Installation of iOS updates - stuck at 7.1.2

[Richard Hexter]

I seem to be stuck at 7.1.2 as far as my iOS is concerned. I bought this iPad Air only in September so there must be some way of updating surely. Settings/general/about shows: capacity 12.8GB, available 4.5GB, but attempted installation shows 'because it requires at least 6.2GB of storage'. What can I do to get the updates installed please?

 

[twerppoet]

You can either delete enough stuff that you have the necessary space to update via iCloud, or you can update using iTunes and a computer; which requires far less free space on the iPad.

If you have a lot of pictures and videos, save them off the iPad then delete. If you have apps that you seldom use, and contain no useful data, delete them. You can always download them again.

People have had a lot better luck using iTunes and a computer with this update; though I used iCloud without issues, and newer iPads are less likely to have issues with the iCloud update.

Strange that it's gone up to over 6GB. It was only a bit over 3GB with the first few update versions. I wonder what changed.

Don't forget to do a backup first.

Also, restarting the iPad just before updating is a good idea. Then restart or reset it afterwards for luck. It seems to help

 

[Richard Hexter]

Thanks, I'll try the update via laptop and report back. Just one point though - the capacity is shown as 12.8GB. Does this mean that almost 50% of the capacity of the iPad will be taken up by installing just this one update? Will it mean that there will be almost no storage availability left? Am I going to lose more than I gain?

 

[twerppoet]

Once the update is complete you'll get almost all the capacity back. The space is needed to download the update file, uncompress it, and then install it. When you do it using iTunes all but the last part is done on the computer, which is why it takes less space to install.

iOS 8 is slightly bigger than iOS 7, so you will lose a few MB, but not anything like the 6 GB needed to do the install.

 

[Richard Hexter]

Absolutely brilliant. Thank you so much! Capacity has reduced by only 0.8GB, availability has actually increased! No to upgrade my wife's iPad!!

 

[Richard Hexter]

Have updated my wife's. All working as should be (I think). How do I record my thanks?

 

[twerppoet]

Awesome.

And, you just did, in the best way possible.

But if you mean you want to add to the Thanks thing in the sidebar, just Like the post. It's the thumbs up icon just below and to the right of body text of the post. There is no explicit Thanks button. Thanks is added up from several of the positive tags.

You may have to hover the mouse cursor there to see it, if you are in a desktop browser.