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8 Things to Do Before the iOS 8.1 Release Date

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The iOS 8.1 release date is confirmed for October 20th just ahead of the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 release date. With the iOS 8.1 release at hand, we want to take a look at some of the things iPhone and iPad owners should do before installing Apple’s brand new iOS 8 update, and its new features.

At its launch event today, Apple confirmed a number of new products for arrival including a new iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, OS X Yosemite release date, Retina iMac, and the iOS 8.1 update for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. iOS 8.1 was originally confirmed in late September thanks to the iOS 8.1 beta but Apple was not ready to get into the public iOS 8.1 release date.

iPhone-6-pair

Today, the iOS 8.1 release date for iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPhone 4s, iPad Air, iPad mini with Retina Display, iPad 4, iPad 3, iPad 2, iPad mini, and iPod touch fifth-gen users was confirmed for October 20th, or, this coming Monday. The update arrives just a few days ahead of Apple’s brand new iPads, both of which arrive next week.

On Monday, those that haven’t used the iOS 8.1 beta or the iOS 8 update itself will find themselves staring into the face of a brand new iOS update that delivers new features and a ton of improvements that are set to help alleviate iOS 8 problems and iOS 8.0.2 problems. iOS 8.1 isn’t as big as iOS 8.0 but it’s an important update nonetheless.

While Apple hasn’t filled us in on the exact iOS 8 release time, we should see the company produce the update in and around 10AM PST. With a release date in sight, now is the perfect time to make your final preparations for the iOS 8.1 release. Here, we want to tell you about some things most of you should do ahead of the iOS 8.1 release on Monday. These will help to ensure a smooth iOS 8.1 installation process and transition from iOS 8.0 or below.

iOS 8 Review

If you haven’t installed iOS 8 yet, and that’s probably the case for many of you, now is a perfect time to get acquainted with Apple’s new iOS update. That not only means looking into the features and changes coming with iOS 8.0 but also the features and changes coming with iOS 8.1. Do not blindly install the iOS 8.1 update on your iPhone or iPad. Know what you’re getting into first.

Every single year we see complaints people moaning about all of the changes these updates deliver, even the smaller ones like iOS 8.1. The frustrating part is that Apple isn’t holding a gun to anyone’s head, forcing an installation. All of you iPhone and iPad users have a choice. iOS 7 users can stay on iOS 7. iOS 8.0.2 users can stay on iOS 8.0.2 and so on.

There are a few ways to get caught up. You can watch that walk through in the video above. You can have a look at our detailed iOS 8 vs. iOS 7 comparison. And you can head on over to Apple’s website to hear about the changes and features from the horse’s mouth. Educate yourself, get acclimated to the changes, and then install iOS 8.1. Just remember, no one is forcing you to install it right at 10AM PST.

Clean Up Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

If you didn’t do this before you installed iOS 8, now is the perfect time to clean up your iPhone or iPad.

Over the past few months, or even in the past few weeks, you’ve likely downloaded applications or music or other files that you simply don’t use any more. Now is a great time to get rid of those applications and files that aren’t used any more. It will get rid of any clutter and also free up some valuable storage space.

iPad Air 2 RumorsiPad Air

16GB iPhone and iPad owners in particular will want to think about doing this because iOS updates require a ton of free space when pulled Over-the-Air. This was a huge problem on the iOS 8 release date and we expect uninformed iPhone and iPad users to cause a ruckus on Monday when the iOS 8.1 update requires a substantial amount of free space.

We recommend keeping iOS clean and tidy year round but some general clean up right before a major iOS update like Apple’s new iOS 8.1 update is always a good idea.

Have Your Apple ID & Passcode Ready

Now is also a good time to track down your Apple ID. Those that already own an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch already have an Apple ID. When signing into iOS 8 for the first time, you will need to have the ID information handy, including your user name and password. An Apple ID is necessary when linking up iTunes to a device. It’s also required to install Over-The-Air.

If you haven’t installed iOS 8 yet, when you go to install iOS 8.1 on Monday, the software will prompt you to input your Apple ID and passcode. Many of you have probably forgotten your passcode, especially if you have auto-updates on, so be sure that you have this information handy before heading into the iOS 8.1 installation process.

