How to update to Pop_OS 21.10 – Easy Steps

Pop_OS 21.10 is here! It comes with great new features like a new application launcher, Gnome Shell version 40 and many other things. In this guide, we will see how to update your system to the new Pop_OS 21.10.

Before we start

This guide assumes you are using Pop_OS 21.04. If you are still using the long-term version of Pop_OS (20.04), you will have to upgrade to 21.04. The update should be possible through the “Operating system update and recovery” area.

For more information on upgrading from 20.04 to 21.04, please follow our detailed guide on the upgrade process.

Create a backup

Before trying to update to the latest version of Pop_OS 21.10, it would be good to create a system backup. Of course, there is no need to create a backup as the Pop_OS update process is very safe and efficient. However, it is still a good idea.

There are many ways to create backups in Pop_OS. However, the best way to do this is through Deja Dup. Here’s how you can create a backup with it.

First, install Deja Dup on your computer by opening a terminal window. You can also search for “Deja Dup Backups” in the Pop Store. Once the terminal window is open, install the latest version of Deja Dup.

sudo apt install deja-dup

After installing the software on your computer, open it on your computer. With it open, look for the “Create my first backup” button. Then go to Deja Dup and create the system backup of your Pop_OS computer.

Note: Need help backing up your Pop_OS system with Deja Dup? We can help! Follow our detailed guide on how to create a backup with the Deja Dup program.

When the backup is complete, take your backup and put it in a safe place (a flash drive, an external hard drive, your cloud account, or a home server / file share).

Downloading the update

To download the latest Pop_OS update to your computer, you will need to open the “Settings” area. To open the “Settings” window on your Pop_OS computer, press the Victoria key on keyboard.

Once you press the Victoria You will see the Gnome Shell search box. In this box, type “Settings”. Gnome Shell will show you the search results when you type the keyword “Settings”.

Search the search results for “Settings” and click on it with the mouse. When you have selected “Settings”, the Pop_OS settings window will open. From here, scroll down and locate the “Operating System Update and Recovery” option and click on it with your mouse.

Within the “Operating System Update and Recovery” area, you should see a notification that “Pop! _OS 21.10 is available ». Look for the green “Download” button and click on it with your mouse.

When you select the green “Download” button, your Pop_OS system will start downloading the operating system updates. These downloads will take a while to complete, so be patient.

Upgrade to Pop_OS 21.10

The update to Pop_OS 21.10 is done entirely within the user interface. To get started, go back to the “Operating System Update and Recovery” section in the “Settings” window. Once you have reached this section, look for the green “Refresh” button and click on it with your mouse.

Upon selecting the “Update” button, a pop-up window will appear. In this window, you will see the release notes for Pop_OS 21.10. These notes include information about new features, bug fixes, and changes. Feel free to read the notes for changes to the operating system.

When you have read the update notes, find the “Restart and update” button and click it with your mouse. Selecting this button will restart Pop_OS in an update process.

With Pop_OS restarted, the update will begin. Sit back and let the Pop_OS update tool install the downloaded updates on your system. This process will take a long time, especially if you have a slow hard drive on your computer.

You will need to restart Pop_OS a second time when the update process is complete. Fortunately, Pop_OS will reboot automatically. After you’ve finished rebooting a second time, log into your system with your username and password.

After logging in, it will use Pop_OS 21.10. Enjoy!

Get a fresh copy of Pop_OS 21.10

While updating is a good idea, it is not for everyone. If you’d rather get a fresh copy of Pop_OS 21.10 to install on your computer, here’s how to do it. First, head over to the official Pop_OS download page.

Once you have reached the official download page, find the “Download” button and click on it with your mouse. From there, select your version of 21.10 to download to your computer.