Tails includes an automatic mechanism to upgrade a USB stick to a newer version. In some cases, it is impossible to do an **automatic upgrade** and you might have to do a **manual upgrade**. This page describes both techniques.

In some cases, it is impossible to do an **automatic upgrade** and you might have to do a **manual upgrade**. This page describes both techniques.

<h1 nameid="check-version">Checking which version of Tails you are currently running</h1>

<h1 id="check-version">Checking which version of Tails you are currently running</h1>

To check which version of Tails you are currently running, choose
<span class="menuchoice">
<span class="guimenu">Applications</span>&nbsp;▸
<span class="guisubmenu">Tails</span>&nbsp;▸
<span class="guimenuitem">About Tails</span></span>.

To check which version of Tails you are currently running, choose
<span class="menuchoice">
<span class="guimenu">Applications</span>&nbsp;▸
<span class="guisubmenu">Tails</span>&nbsp;▸
<span class="guimenuitem">About Tails</span></span>.

<h1 nameid="automatic">Automatic upgrade using <i>Tails Upgrader</i></h1>

<h1 id="automatic">Automatic upgrade using <i>Tails Upgrader</i></h1>

The advantages of this techniqueautomatic upgrades are the following:

The advantages of automatic upgrades are the following:

- The upgrade is much smaller to download than a full USB image.

- The upgrade is much smaller to download than a full USB image.

- A Tails USB stick.

- A Tails USB stick

- An Internet connection.

- An Internet connection

<h1 nameid="manual">Manual upgrade using <i>Tails InstallCloner</i></h1>

<h1 id="manual">Manual upgrade using <i>Tails Cloner</i></h1>

- No automatic upgrade is available from our website for this version.

- No automatic upgrade is available from our website for this version.

The automatic upgrade is impossible for technical reasons (not enough memory, not enough free space on the USB stick, etc.).and so on). For example, if you get the following error message:

The automatic upgrade is impossible for technical reasons (not enough memory, not enough free space on the USB stick, and so on). For example, if you get the following error message:

- The automatic upgrade failed and you need to repair a Tails USB stick.

- The automatic upgrade failed and you need to repair a Tails USB stick.

After connecting to Tor, a dialog informs you if you have to
upgrade your USB stick using <span class="application">Tails InstallCloner</span>
to a newer version of Tails.

After connecting to Tor, a dialog informs you if you have to
upgrade your USB stick using <span class="application">Tails Cloner</span>
to a newer version of Tails.

<p>You can also do a manual upgrade to reduce the size of future automatic
upgrades, as described [[above|upgrade#download]].</p>

<p>You can also do a manual upgrade to reduce the size of future automatic
upgrades.</p>

<p>When doing automatic upgrades, the size of the download increases over time.
If you do a manual upgrade, the size of future automatic upgrades will become
smaller again.</p>

<p>When doing automatic upgrades, the size of the download increases over time.
If you do a manual upgrade, the size of future automatic upgrades will become
smaller again.</p>

- [[CUpgrade by cloning from another Tails|doc/upgrade/#clone-overview]]]] (below)

- [[Upgrade by cloning from another Tails|doc/upgrade/#clone]] (below)

- Your Tails USB stick

- Your Tails USB stick

1½ hour to download Tails (<small class="remove-extra-space">[[!inline pages="inc/stable_amd64_iso_size" raw="yes" sort="age"]]</small>)

½ hour to download Tails (<small class="remove-extra-space">[[!inline pages="inc/stable_amd64_iso_size" raw="yes" sort="age"]]</small>)

- ½ hour to upgrade

- ½ hour to upgrade

- Your Tails USB stick - Another up-to-date Tails (USB stick or DVD) - ¼ hour to upgrade

- Another up-to-date Tails (USB stick or DVD)