iPhone 7/Plus How to save the iPhone?

[Pangalactic]

Hi!

So, I have a friend who is a travel blogger and desperately needs your help:

She has an iPhone 7 plus, and right now it's starting to get very laggy. She has over 20k photos on it and a lot of video editing apps. Recently, she decided to upgrade from iOS 10 to iOS 12 for the latest apps. Problem is, the phone for some reason doesn't upgrade. It downloads the update, starts the update countdown, then goes black and to the lock screen (while getting quite hot in the process). We've tried several times and nothing seemed to work. Buying a new iPhone is currently not an option for her.

The question is - what is the best way to upgrade to iOS 12 and not lose all the data in the process?

 

[Tdosthp]

Have you tried connecting the phone to a computer and attempting the upgrade through iTunes?

 

[Newtons Apple]

How much memory left? Could be her device is so packed it can’t update. Need to get it to a computer like the above poster suggested. Might be time to unload some of those images.

 

[eyoungren]

She has over 20k photos on it…

Is it reasonable to assume that over 20k photos are taking up a lot of storage?

I'd start by removing several thousand or more. Hard drives and storage media exist for a reason. Once that's done, then see what happens with updating.

The fact that there is concern about losing her data leads me to believe that there is no backup. With over 20k irreplaceable photos stored only on one device that's just not a good idea.

People have this digital life on their phones but for some reason never consider that these devices might fail and have no plan to account for that.

 

[I7guy]

I would update the icloud plan and turn on icloud photos. Let the photos sync to the cloud and see if that solves the issue.

 

[eyoungren]

I would update the icloud plan and turn on icloud photos. Let the photos sync to the cloud and see if that solves the issue.

Does syncing to the cloud reduce the amount of space the photos take up on the device?

 

[internetrando]

Does syncing to the cloud reduce the amount of space the photos take up on the device?

It will if you choose to optimize storage. It will offload all your local copies, store thumbnails, and download full res when opened.

 

[ksec]

Hi!

So, I have a friend who is a travel blogger and desperately needs your help:

She has an iPhone 7 plus, and right now it's starting to get very laggy. She has over 20k photos on it and a lot of video editing apps. Recently, she decided to upgrade from iOS 10 to iOS 12 for the latest apps. Problem is, the phone for some reason doesn't upgrade. It downloads the update, starts the update countdown, then goes black and to the lock screen (while getting quite hot in the process). We've tried several times and nothing seemed to work. Buying a new iPhone is currently not an option for her.

The question is - what is the best way to upgrade to iOS 12 and not lose all the data in the process?

Backup first, using iTunes. Just to be Save.

Buy iCloud, so you have all your photos in the cloud. Again just to be save, so now you have two backup incase anything happens.

Choose Optimise Photo, which will upload your original photo to the iCloud and have an Optimise version left on your iPhone. I have 60K Photos so 20K isn't like impossibly large photo library.

Now Assuming you have Backup everything to iCloud, ( iMessages, WhatsApp, Line, whatever Messaging Apps you are using, ) have all ticked in the iCloud Settings, and all your contact list are saved.

The next step I am not so sure, so others please chimp in and double confirm. ( Nothing from Google for Concrete evidence )

You cant restore a Newer Backup to an older iOS. i.e If your backup was iOS 12.1 and your devices is running iOS 12 or older, it wont work.

However if you have a newer iOS, it *should* work. And in that case you just wipe your iPhone to a clean state, install iOS 12, and restore from iCloud.