What is iOS 8? iOS 8 is the Operating System software for your iPad and/or iPhone. This is a major software update that everyone should do. It’s possible that older devices may not support this new update, but I would expect most devices out there to be able to handle it. A few things to know before you initiate the update;
1. Make sure your device is plugged in and charging before you begin. Running out of juice mid update could potentially mean erasing the device to remedy any problems. You will also need to be connected to a wifi network, the update will not complete using cellular data service.
2. Major updates like this one will add in some new features which will be nice, but in these updates Apple often may change the way things look and potentially move buttons around. So don’t panic, this just means being diligent to scan the entire device screen if by chance you can’t find the button you’re looking for in the place where it was before. It won’t look completely different, but a little different should be expected.
3. Your device screen will go black on it’s own and that’s OK, it will power back on when the update has completed. Please do NOT turn off your device while it’s conducting the update, which could also prove seriously problematic. It may take a while to do the update, hard to say how long, depends on the speed of your wifi connection, maybe 30 min, maybe several hours. During this time the device will be unusable and will not receive any calls or texts, but any coming in during that time will be there waiting for you when the device completes the install and reboots. If the device screen has been black for a while, tap the Home button once to see if it wakes up for you. The Home button is the only button on the front screen surface of your device.
4. I usually wait a few days/weeks after the initial release date (which was Sep 17, 2014) to update my mobile devices, in order to hear what the public reaction is and to see what bugs people are experiencing. A good place to read about these issues is; macrumors.com. After a major update like this one to version 8.0, there is usually another update that comes out fairly quickly to address any initial bugs. So after you do this major update, check back again in a few days/weeks (using the same steps below) to see if there are any more smaller updates to do.
So how do I do this update?
1. Find and tap the Settings app on your iPad and/or iPhone. This app looks like silver gears.
2. Tap ‘General’ in the list. (In the left sidebar if on iPad)
3. Tap ‘Software Update’ in the list (Located top right on iPad)
4. Tap ‘Download and Install’
5. That’s it! If by chance you don’t get a ‘Download and Install’ button but instead you get a ‘Usage Settings’ button, then it means you have too much stuff on your device to do the update. Delete some unused apps, undesired photos or other media (excluding email) to free up some space and then try again.
6. When your device has completed the update, it may ask you a few questions. If it asks you about something called Location Services, choose the option to Enable Location Services. Without Location Services enabled, features like Mapping and tracking a lost or stolen device become more difficult and/or impossible. You may also be asked to log into iCloud. Log into iCloud using your Apple ID and password, the same information you use to download apps/games. Finally, you may also be asked to create a passcode to lock your device. Create one if you like, but I find most people don’t want or need one. There should be a small button on this screen that says Skip, or, Don’t Add Passcode, so tap that button to bypass creating a passcode.
Good luck!