Downloading Apple's new iPadOS 15.4 update might be tempting, but there are some steps you need to follow before moving your iPad to the company's new software.
iPadOS 15.4 is a significant upgrade and the software is now available for download if you have a compatible iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro or iPad mini.
The software brings a long list of modifications to the iPad. It includes important new features, improvements, bug fixes and security patches.
If you move your iPad from iPadOS 15.3.1 to iPadOS 15.4, you get the shortest changelist and smallest download size. If you're upgrading from an older version of iPadOS, your iPadOS 15.4 update might be more substantial. This is because features and fixes from updates you skipped are built into the firmware.
iPadOS 15.4 is a significant upgrade and most of you will want to install the new software today or in the near future. That being said, it's hard to predict how the software will work on your iPad and that's precisely why you'll want to prepare yourself and your device for the move. A little prep work before starting the installation should help you avoid serious problems.
If you are having issues on iPadOS 15.4, note that you cannot downgrade to iPadOS 15.3 for the purpose of improving your device's performance. Unfortunately, Apple also closed the downgrade path to older versions of iPadOS, including iPadOS 14.
So if you have a good experience on iPadOS 15.3.1 or lower, you'll want to approach iPadOS 15.4 with caution. Once you've made the move, there's no going back.
With that in mind, we want to walk you through the best way to prepare for iPadOS 15.4. We recommend spending 30 minutes or more preparing for the move.