iPhone 6 Plus iOS 8.1.3 Update: 5 Reasons It’s Worth Installing Now

The iOS 8.1.3 update is a month old and after using it daily on the iPhone 6 Plus, it’s clear that many users should install this update to fix problems and prepare for the upcoming iOS 8.2 release that will build on one of the great features.

After a rough start Apple is still working to fix iOS 8 problems and the latest update is the iPhone 6 Plus iOS 8.1.3 update. Apple finally fixed several annoying problems with this update and after a month landscape issues remain a problem of the past. In short, the iOS 8.1.3 update delivered the iPhone 6 Plus experience I’ve been waiting for.

The iPhone 6 Plus landscape issue was not as bad as on the iPhone 6, and I did not experience the same WiFi connectivity issues as my colleague Adam Mills, but there were some small issues that routinely got in the way of the iPhone just working.

After using the iPhone 6 Plus iOS 8.1.3 update for a month, it is clear that this is the best software to run on the device yet. Battery life is solid, bugs are few and far between and it is certainly worth installing now.

Fixes Many Issues & Problems

The iPhone 6 Plus iOS 8.1.3 update fixed an issue were some apps would not show in Spotlight and it also fixed a major problem that prevented some users from logging in to iMessage and FaceTime.  On my iPhone 6 Plus, the iOS 8.1.3 upgrade fixed the landscape issue completely. The iPhone 6 Plus no longer gets stuck in landscape mode and it is in the correct orientation more often.

If you use Spotlight to quickly find apps, like I do for the 69 best iPhone 6 Plus apps I keep on the device, you will love this upgrade. If you have landscape problems this is a no brainer, upgrade today.

There is also a potential to fix many other problems. If you are running into issues on iOS 8, iOS 8.1 or iOS 8.1.2, you should update to see if your problems are fixed, even if they aren’t in the listed changes.

Few Problems for Most Users

There are some iOS 8.1.3 problems, but I am only experiencing one small issue. With all the use that my iPhone 6 Plus gets each day the battery life is great and the performance is spot on.

The only real problem I am running into relates to the lock screen camera. Sometimes when I try to swipe up to open the camera, the swipe goes about halfway and then slams back down. It’s not clear why this happens, so I started using Control Center to use the camera from the lock screen. The problem is sporadic and not a deal-breaker.

Personal Hotspot Stability

After installing iOS 8.1.3 on the iPhone 6 Plus the personal hotspot issue that lets my Macbook Pro running OS X Yosemite connect without fiddling with the iPhone 6 Plus settings is much more stable. This may be partially due to OS X Yosemite upgrades, but either way it is a reason to upgrade your MacBook and your iPhone 6 Plus to the latest software. As someone who works mobile much of the time, this is an amazing upgrade.

You Don’t Need to Jailbreak

There is no iOS 8.1.3 jailbreak and we will not likely see one. Apple fixed the security hole that jailbreak tools used with iOS 8.1.3. The iOS 8.2 release is rumored for March, so we may need to wait for this update to arrive before there is a new jailbreak.

If you want to jailbreak, stay on iOS 8.1.2 until there is official word about the iOS 8.2 jailbreak, but if you don’t need these iOS 8 Cydia tweaks and iOS 8 themes, go ahead and upgrade today.

You Plan to Buy an Apple Watch

If you are still on iOS 8 and you plan to buy an Apple Watch you can get a jump-start by upgrading to iOS 8.1.3 so that you can use Apple Pay. Apple added Apple Pay in iOS 8.1, so users still on iOS 8 can’t try it or set it up. If you are one of these users and you plan on buying an Apple Watch you can upgrade to iOS 8.1.3 and set up Apple Pay now. This will let you use it on the iPhone 6 Plus to learn how it works before you buy an Apple Watch that you can also use to make Apple Pay payments. The iOS 8.2 update will still offer Apple Pay, so you don’t need to upgrade now, but it is handy to know how Apple Pay works and try it out before adding a new device to the mix.