Upgrading IOS 9's to 12's, Help!

[AIIIK]

Hello Everyone!
I have urgent questions if anyone is available to help.

My friend wants to upgrade his iPhone 6s IOS 9.1 (I think it is the original version, but I'm not sure) to IOS 12 or 12.3.1, but he is afraid of losing his data(ex; pictures, videos, voice memos, notes, apps and so on) as well as that the new version might shorten the battery life and the performance of the iPhone will be less than 9, especially he only has 2 to 3 GB available in his iPhone .
He wants to update it because most of the apps require 10 IOS and more, and regarding security matters.
I told him to back up his phone before upgrading it and he did that through PC iTunes, but he is afraid of that after upgrading the software, the iTunes will refuse to restore the data r that iTunes did not back up everything.


What do you think guys?
Will upgrading from very old ios to the newest one cause a data lost? if yes, then what should he do?
Having only 3GB available on his phone will make a problem?
Should he upgrade his IOS through iTunes or the phone itself (from settings)? which one is better?
Can iTunes refuse to restore the backup?

I just told him to upgrade it, but I'm so afraid that his data will be lost because of me

Thank you in Advanced.
Your response will be highly appreciated!

 

[aakshey]

He won't lose his data except for apps that are 32 bit or that no longer work with iOS 12.

Once he updates, ask him to get a fresh battery. That way he will at least get 50%+ of the battery life of iOS 9 (after a battery swap).

If he has a 6s/SE/newer, performance will only get better. Not certain about 5s/6.

With a 5s, changing the battery won't be viable.

 

[Shirasaki]

iOS 9.1 sounds like an iOS version shipped from factory.

Regarding losing data, technically speaking there is always a chance your data will be gone during upgrade, but as soon as he has a most recent iCloud or iTunes backup he should be fine. iTunes backup HAS TO BE ENCRYPTED though.

Only 3GB left on his iPhone will cause issue upgrading iOS. He needs to free up spaces for upgrade. Otherwise, he cannot do that. Leaving such little space on iPhone also makes iPhone more prone to sudden data lost due to degrading on board SSD.

Whether updating using iTunes or from iPhone does not matter that much. But updating from iTunes using cable can make sure data is transferred properly and he usually doesn’t need to wait insanely long for everything to be downloaded.

 

[AIIIK]

He won't lose his data except for apps that are 32 bit or that no longer work with iOS 12.

Once he updates, ask him to get a fresh battery. That way he will at least get 50%+ of the battery life of iOS 9 (after a battery swap).

If he has a 6s/SE/newer, performance will only get better. Not certain about 5s/6.

With a 5s, changing the battery won't be viable.

Thank you for the response, may I ask what do you mean by getting a new fresh battery? should he change his 6s battery to a new one? I think his battery already old (since 2015 maybe) he is facing some battery issues, but don't bother that much.

 

[aakshey]

Thank you for the response, may I ask what do you mean by getting a new fresh battery? should he change his 6s battery to a new one? I think his battery already old (since 2015 maybe) he is facing some battery issues, but don't bother that much.

With an old battery iOS 12 will give him less than 2 hrs SOT. With a fresh battery at least he will get 3-4 hrs SOT or more on iOS 12.

 

[AIIIK]

iOS 9.1 sounds like an iOS version shipped from factory.

Regarding losing data, technically speaking there is always a chance your data will be gone during upgrade, but as soon as he has a most recent iCloud or iTunes backup he should be fine. iTunes backup HAS TO BE ENCRYPTED though.

Only 3GB left on his iPhone will cause issue upgrading iOS. He needs to free up spaces for upgrade. Otherwise, he cannot do that. Leaving such little space on iPhone also makes iPhone more prone to sudden data lost due to degrading on board SSD.

Whether updating using iTunes or from iPhone does not matter that much. But updating from iTunes using cable can make sure data is transferred properly and he usually doesn’t need to wait insanely long for everything to be downloaded.

