Are we there yet? Is it time to upgrade to iOS 10 and/or MacOS Sierra?

I have had lots of questions over the past fortnight about whether it is a good idea to update to iOS 10 on the iPad and iPhone, and to MacOS Sierra on the Mac.

While it is still early days for MacOS Sierra, iOS 10 has now been out for nearly 2 months.

Let's deal with iOS 10 first.

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iOS 10

There are still reports of iOS 10-related problems with apps crashing (I have two suffering this issue), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues, battery issues (see an article on this that I have just published: Battery problems after upgrade to iOS 10 - and how I fixed this) and other glitches.  

Additionally, there is a reported flaw in changes made to iTunes backup security - something that won't effect many of you, but worth knowing about.  (See the article I have included below.)

While none of the current problems are earth-shattering, for those of you who are lacking a bit of confidence in your use of the iPad and iPhone, and would struggle to know what to do if problems occur, I would stick with iOS 9 for a bit longer, let iOS 10 settle in further, a wait for a future 'fix' release.  

If you are a fairly confident user of the iPhone and iPad, and are keen to see the new iOS 10 features in action, then I would say 'go for it'.  Perhaps just have a read of the below articles before you decide (and make sure to back up your device before upgrading).
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• 4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 10.0.2 & 5 Reasons You Should
• 10 Things to Do Before Installing iOS 10.0.2
• iOS 10.0.2 Problems: 5 Things You Need to Know
• iOS 10's best new features, and why you should update your iPhone or iPad right now
• iOS 10 security glitch makes it easier for hackers to steal your data

Come along to the next Free Friday to find out about iOS 10!

In case you missed this news in the last newsletter, the next FREE FRIDAY one-hour session (on October 21st at 12:30pm) will cover 'What's New in iOS 10?'​.

This members-only session for iTandCoffee Club members is filling fast, so get your bookings in as soon as possible, to avoid missing out.  Here are more details and how to book›

Are you a member of the iTandCoffee Club?  Find out more about the club here›  

​As a limited special offer for new iTandCoffee Club members, join the club by 14/10/16 to receive iTandCoffee's 95-page guide "Introduction to the iPad and iPhone - A Guided Tour (iOS 10 Edition)" for FREE.

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MacOS Sierra

I have to say that it is early days in my experience of MacOS Sierra, so I need to wait a bit longer before offering any firm advice on whether it is safe to upgrade.

In saying that, yesterday proved a very frustrating day on my iMac after its recent upgrade, as I wrote articles for this blog and the fortnightly newsletter.  

I kept getting the 'spinning beachball of death', and had to constantly use a standard utility to 'kill' processes that were locking up my Mac.  (Here is the article and handy hint I have written about what I had to do: Working out what's slowing down your Mac (and giving you that dreaded 'spinning beachball of death'!).

In terms of what MacOS Sierra offers, there is nothing that is really 'earth-shattering'.  I have not really made use of the new features yet.  If you are up for some reading about its features, here are some recent articles. 

• Use Siri on the Mac! A List of Mac Siri Commands
• Which Macs can run macOS Sierra?
• ​How to use Optimized Storage in macOS Sierra
• Hands-on with the new Photos features in macOS Sierra and iOS 10
• macOS Sierra review: mixing iOS with OS X to make a better Mac - Macworld Australia  

I'd like to see how it goes over the next few week - and after the first 'fix' release - before offering any further advice on whether to proceed with this free MacOS upgrade.