Time to back up all your files, Apple users. The iOS8 is here!
Prior to the release of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple’s latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS8 has been available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch for download. As usual, the new operating system was released at 1pm ET, the “traditional time of its mobile operating system upgrade launches”.
To download the new operating system, Apple users must clear out 5.7GB of the space to install iOS8 on an iPhone. But of course, it’d be better to back up all your data and settings in your iOS devices through iTunes or iCloud. Rest assured though, Apple has confirmed that their iCloud service is safe as long the users keep their passwords and security question answers secret.
Although the changes are subtle, the overall functionality of the Apple devices depend largely on the new operating system. Some of the major changes include the improved notifications that let users to instantly reply by text or email from within the notification banner.
Previously, only Apple-made widgets were allowed in Notifications but the new operating system allows third-party widgets to be installed in Notifications as well.
The new Family-Sharing feature will make sharing easier as it allows up to 6 people with iTunes accounts to share apps, iBooks, music, movies, using the same credit card. Similar to the Find My Phone app, the notable feature in Family Sharing is its Find My Friends that allows users to track their kids’ whereabouts.
Other than that, the messages are more manageable now as they are available on all your Apple devices, which means users can send text or audio messages and initiate phone books through the Mac. Spotlight search function allows us to search better and faster while Quicktype function is a smart keyboard that offers word suggestions when a message is typed.
Speaking of better search functions, the photo app has also been redesigned with a new iCloud library that allow users to upload their photos and videos to iCloud so that they can be downloaded to any device. The storage capacity has been increased while the price of the packages has been lowered. The editing tool now allows third-party filters to be installed and it has new controls for exposure, lighting adjustment, focus, and colour.
First announced in June at its World World Wide developer’s conference (WWDC), HealthKit is a back-end framework that helps to sync third-party fitness apps with Apple’s new health tracking app, Health. It allows users to update their health info including weight, sleeping hours, and calorie intake in their devices. However, some users might have problem with the new HealthKit as it has been pulled back after last minute delays. Thus, the Health app is now largely unstable until they fully launch the HealthKit.
Time for you to upgrade your iOS version, peeps! Go, go, go.