Make Sure Your Device is Charged

It’s really all about the little things when it comes to installing iOS updates and one of the tiniest but most important details has to do with the amount of juice you have on board your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Speck CandyShell iPhone 6 Review - 3-X3

You’ll need to have a minimum of 50% when installing the software if its not plugged into a power source. Those of you who won’t have a power source readily available on Monday will need to make sure that the device is charged and ready before installing iOS 8.1. Those of you that do have access to a power outlet only need to plug the device in and Apple will take care of the rest.

Update Your Apps

Applications continue to be problematic inside iOS 8 and iOS 8.0.2. We ourselves have experienced crashes, freezes and other issues with third-party applications in the past month. However, we’ve been able to alleviate some of these issues just by updating our apps with the latest bug fix updates. Ahead of the iOS 8.1, you would be wise to update all of your apps to the latest version, especially if the version comes with iOS 8 support.

iPhone 6 privacy

App developers have gotten much better about keeping their apps stable during the transition from major iOS update to major iOS update but you should still be cautious. Keep those apps updated and your app experience inside iOS 8.1 on Monday should go fairly smoothly.

Get the Latest Version of iTunes

If you’re planning to download iOS 8.1, you are going to want to download the latest version of iTunes ahead of the iOS 8.1 release date on Monday.

There are two ways to get the latest version of iTunes. The first is to get it through Apple’s website. There, you will need to download the proper version (Windows, OS X, etc) and install it on your desktop or laptop.

The second way is to manually check for an update. Go to iTunes – Check for Updates… or head to the Mac App Store if you’re using a Mac. For Windows users, head to Help – Check for Updates within iTunes. Those that don’t have the latest version should be prompted to download the latest when opening iTunes.

Backup Your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

iOS 8.1 has been in a beta for several weeks now which means that it should be fairly stable when it arrives. Apple also says that it will be coming with unnamed improvements to fix iOS 8 problems. However, there is always a chance that something could go horribly wrong after installing the software. We’ve seen it with just about every single iOS update. While you may not be able to prevent every issue, there are ways to help minimize the damage if something does go wrong.

Before installing iOS 8.1, users will want to backup all of their files so that if anything goes wrong, the data can be retrieved with ease. This is particularly crucial considering iOS 8.1 is going to much larger than your typical incremental iOS update.

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To do this, you will want to go into iTunes and make a backup. The backup process begins after you plug your device into a computer. If it doesn’t happen automatically, you can force a backup to occur.

Simply go into iTunes, right click on your device, and select Back Up. It’s going to take some time for the process to complete, particularly for those that have a ton of content on their device, but it’s worth doing ahead of the iOS 8.1 release date because it could save you from a ton of headaches later on.

Talk with IT

If you’re using your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch for work and you happen to have an IT department, you should go and chat with them before installing iOS 8.1 on Monday.

In the past, we’ve heard from tons of enterprise users that run into problems with their enterprise software, with Exchange, and with other features after installing iOS updates. It literally happens every year after every single update. There’s no cure all solution but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be smart about it.

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There’s is a chance that they might have a recommendation ahead of the iOS 8.1 release. Often times, that advice is to avoid the update until they’re able to confirm that it’s working with third-party software.

It’s very possible that your IT department is using the iOS 8.1 beta to test apps and services that users need. This probably won’t be the case everywhere but it’s certainly worth it to check in before Monday’s release arrives.

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. T

    10/16/2014 at 8:34 pm

    Do you mean 20th October?

  2. Chris5

    10/16/2014 at 10:05 pm

    sept 20th? think you mean Oct

  3. John Dalton

    10/17/2014 at 6:24 am

    Can you tell me, will 8.1 solve te problems that I have encountered by downloading 8.0.2? I.e. I now cannot print over my home network from my ipad or iphone which have 8.0.2 although my wife who is still using 7 can print. Also bluetooth is not working and the ipad loses connectivity regularly. Hopefully 8.1 will restore my phone and ipad to some sort of normality?

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