It's a massive day ahead for iPhone fans with Apple finally releasing its blockbuster iOS 18 update. This latest and greatest operating system comes packed with new features and improved ways to customise the look of devices with Apple even letting users change the colour of apps and have complete control over their position on the Home Screen for the very first time. You can read our top 5 favourite iOS 18 features but before it gets released later tonight there are some things you should do to get your device ready for the download.

iOS 18 should become available at 6pm tonight BST and here's how to make sure you are able to install it straight away.

Make sure your iPhone is compatible

Almost all modern iPhones are compatible with iOS 18 and as long as you've recently upgraded your device you shouldn't have any issues installing it. Apple has released a full list of compatible iPhones, see below, which include the iPhone 15, iPhone 13, iPhone 11 and even the iPhone XS.

Back up your iPhone before downloading

Apple's iOS updates are usually very stable but things can go wrong from time to time. That's why it's a really good idea to back up your current iPhone before tapping the "Download and Install" button.

Backing up your iPhone is easy - just follow the instructions below to make sure you don't lose any precious data.

• Connect your device to a Wi-Fi network.

• Go to Settings > [your name], and tap iCloud.

• Tap iCloud Backup.

• Tap Back Up Now. Stay connected to your Wi-Fi network until the process has finished. Under Back Up Now, the date and time of your last backup will be displayed.

Clear some space

If your iPhone is running low on space it cause issues when you try and download the massive iOS 18 update which is likely to be more than 1GB in size. Now is a good time to have a quick spring clean and get rid of old files and photos you no longer need.

Be near Wi-Fi & Charge your battery

If you want to be one of the first to get iOS 18 then make sure you are connected to fast Wi-Fi around 6pm BST tonight. As we mentioned before, this update will be a massive file and it's not wise to use your mobile data unless you have unlimited 5G access.

It's also a good idea to charge your battery and plug your iPhone into the wall - some Apple updates aren't allowed if the battery is too low so now is a good time to top things up.

Waiting can pay off

Millions of Apple fans will all be trying to download iOS 18 at the same time tonight and that can slow things down. If you are happy to wait, you might find installing it tomorrow or later in the week offers a faster experience.

Apple has improved its OS launch events in recent years and things don't get as clogged up as they used to but we'd still recommend waiting if you can live without the new features for a few more hours.

One final thing to note, your iPhone will need to fully reboot to install iOS 18 so make sure you are not waiting for an important call or text before installing it.