Dina Bader: Get your devices ready for iOS 14 and iPadOS 14

Make sure your iPhone and iPad are ready to download the new iOS!

The latest versions of iOS and iPadOS bring a whole bunch of exciting updates to both iPhone and iPad. In our iPadOS 14 review, we've seen just how much better iPadOS has gotten this year. Whether you've been downloading the beta software through Apple's beta program or you're just waiting to get your hands on it for the first time, here's how to prepare your iPhone and iPad for iOS 14 and iPadOS 14.

Step 1: Make sure your iPhone or iPad is compatible

Each new operating system usually has higher power and system requirements, which means some older hardware is just not powerful enough to run iOS 14.

Will my iPhone work with iOS 14?

Will my iPad work with iPadOS 14?

Step 2: Clean up your iPhone or iPad

Another way to prepare your iPhone and iPad for iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 is to make sure you have enough storage. Each new iOS Apple has put out has typically required a little more storage space than the previous operating system. If you don't have enough space on your iPhone or iPad to download iOS 14 or iPadOS 14, you'll most likely get a storage space error, and you'll have to delete some data off your device to make some room.

Photos, videos, and apps can all take up vast amounts of storage space. If you're looking to make some room, look for old photos you don't want to keep, videos you don't need anymore, or apps you won't miss. You can always delete these items to make room or transfer them to your Mac, hard drive, iCloud, or other cloud storage service for safekeeping. You can also get a quality flash drive for your iPhone or iPad to help you back up files instantly and on the go.

Read: Out of storage error on your iPhone? Here's the fix!

Step 3: Back up your data!

If the unfortunate events of early iOS 10 updating taught us anything, it's that you should always back up your data before downloading any significant updates. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

If you don't set up some sort of a backup system - be it iCloud or another service — you only have yourself to blame if you lose all of your data.

Read: How to back up your iPhone or iPad