How to do a clean install of iOS 16

iOS 16 has arrived and with the new operating system of the Cupertino company, doubts inevitably arise: Should I update or would it be better to perform a clean install of iOS 16? All this will basically depend on the state of your iPhone, but today we want to answer all your questions.

We show you how to perform a clean install of iOS 16 and install it from scratch. In this way, you will be able to eliminate errors or excessive battery consumption that affect the performance of your iPhone. Undoubtedly, if your iPhone does not have the expected performance, this is the best option.

Previous Considerations

There are many things we need to keep in mind before performing a clean install of iOS 16 to avoid any issues during the process. However, the first thing we will remind you that this tutorial is valid for both iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, since all mechanisms and tools are completely identical.

Considering this, the first advice we give you is to make a backup, both in iCloud and through your PC or Mac, and the type of computer you use to perform this clean install is indistinct, as it will be valid in any of them.

Backup to iCloud

To back up to iCloud The first thing we have to make sure of is that we have a WiFi connection, since at the moment we cannot make backup copies via mobile data by default, which, by the way, will be possible once we we will have installed iOS 16, since it is one of its main novelties.

That said, we’ll head to Settings > Profile (Apple ID) > iCloud > Backup to iCloud. At this point we will make sure that we have activated this function and we will press the button “Save now.”

We will have to wait a long time, because this type of backup is not exactly fast. However, we can take the opportunity to make a backup of an application as important as WhatsApp, so we will make sure to continue to maintain all chats, for that go to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Backup > Backup Now.

At this point, you can encrypt the backup, include the videos, and even schedule an automatic copy.

Completely secure your PC or Mac

My personal recommendation is that you make a full backup, i.e. a copy that includes both the photos and the different apps and all of their settings. This will allow you in the event of a problem, to put your iPhone back in the same conditions as you left it just before starting the process, something you can’t do with an iCloud backup.

To do this, connect the iPhone to your PC or Mac via the Lightning cable, and once you’ve opened the iPhone Setup Tool, which in the case of macOS will appear as a new location in the list on the left area of ​​the Finder.

You must activate the option “Keep a backup of all your iPhone data on this Mac”and in the same way you have to activate the option “Encrypt backup.” This encryption will ensure that the copy is complete, including various settings within apps, and of course all your conversations within messaging apps.

now press the button “To sychronize” or the one to perform the backup, depending on whether you are using the macOS tool or the Windows one. In the case of the latter (Windows), you will have to use iTunes without any other choice, although the user interface is identical, so you will not have any problems.

Download iOS 16 or use Apple servers

You will have two ways to perform this installation from scratch. The first, and the one we recommend the most from the iPhone News team, is you download iOS firmware in “.IPSW” format either from Apple’s own developer website or from various web portals that allow you to download securely.

You should keep in mind that it does not pose any type of risk to your iPhone or your data, and is when you perform an iOS installation, when you start the activation process, the iPhone connects to Apple’s servers to verify the signature of the operating system and therefore verify that it is facing a version created and authorized by Apple itself.

On the contrary, If you prefer, you can choose to let iTunes (in Windows) or the iPhone Sync Tool (in macOS) check for the latest available version of the operating system. when we choose to restore iPhone. However, sometimes this slows down the process a lot, either because Apple’s servers are saturated the first few days after the release of iOS 16, or because sometimes it does not update it and only restores it, we have to so check for updates and do the setting afterwards.

Install iOS 16 properly

Now that you have done the hard part, in case you have chosen to download the iOS firmware, you must follow the following steps:

1. Connect your iPhone or iPad to the PC/Mac and follow one of these instructions:
   1. Mac: In the Finder, the iPhone will appear, click on it and the menu will open
   2. Windows PC: Open iTunes and find the iPhone logo in the upper right corner, then tap abstract and the menu will open
2. On Mac Press the “Alt” key on Mac or Shift on PC and select the function “Restore iPhone”then the file explorer will open and you have to select the .IPSW file that you downloaded earlier
3. Now it will start restoring the device and it will reboot several times. Don’t unplug it while it’s done

So, quickly and easily, you will have installed iOS 16 cleanly, avoiding possible errors and enjoying an iPhone like new. What we have always called a format.