Why your iPhone may not get iOS 27, Apple’s next major update coming this week

(NEXSTAR) – Apple's next major iOS update is about to be released, but there may be a few obstacles standing between you and the latest features.

During its annual event on Wednesday, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released on Monday, Sept. 14. With it will come major updates to Siri, AI tools, your iPhone's appearance, and security features, among other things.

To ensure you can get iOS 27 when it becomes available, here are a few settings and data points to check on your phone.

Is your device too old for the update?

If you got your iPhone or iPad within the last few years, your device can likely support iOS 27.

An easy way to check is to see if your device is already running on iOS 26. You can check this in Settings, then General, then Software Update. If you see a message like "iOS is up to date," or that you are on a version of iOS 26, your device will support iOS 27.

You can also verify based on what model device you have. This information can be found under Settings, then General, then About. Apple offers steps on identifying iPads using the model number.

Apple devices eligible for iOS 27 are:

• iPhone 11 models and newer
• iPhone SE, 2nd generation and later
• iPad Pro (M4 and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation and later), iPad Air 13-inch (M2 and later), iPad Air 11-inch (M2, M3, and M4), iPad Air 11-inch (4th generation and later), iPad (A16), iPad (9th generation and later), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad mini (6th generation and later)
• Watch SE 3, Watch Series 10 and 11, and Watch Ultra 2 and 3

Some older iPad models that got iOS 26 will not be eligible for iOS 27. That includes 3rd generation iPad Pro 12.9-inch, 1st generation iPad Pro 11-inch, 3rd generation iPad Air, 8th generation iPad, and 5th generation iPad mini. Many older Apple Watches will also no longer receive the next iOS update.

Apple Intelligence features included in iOS 27 are still only available to on iPhone 16 and 17 models and iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.

You may need to delete some photos

Or really anything extraneous that's taking up space. Apple's free updates typically require several gigabytes of space.

If there isn't enough space on your device, you may have to delete some photos, large text messages and files, or unused apps. You can see how much free space is on your iPhone or iPad in Settings, then General, then iPhone Storage. Apple may offer suggestions to clean up your device storage.

Thankfully, any increased use of your storage typically levels off once the latest iOS update has been installed.

Check your battery and Wi-Fi connection

Apple pushed out a small update, iOS 26.6.6, on Wednesday, to fix an issue preventing system updates from being downloaded over cellular data. However, it's likely that Apple will limit iOS 27 downloads to Wi-Fi only. The company also offers guidance for downloading updates using a Mac or Windows device.

You may also be prevented from downloading iOS 27 if your battery level is too low. It's recommended to leave your iPhone plugged in during large updates such as iOS 27.

Your iPhone may die faster after getting iOS 27

Apple has warned before that its devices may die faster immediately after getting major iOS updates.

"Immediately after completing an update, particularly a major release, you might notice a temporary impact on battery life and thermal performance," the company says on a support page. "This is normal, as your device needs time to complete the setup process in the background, including indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps."

This may last for a few days as your iPhone or other Apple device continues the behind-the-scenes work, but Apple warns that your device usage will still impact its battery life. So if you're exploring the new iOS 27 features and driving up your screen time, you may find your iPhone's battery draining more quickly.

As tempting as it may be to charge your phone to 100% during these draining times, experts and phone manufacturers generally advise charging only to 80% to prolong the battery life.

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