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3 Awful Things That Might Happen If You Don't Update Your Phone

Those pop-ups are there for a reason, people

Apple’s newest iOS update is rumored to be coming out any day now. But what happens if you ignore those upgrade alerts? Aside from the annoying reminder message constantly pinging you and driving you crazy, there are some pretty good reasons to accept the prompts. (Just remember to back everything up first!) Here's what might happen if you do nothing...

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Your Phone Might Get Hacked

With each new iOS upgrade comes a slew of new security improvements called “patches” that will help protect your iPhone from digital bad guys like hackers and malware and memory corruption flaws. If you don’t upgrade, you won’t have the latest version, which means your phone is totally susceptible. Yikes.

Your Apps Might Act Buggy

Instagram, Snapchat, even your calendar and email will start to under-perform and crash if you don’t have the latest iOS installed. Here’s why: When a new operating system comes out, mobile apps have to instantly adapt to new technical standards. If you don’t upgrade, eventually, your phone won’t be able to accommodate the new versions--which means you’ll be the dummy who can’t access the cool new emojis everyone else is using.

Your Phone Will Eventually Slow Wayyy Down

The lag time from an old iOS may be minor, but it’s there. As long as you have a new(ish) phone, updating your operating system is the best way to ensure it’s working efficiently and at top speed.


rachel bowie christine han photography 100

Senior Director, Special Projects and Royals

  • Writes and produces family, fashion, wellness, relationships, money and royals content
  • Podcast co-host and published author with a book about the British Royal Family
  • Studied sociology at Wheaton College and received a masters degree in journalism from Emerson College