here’s How Long the iOS 16.1.1 Update Takes

Apple’s iOS 16.1.1 update is a small point release but it could take quite a bit of time to install on your iPhone.

The company’s pushed iOS 16.1.1 to all iPhones that are compatible with iOS 16 and the software brings security patches and bug fixes that address some of the lingering issues with iOS 16.

If you’re moving your iPhone from the latest version of iOS 16 to iOS 16.1.1, you get the shortest list of changes and the smallest download size. The iOS 16.1.1 update is in and around 277 MB for users currently running iOS 16.1 on their device.

If you’re upgrading from an older version of iOS, your iOS 16.1.1 download could be larger because the changes from the update(s) you skipped are baked in.

While some of you might want to skip the iOS 16.1.1 download for the time being, most people should install the software today, or, at some point in the near future.

If you decide to install iOS 16.1.1 on your iPhone, you’ll want to set aside some time to get the upgrade properly installed on your device.

Moving a device from one version of an operating system to another can cause problems so you’ll want to monitor the download and installation.

We can’t tell you exactly how long the process will take because it will vary. That said, we can help you approximate how much time you should set aside should you choose to install the latest firmware on your iPhone.

Pre-Installation

Before you start the iOS 16.1.1 download make sure you’re prepared.

If you don’t know how to properly prepare for an iOS upgrade, take a look at our pre-installation guide. It’ll walk you through the most important steps to take before you start the installation process.

You should be able to get through these steps in 30 minutes, but it all depends on your skill level and the current state of your iPhone.

If you haven’t backed up your data in awhile or you if you aren’t familiar with iOS 16.1.1, the pre-installation process could take you a longer.

You don’t need to follow every single step in the guide, but at the very least you’ll want to make sure your phone’s data is backed up properly.

Data loss issues are pretty rare, but if you store sensitive data (photos, videos, etc) on your device, it’s always better to err on the side of caution.

iOS 16.1.1 Download

Once you’ve prepared, it’s time to start the download process.

Again, the exact size of your iOS 16.1.1 download will depend on your iPhone model and the version of iOS it’s currently running.

If you’re on the latest version of iOS 16, you’ll see the smallest download size. If you’re running an older version, your download will be larger.

If you’re connected to a fast Wi-Fi network, the iOS 16.1.1 download should finish up in 10 minutes or less. If your connection is slower, or you’re downloading during peak hours, you might be looking at a lot longer than that.

iOS 16.1.1 Installation

Once your device is done pulling iOS 16.1.1 from Apple’s servers, the installation process will begin.

On newer phones, the iOS 16.1.1 installation process could take 10 minutes or less to complete. It took about eight minutes to install on an iPhone 12 Pro that was previously running iOS 16.1.

Your iPhone might reboot itself a couple of times during the installation process, but this is perfectly normal. Your device should boot up in regular fashion once the installation process completes.

Post-Installation

After the installation finishes up, you might need to spend time logging into your iCloud account, signing into your device’s various apps and services, and/or setting up Apple Pay.

You also might want to spend some time checking your important data (photos, music, etc) to make sure everything carried over properly.

After you do that, make sure you test your core applications and services to ensure they’re working normally. New versions of iOS can cause apps to go haywire.

If you notice an issue with one or more of your apps, try downloading the latest version. Developers are currently rolling out iOS 16 support updates.

You’ll also want to poke around your phone for bugs and performance issues. If you notice something take a look at our list of fixes for common iOS 16 problems.

Install iOS 16.1.1 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing Apple’s iOS 16.1.1 update right away. iOS 16.1.1 doesn’t have a whole lot on board, but it does bring a couple of important security patches with it. You can learn more about them right here. If you missed the iOS 16.1 update, it brought 19 security patches to the iPhone and you can learn about the particulars of those over on Apple’s website. If you missed iOS 16.0.3, it had one security patch on board. It fixed a potential exploit within the Mail app. For more about the fix, check out Apple’s security site. If you’re still running iOS 15 your iPhone, you’ll get a bunch of other patches when you upgrade. iOS 16.0 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. If you’re interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple’s security website. In addition to those patches, iOS 16 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including Safety Check which, according to Apple, will help “people in domestic or intimate partner violence situations review and reset the access they’ve granted others.”  The feature also resets system privacy permissions for apps and restricts Messages and FaceTime to the device on hand. Apple’s also made some improvements to Passkeys in Safari. iOS 16 brings a brand new sign-in method that’s end-to-end encrypted and safe from phishing and data leaks.

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