iOS 8 Now Rolling Out to Apple Devices

[dgstorm]

The long wait is finally over. While developers have been able to play with iOS 8 for quite some time already, the rest of us mere mortals have been content to read about all of the cool features. Speaking of cool features, the video above will walk you through most of them.

Here's a quick list of some of the big highlights,

• Improved integration between Apple devices (although you need to avoid iCloud Drive for now).
• Interactive notifications
• App widgets in the Notification Center
• Messages improvements that let users manage group conversations
• Third-party access to both the keyboard and Touch ID has been enabled
• Apple QuickType predictive keyboard
• A new Health app is included with iOS 8 which combines health and fitness data from several places
• A new Family Sharing feature lets families of up to six people share apps, music, books, and more

This is just a short list, but there are quite a few more, including refinements and tweaks to existing features. Of course, if you plan on downloading the update as Apple pushes it out, it's important to note which devices are compatible with the new iOS. Here's a list of those:

• iPhone 5s
• iPhone 5c
• iPhone 5
• iPhone 4s (compatible, but not recommended due to performance issues)
• iPod touch (fifth-generation only)
• iPad Air
• iPad mini
• iPad mini with Retina display
• iPad (third-generation and fourth-generation)
• iPad 2

Your easiest method to get iOS 8 on your device is to get the Apple OTA (over the air) update. It's as easy as opening the Settings app, tapping General, and then touching Software Update. After that you just need to follow the instructions to install iOS 8.

Your other option is to connect your iOS device to a Windows or Mac computer where you can download and install the new software through iTunes. Of course, it's important to back up your device using iCloud or iTunes before installing iOS 8.

Plus, we also would be remiss if we didn't remind you about our previous story warning you not to activate iCloud Drive during the iOS 8 install.

One last note... if you try to get the update now, keep in mind it might be slow or troublesome, because a large number of users world-wide are trying to do the same thing now too. This will bog down Apple's servers. If you are patient and can wait a few days, it might go smoother then.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Victoria022]

Thank you for the info.