iOS 9: Getting Ready for the Upgrade

Apple will be releasing iOS 9 tomorrow, and by all accounts, the new operating system for iPhones, iPads, and iPods looks to be a good one. Featuring Ad blocking, a new power saving mode, an update in Siri's abilities and lots more, iOS9 will run on iPhone 4S, iPad 2, iPod Touch 5th gen and anything newer. Early reviews say it may bring new life to the iPhone 4S, perhaps running faster and better than the disappointing performance drop many saw with iOS8.

So… now is the time to get ready.

1. Save all your photos and videos to the cloud or to your computer. There's no sense risking losing them if anything goes wrong, and they're taking up space that could be needed during the upgrade. My practice is to have copies in the cloud and on a hard drive.

2. Remove the apps you never use. It will free up space and declutter your home screen.

3. Make a backup. Check your backup. Your device should be backing up to iCloud every night, but it's a good idea to check, and make sure that you have a current backup. I strongly recommend connecting your device to your computer and making a backup to it using iTunes. It's a more complete backup, and if something goes wrong, it's a lot quicker to restore from iTunes than to restore from iCloud. (I speak from experience. Trust me.)

4. If at all possible, do your update via iTunes. The over the air updates seem to be OK these days, but again, in the event of complications, having the computer and iTunes handy can make for an easier recovery. If you are tight on space on your device, the iTunes update is definitely less of a hassle.

Finally… Maybe just wait! If your phone is critical to your survival (social or business) maybe wait a couple days. Even the finest software on the planet has some… issues… when first released to the public. I guarantee you that not everything will work well for everybody, and that some people tomorrow will really wish they waited for the 9.01 update.

In the past, people have seen problems with extreme battery drain, key apps failing to function, wifi interruption or general unexpectedly slow performance. Why not let the cowboys and thrill seekers check out the new territory and send some messages back from the front. As I've said before, you won't get a prize for updating first, but you may get some surprises. It's better to be a fast follower than a first mover.

Time to update to iOS7?

iPhone 4S or 5?

Definitely go for it.

But:

• Do a full, encrypted backup by wired connection to your computer.
• Do the upgrade through iTunes on your computer
• Be ready to not be able to use the phone for +-30 minutes
• Expect to have to spend a couple hours getting used to how things look and how some things are different or relocated.

My advice... start it going before dinner. Get it to the point where the software is downloaded, unpacked and you can see that it is starting to grind away on the install. After dinner, keep it plugged in to power, and mess around with it during evening.

If you have an iPhone 4 you should probably still update; your phone may be a little slower, but most people are still happy with the changes.

If you have a 5 and a non-Apple charger, the charger will not work after the update. take it to the Apple Store, give them the charger and $10 and get an official, won't fry you, Apple brand charger!

ITunes Store Fraud Panic? Don't Panic!

Today, I discovered a couple of unauthorized $1 Apple iTunes Store charges pending on my American Express card. I visited my iTunes Store account page and found no reference to any recent charges. (Typically, when I tried to click on the "Report A Problem" button, all it did was disappear. Actually, what it does is enable other links to allow you to report a problem with specific items on the "recent purchases" list, but it's both subtle and not what I wanted.)

I immediately cleared the credit card info from my iTunes account and went back to Amex to see what I could do about challenging the charges. "Pending charges can not be contested," is the Amex reply.

Hmm. A quick check with daughter reveals that she hadn't downloaded anything without first checking with Dear Old Dad.

Was I being set up to be the next victim of the ongoing scam? [link to NY Times story]

I Googled around for a bit to check on what to do, and finally found this, buried at the Apple web site:

As with many other merchants, the iTunes Store and Mac App Store places an authorization hold on your payment card account for the approximate amount of any purchase you make. Similarly, if you update your billing information, the iTunes Store or Mac App Store will place an authorization hold on your payment card account, usually in the amount of 1 USD, to verify your account information. (emphasis added)

You might see such authorization requests on your online statement. These requests are not actual charges; they are tests to confirm that your payment card account is active and has available funds to accommodate transactions. Authorization holds are removed by your financial institution shortly after your purchase clears. The amount of time it takes to remove authorization requests varies by financial institution...

Yep, in fact prompted by Apple's recent introduction of "2 Step Verification," I had made some changes to my account a week or so ago. OK then, no problem. Time to re-enter the card info at iTunes and move on my merry way.

Hey Apple! It would be good - in light of all the fraud and scams surrounding the iTunes Store - if you reminded people of your policy at the time that they make these changes!

iTunes Smart Playlists

If you haven't yet tried the "smart playlist" feature in iTunes, I highly recommend it. Smart playlists automatically update themselves based on rules that are easy to set up. One of my favorite smart playlists keeps 45 minutes of music that is made up 1/2 with songs from my most frequently listened to songs, and 1/2 with songs I haven't listened to in over a month. And, all of the songs on the list have just the right beat for me when I'm out running. This way, every time I run, I have a fresh mix of familiar and old favorites that works just right for me at exercise time. Smart playlist creation is just one of many features of iTunes that I can introduce to you during a one-hour "Making iTune MyTunes" class.

iPhone or iPad Just Not Quite Right?

Don't forget that simply shutting it down, letting the screen go all the way to black, and then starting it back up again, cures a lot of what ails these things. In fact, it's a good habit to shut these things down and start them back up with some regularity... I'd say at least once per week.

It's also a good idea to plug in to iTunes and do a backup first - and every so often, just for good housekeeping.

As long as your backup is fresh, plugging in to iTunes and using the restore function should solve any lingering problems, but don't do this if your device is jailbroken and/or unlocked. There are ways to get these devices back to 100%, but if you are uncertain how to do that, you are best off being shown the first time.