Get ready for ioS 13
Macs aside, your other Apple kit is due for an update too
Your iPhone or iPod touch will let you know when iOS 13 becomes available via Settings > General > Software Update. It’s the same for iPads, which switch to iPadOS, basically iOS 13 with some extra features. Having accepted the upgrade, make sure your device is connected to power and Wi-Fi. You’ll also need a few gigabytes of free space in its internal storage. In Settings > General > iPhone [or whatever device] Storage, you’ll see a chart of what’s taking up space followed by options to delete some data you may not need, then full details of the rest. If photos are a major culprit, as they so often are, using iCloud Photo Library with Optimise Storage can help (see page 26 for more).
If a device has very little storage and iOS 13 refuses to install, a workaround is to connect it to your Mac and open iTunes’ Summary screen (see ‘Back up to iTunes’, below right), where you’ll see an option to upgrade iOS. This way the installer downloads to your Mac, not the device, reducing the amount of free space you’ll need.
Make sure your devices are backed up before upgrading (see below). Keychain, which contains all the details saved securely for auto-fill on your device, is included in backups, so if you have to restore from an iCloud or iTunes backup your logins will still work. If you restore a backup to a different device, however, Apple’s security regime prevents your keychain being restored. This won’t matter if you have iCloud Keychain turned on in Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Keychain. Unless you have a reason not to, enable this for all your Macs and iOS devices so you can
log in to everything everywhere.
Watch and TV upgrade
If you have an Apple Watch, you should be notified of the watchOS 6 upgrade on your associated iPhone. A new feature in this version is that future updates can be installed direct to the Watch, but for now it’s done through your iPhone. Apple TV also gets an upgrade to tvOS 13, which you’ll be able to install on your third- or fourth-gen box via Settings > System > Software Update. As well as a significant redesign and new features, this will support the Apple TV+ streaming service when it launches.