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iOS 8 features

iOS 8 has been released past Apple. While the upgrade went smoothly for many people, no major update is ever completely flawless — and iOS viii is no exception. In this instance, many users with a 16GB iPhone or iPad are having bug installing iOS eight because they don't accept enough free infinite — it can require up to v.7GB! For others, the download of iOS 8 is just going very slowly.

If you're running into the free infinite outcome while trying to download iOS 8, or you're looking for an alternative, faster route of downloading iOS 8, read on!

iOS 8 logo

Backup and making enough complimentary space

The update to iOS viii is available for most iDevices released in the terminal three years, including the iPhone 4S and later, the iPad two and later, and all permutations of the iPad Mini.

Before you update any iPhone or iPad, y'all should update your version of iTunes to the latest version and and then support your device. For Mac users, open iTunes, then click iTunes > Bank check for Updates. Windows users, open iTunes, so click Help > Check for Updates. To back upwards your iPhone or iPad, click File > Devices > Back Up.

If you want to perform an over-the-air update directly to your iPhone or iPad, you volition need up to 5.7GB of gratuitous space on your device to install iOS 8. Needless to say, if y'all have a 16GB iPhone or iPad, y'all may not have enough complimentary space. Y'all tin either attempt to clear some free infinite past deleting photos and apps — or, alternatively, just plug the device into your Mac or PC and perform the update through iTunes. Upgrading to iOS 8 through iTunes removes the 5.7GB free space requirement.

How to officially update to iOS eight

The official update procedure is very simple. If you wish, y'all tin update to iOS 8 direct from your iPhone or iPad by visiting Settings > General > Software Update. Alternatively, plug your iPhone or iPad into your computer, open up iTunes, navigate to the Summary tab for your device, and so click Update. It will either tell you that no updates are bachelor (in which case, try again subsequently), or the download volition begin.

The download might be quite irksome initially as Apple'south servers get hammered. (This can be a good reason to download an unofficial version using the links below, rather than wait for the real affair, which may take hours to download.)

One time you have iOS viii installed, skip ahead to the end of the story to discover more about your new operating arrangement.

iPhone 5, iTunes, update to iOS 8

Download iOS 8 unofficially

An alternative route, if you're struggling with the official iOS 8 download, is to download the appropriate Gold Master (GM) of iOS eight for your device. These files are legitimate versions of iOS viii that were released over the last few weeks to developers and beta testers — and were then redistributed unofficially to the public.

  • iPhone 4S (Models A1431 & A1387)
  • iPhone 5 (GSM, Model A1428)
  • iPhone 5 (CDMA, Model A1429)
  • iPhone 5S (GSM)
  • iPhone 5S (CDMA)
  • iPhone 5C (GSM)
  • iPhone 5C (CDMA)
  • iPad two (WiFi)
  • iPad 2 (Rev. A)
  • iPad ii (WiFi + GSM, Model A1396) – no download bachelor currently
  • iPad two (WiFi + CDMA, Model A1397)
  • iPad iii (WiFi, Model A1416)
  • iPad iii (WiFi + GSM, Model A1430)
  • iPad iii (WiFi + CDMA, Model A1403)
  • iPad 4 (WiFi, Model A1458)
  • iPad iv (WiFi + GSM, Model A1459)
  • iPad iv (WiFi + CDMA, Model A1460)
  • iPad Mini (WiFi, Model A1432)
  • iPad Mini (WiFi + GSM, Model A1454)
  • iPad Mini (WiFi + CDMA, Model A1455)
  • iPad Air (Wi-Fi, Model A1474)
  • iPad Air (Wi-Fi + GSM)
  • iPad Air (Wi-Fi + CDMA)
  • iPad Mini with Retina (Wi-Fi, Model A1489)
  • iPad Mini with Retina (Wi-Fi + GSM)
  • iPad Mini with Retina (Wi-Fi + CDMA)
  • iPod Touch on (Fifth-generation)

If the link for your device doesn't work, Lifehacker is doing a expert job of locating new links that withal work. Conduct in mind that these links aren't official, and I haven't personally tested all of them. They should be completely fine, only if you're at all concerned only apply the official iOS eight upgrade process. Once you have your iOS 8 GM, follow these steps:

  • Extract the downloaded file and make sure you take a file that ends in .ispw — something like:iPad2,1_7.0.4_11B554a_Restore.ipsw. Windows users might need to utilize a utility like 7zip to excerpt the file.
  • Open up up iTunes and connect your iPhone or iPad. Become to the Summary tab.
  • Hold down the Option key (OS Ten) or Shift (Windows) and click the Restore button. Locate the .ipsw file that y'all extracted.
  • Sit back and pray that the update completes.

Deport in mind that if the upgrade process fails, you lot may have to enter DFU mode and restore your device from a backup. Nearly mod iDevices (iPhone five, 5S, 5C, the iPad Air, iPad Mini) should have no bug at all, though.

iPhone: iOS 8

iPhone: iOS 8

Savour iOS eight

If everything goes to plan, you lot should now be looking at iOS 8 on your iPhone or iPad! Hooray! For the near part, iOS 8 looks a lot like iOS vii — but at that place are plenty of tweaks and new features that you'll observe afterward a fiddling poking around. To get you started, read our featured story about some of the meliorate new features, and some of the hidden gems in iOS 8. Afterwards that, it's a good idea to check out how iOS 8 compares to Google's upcoming Android L.