How to install iOS 5

Apple's iOS 5

is the latest iteration of their mobile operating system. There are many devices that run iOS, including iPhones, iPads, the iPod touch players and some other iPods. New products from these lines that we'll be seeing the future (the iPhone 5, the iPad 3, etc.) will ship with iOS 5 already installed, but owners of older models will need to get the update manually. This involves connecting to a computer, though future updates will be delivered straight to the phone, over the air.

To start, you'll want to connect your iOS device to your computer and wait for iTunes to start. Once connected, you'll see a prompt letting you know that a new version of your software is now available. You can choose Download and Update to start the update or just Download to save the installation for later. Before you do start the installation, you'll want to do a few things.

First, you'll want to tap the Sync button to back up your current device. You'll also want to transfer any purchases that you made on your devices back to iTunes so you can get them later. Do this by right-clicking on your device in the iTunes sidebar, then select the Transfer Purchases option. This will transfer all of your apps, videos and music back to iTunes. Once you have all of your content and information backed up, you are ready to install iOS 5.

The installer will wipe your device clean before putting iOS 5 onto it. The whole process can take upwards of an hour so make sure that you have enough time to finish the installation before starting. Interrupting the update before it is finished could damage your device, or even brick it.

When your device restarts, you'll see a welcome screen. You'll be asked whether you want to enable location services. Feel free to disable these if you'd like. You'll then be given the option of configuring your Wi-Fi connection. Pick a network and enter the appropriate password if you'd like. Next, you'll be asked to sign in using your Apple ID. You can either enter your existing Apple ID or create a new one. Once you do that, you'll see the terms and conditions for using Apple ID which you'll have to agree to in order to proceed.

At the next screen, you'll be asked if you want to set up MobileMe. You can set the slider to on if you do. You'll next be asked if you want to use the Find My iPhone feature. This allows you to locate your iPhone or iPad if it happens to go missing. After that, you'll be asked whether you want to send diagnostics to Apple. If you're concerned about your privacy, you can leave this off. Lastly, tap the Start Using iPhone to start using your device with iOS 5 installed.