The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus may not be available for another day yet, but Apple has decided to spoil us by releasing iOS 8 a day early.
This latest version of the iPhone and iPad operating system is compatible and available to download on the following devices:
- iPhone 4S
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 5S
- iPhone 5C
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPad 2
- iPad 3
- iPad 4
- iPad Air
- iPad Mini
- iPad Mini 2
- iPod Touch 5G
That said, whilst it’s available to download on all of them, our advice to any iPhone 4S owners would be to hold off on updating until it’s known exactly how it will effect your device. The update to iOS 7 essentially crippled the iPhone 4, so there’s a chance the same could happen with iOS 8 on the 4S. Owners of any older iPhones should also be aware that iOS 8 is not available for their handsets at all, and any site offering you a means to install it is a scam.
The iOS 8 update is 1.1GB in size. That’s large. Your iPhone actually needs 5.8GB of space to download it. That is extremely large. Not to worry though, once the update is installed you can fill all of that vacated space back up again.
If you’re stuck for space, our advice would be to delete some of your larger apps. Don’t worry, all of its data should be backed up to iCloud so once you reinstall it you’ll have all of your information/save progress restored. To find out what’s eating up all of your device’s storage simply head to Settings > General > Usage and you’ll see a list of all of your apps, ordered by size. You can uninstall them from there.
To install the iOS update you actually have two options, via wireless or via iTunes.
The wireless option will probably be the more popular choice amongst users. There’s only two requisites for you to do so: that you have a strong Wi-Fi connection (don’t try doing it on the Tube or over public Wi-Fi), and that you have enough battery life. If your iPhone believes there’s a chance it might power off during the update it will ask you to connect to a charger before allowing you to commence.
To begin the download head to Settings > General > Software Update. There should be a little ‘1’ in a grey bubble next to it – that’s the iOS 8 update waiting to be installed. Agree to all of the disclaimers and T’s & C’s and your iOS device will handle the rest for you.
Updating via iTunes is equally simple, and perhaps even faster depending on your computer’s internet connection.
Simply open up iTunes on your laptop/desktop (making sure it’s the one that you first activated your iOS device through) and connect the device that you wish to update.
A window will pop up detailing your device, including the version of iOS that it’s currently running on. Underneath that will be a button marked Update. Give it a click and away you go.
It’s also worth noting that you can back up your device before commencing the update by clicking Back Up Now. If you’re unsure if your data has been saved to iCloud, or you’d just prefer the safety of a physical back up, then it couldn’t hurt to opt for this.
Once the update is completed you will be told to disconnect your device from your computer and you’ll be walked through the same steps as if you had done it wirelessly.
You’re now free to enjoy your new OS! For a closer look at all of the great brought in by iOS 8, check out our article here.