Apple's big new iPhone update has finally arrived — here's how to get it

• Apple's iOS 14 software update for the iPhone is now available to download.
• The update brings new features such as improved home screen widgets, the App Library, App Clips, and more.
• Apple announced the software's release date on Tuesday, just one day before it's rollout, catching some developers by surprise.

Apple unveiled its new update for the iPhone back in June, and now software has finally arrived.

Apple made the software upgrade available on Wednesday after announcing its release during the company's product launch event on Tuesday. The company released a beta version of the software back in July for those who wanted to try it early.

To update to iOS 14, tap the "Settings" icon, press "General," and select "Software Update." This will prompt your phone to check for a software update.

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Before updating, it's best to back up your iPhone so that you can easily restore it in the unlikely scenario it crashes during the update. You can back up your iPhone through iCloud or by using a computer, and Apple provides instructions for both methods here.

The update launched in the late afternoon on Wednesday, later than Apple typically releases new software upgrades. That left some wondering when the update would debut.

—Siddhant Mahajani (@siddhantjm) September 16, 2020

—thomas mango (@Horrormovie317) September 16, 2020

—freerdr (@freerdr_3) September 16, 2020

—Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 16, 2020

Apple's iOS 14 update brings sweeping changes such as customizable widgets that can now be added to the main home screen, the App Library, which organizes apps into curated folders, and App Clips. This is feature enables iPhone owners to use part of an app — or a "clip" of an app — without installing or launching the entire program.

But the update is also full of changes that are smaller yet still useful, like an improved look for incoming calls and Siri that no longer occupies the entire screen. You'll also be able to pin your favorite conversations to the top of the Messages app after installing the update.

It's typical for Apple to release its new iOS updates in the fall, but it usually does so alongside its new iPhone models. Apple didn't announce its anticipated iPhone 12 during Tuesday's event, but it's expected to do so next month.

The announcement that the update would launch on Wednesday caught some developers by surprise, as some app makers expressed concern about the time crunch on Twitter.