iOS 5.01 Released: Includes Fix For iOS 5.0 Battery Life Issue

iOS 5 Gets Its First Update

Thanks to my husband Zack for getting this post out about the new iOS 5.1 release. I’ve yet to install the update…but I’ll be following his instructions below.

Shortly after the iPhone 4S hit the market a bug was discovered that severely impacted battery life on those new devices. Shortly after the bug was discovered Apple promised to deliver a fix within a few weeks.  Yesterday they made good on that promise and made the first update to iOS 5 available to the public.  Aside from the battery life fix, this update is something of a big deal because it is the first iOS update to ever be delivered “Over The Air” (OTA), meaning it can be downloaded and installed directly on the device without having to connect it to a computer and iTunes.

How To Install The Update

So just how does one install the update?  It’s actually quite simple.  On your iOS device simply go to Settings > General > Software Update (see screenshots below).  At this point your device will check to see if an update is available.

Next you’ll be prompted to accept Apple’s Terms and Conditions agreement for this update. You’ll then be encouraged to plug your device into a charger to ensure that the battery doesn’t run out while downloading or installing the update. I didn’t plug my iPhone in because I had over half of my battery life remaining and I was still able to download and install the update without any trouble. THAT SAID, I would STRONGLY recommend that you plug your device in when you update it … just in case. My guess is that if your battery WERE to run out during the update process there’s a decent chance that the result would not be good. Once you dismiss the “plug in” reminder your iOS device will begin to download the update.

Once the update has been downloaded you should see a message asking for your permission to install the update but also indicates that it will go ahead and install it if you do not respond within a certain amount of time. Following the install you MAY also see a message that tells you that your device could not verify the update because you are no longer connected to the Internet. I presumed this to have something to do with my sometimes quirky wireless network at home but I’m not certain. At any rate, if you see that message go ahead and click “Try again”. My device verified the update on that second attempt and was then able to continue on with its work.

At this point your iOS device is ready to reboot and finish installing the update. After rebooting (you may be prompted to give one last “OK” before it does so) you’ll see a simple black screen with a progress meter that indicates how far along the device is in the process of installing the update. Once that finishes your device should start up and once again function as normal, only now with (presumably) better battery life.