Thank you for the response! Then once he back up his phone through iTunes he can restore his data if it is lost? I think it is not encrypted, should he re-backing up his phone before upgrading? and may i ask why the back up should be encrypted?

 

[aakshey]

Thank you for the response! Then once he back up his phone through iTunes he can restore his data if it is lost? I think it is not encrypted, should he re-backing up his phone before upgrading? and may i ask why the back up should be encrypted?

IMO since he is on iOS 9 and iOS 12 anyways is known to cause issues, I recommend he start afresh if possible. Else just do an iTunes encrypted backup.

 

[AIIIK]

With an old battery iOS 12 will give him less than 2 hrs SOT. With a fresh battery at least he will get 3-4 hrs SOT or more on iOS 12.

oh! Well, there is a bit big difference. replacing a new battery can be done only through apple website?
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IMO since he is on iOS 9 and iOS 12 anyways is known to cause issues, I recommend he start afresh if possible. Else just do an iTunes encrypted backup.

Thank you again! issues like what?
(I recommend he start afresh if possible) you mean he should format it?

what if he did it without the encrypted button?

 

[aakshey]

Through an AASP or Apple Store.

Issues with battery life.

Yes, DFU restore without restoring from backup.

 

[AIIIK]

Through an AASP or Apple Store.

Issues with battery life.

Yes, DFU restore without restoring from backup.

He is not sure if he can changes the batter with a new one, unfortunately.

I have not tried to upgrade by using DFU or Recovery mode nor my friend, I thought he can upgrade with the normal mode. should he enter DFU while upgrading just because the back up is not encrypted or there are other reasons?
if he upgrades in DFU mode, will that protect data from loose? if it lost, can he restore data from the backup?

 

[aakshey]

He is not sure if he can changes the batter with a new one, unfortunately.

I have not tried to upgrade by using DFU or Recovery mode nor my friend, I thought he can upgrade with the normal mode. should he enter DFU while upgrading just because the back up is not encrypted or there are other reasons?
if he upgrades in DFU mode, will that protect data from loose? if it lost, can he restore data from the backup?

The two things are unrelated.

Encryption only helps with saving passwords etc.

DFU means a clean wipe. Got nothing to do with restoration.

 

[Ruggy]

Your friend needs to back up his data first. You should always do this anyway in case your phone is broken or stolen.
There are two ways of doing this:
1. Connect the phone to a computer and back up to the computer. If you have problems later you can restore from the backup.
2. Use the icloud. You may have to take a subscription if you have a lot of data (but you can cancel a month later so the cost is minimal) and then make sure you check all the things you want to back up under the icloud tab in settings.
Be warned it can take a long time though, simply because of the physical limitations of the upload speed so if you have 64gb or more, let it run overnight as it will take at least 6 hours.

After you've backed up, then you can update and don't worry, it's rare that these things go wrong and in any case, you lose nothing trying it and if you have a problem then you can do a new install but honestly, you probably won't need to.

As to the battery. You can check battery health in settings and if it's over about 85% then it should work perfectly. My 6S+ is currently at 81% health and I will have to change it soon but it still works pretty much all day but of course, it depends what you do with it. Streaming video for 3 hours is about all you'll get.

If you decide the battery needs changing then book an appointment with your local Apple store (you can walk in but be prepared to wait).
If you book an appointment for changing the battery then they will probably do it in 1.5hrs. It depends where you are but it is possible and I've had it done on two phones, both under two hours.
I'm not sure what it costs where you are but it'll be under $50.
Good luck, and if you check on the Apple site they have really good info about things like back ups and icloud to make sure you don't miss anything.
For example:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203977

 

[Shirasaki]

Thank you for the response! Then once he back up his phone through iTunes he can restore his data if it is lost? I think it is not encrypted, should he re-backing up his phone before upgrading? and may i ask why the back up should be encrypted?

Only this way he can backup everything, including keychain and health data (he may have some regardless).
https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT205220