The updated OS launched on September 17 and headlined with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus when they launched on September 19. Here’s everything we know about iOS 8 so far.
Related: How to download and install iOS 8
Updated on 09-24-2014 by Malarie Gokey: Apple released the iOS 8.0.1 update, which includes multiple bug fixes for HealthKit, third-party keyboards, and more.
First iOS 8 update
Apple issued its first iOS 8 update on September 24. The update includes a number of fixes including ones for HealthKit, third-party keyboards and more. Unfortunately, many users also reported severe glitches with Touch ID and cell service after installing iOS 8.0.1. Apple then pulled the update and said it’s looking into the reports.
Release schedule and compatible devices
Apple released the beta version of iOS 8 on June 2 and the version that can be installed on iPhones, iPods, and iPads arrived on September 17. The new software is compatible with the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5, 5C, and 5S, all iPad tablets from the iPad 2 onward, and the fifth generation iPod Touch.
Related: Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are big phablets with lots of cool features
Mobile Payments will need iPhone 6 or Apple Watch
Apple has announced Apple Pay as part of its new iPhone 6 and Apple Watch, integrated with iOS 8. Apple Pay will allow users to make payments with just a tap from their iPhone 6, 6 Plus, or Apple Watch, as opposed to breaking out the plastic. Unfortunately you will need one of these new devices in order to make the payment, as the transaction is done over NFC and will also requires a physical secure element in the device in order to store the secure credit card information. Apple says that this feature will be available as part of a Passbook update in October 2014, about a month after iOS 8 launches.
HealthKit
Previously rumored to be called HealthBook, we learned more about the new all-in-one health app during Apple’s big iPhone 6 reveal. It’s a single app which provides a composite view of all your health data, much of which will be supplied by third-party applications and devices. For example, Nike’s working to integrate HealthKit into its apps and the FuelBand, and the MayoClinic will create a Wellness Plan which can be monitored by doctors, who can provide timely care. Other medical institutions are working on supporting HealthKit, with Apple specifically mentioning Mount Sinai, Sutter Health, Penn Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals, and UCLA Health. HealthKit will also offer easy monitoring and easy-to-read charts based on information provided from your new iPhone 6 or Apple Watch, including heart rate information, the number of stairs you climb and more.
In August, several reports hinted that Apple is in talks with several more hospitals to add HealthKit integration. In addition to the Mount Sinai, Cleveland Clinic, and John Hopkins hospitals, Apple reportedly spoke with electronic health records companies Allscripts and Epic Systems about HealthKit. The company is also said to be tightening iOS 8 security around HealthKit, so as to keep individuals’ health history and information safe.
At launch, HealthKit had a bug that forced Apple to delay the release of third-party app compatibility with the new feature. Apple says that the issue should be resolved with the iOS 8.0.1 update, which was released on September 24.
New photo options
Timelapse is one of the most exciting new photography features that will arrive on iOS 8. The tool lets you record video and speed up a video. A new set of smart photo editing tools will be added, ready to adjust light and color in your pictures. The edits will be performed using a simple, single swipe bar to get the right effect. If you don’t like the end result, each individual setting can then be manually adjusted. iOS 8 will also likely bring along a number of other enhancements that also appear in the iPhone 6 camera app with improved selfies, faster burst photography and better HDR photography.
Family Sharing
To make it easier to share content from your iOS devices with other members of your family, Apple will introduce Family Sharing. It sets up a private family-only account, ready for showing everyone photos and other content, plus it’ll integrate Find My Friends and Find My Device. Additionally, songs, movies, books, and apps can be shared between up to six family members, provided they share the same credit card information. To stop your kids buying hundreds of apps, you’ll get a notification which you’ll need to approve before the transaction goes through.
The September 24 iOS 8.0.1 update comes with improved support for the “Ask to buy” function on in-app purchases.
Photos
All photos stored in iCloud, complete with any edits, will now be accessible on any iOS device, with a new Photos application for Mac OS X coming early next year, designed to integrate with iCloud. The app has a search bar which will look for location, time, and specific albums. Pictures can be favorited with a tap of a heart button, ready to view them in your favorites album in iCloud.
Siri
The virtual assistant will get access to Shazam’s song recognition abilities, and she go ahead and purchase media in iTunes after it has been identified. A total of 22 new dictation languages will also be added.
Notifications
Refined notification center on the iPhone, with interactive notifications. Pull down on the notification to respond in the correct app. The Notification Center now supports widgets, known here as Extensions, which have been added to the software development kit for developers to integrate into their apps. Find out more about it in the developer section below.
Control Center
In iOS 8, the Control Center got a slight redesign. The apps and setting options are now in a darker font, so you can read them more easily. Also, when you select an option such as turn on Wi-Fi, the whole circle fills in with white instead of just the edge around the icon. iTunes Radio has also been added to the Control Center.
Keyboards
The standard Apple keyboard built into iOS will get a new Quick Type feature, where predictive suggestions for the word you’re typing will appear above the letters. It’s context sensitive, and will learn how you type. Multiple languages are supported. More excitingly, iOS 8 will bring system-wide support for third-party keyboards, a popular feature familiar to Android users everywhere. To make sure the keyboards don’t become a security risk, Apple will disable network access by default, although users will be able to override the option. At least 12 major keyboards, including Fleksy, SwiftKey, Minuum, and Swype are available on iOS 8.
There have been some bugs with the third-party keyboards, one of which was reportedly resolved with the iOS 8.0.1 update.
Messages and email
The message app is the most frequently used iOS app. In iOS 8, group messaging has been enhanced with the option to add or remove participants, a Do Not Disturb option, and the chance to skip the conversation entirely.
If you’d prefer to send an audio or video message, this can be done in-line in iOS 8. Hold down the microphone button to dictate messages, and swipe up to add the audio file to your message. This also works with video files and even selfie images taken using the camera. Media files “self-destruct” to save space, unless you choose to keep them. Listening and replying to audio messages can be done simply by raising the phone to your ear.
Group messages now have a Details button, showing who is in the conversation, and if it’s shared, their location too. Location sharing can be set for an hour, a day, or all the time. It also collects all the images together underneath these options, making them easier to browse in a long message thread.
Email messages can be marked for attention using a gesture. A swipe deletes them, and a swipe down on an open message provides access to the rest of your messages.
Lastly, Apple also announced Handoff, which will allow iOS 8 users to start a e-mail or text message on their iPhone and finish it on their Mac or iPad.
Tabs
Birds-eye view of open tabs in Safari will come to the iPad.
Enterprise
Apple didn’t spend much time talking about the business side of iOS 8, but did mention the Device Enrollment Program. In iOS 8, business users will see enhanced security and password features, VIP message threads, automatic replies for Exchange, and private calendar events.
iPhone 6 Plus Ergonomics
iOS 8 will have special features for the iPhone 6 Plus in order to make it more user-friendly on the bigger screen. It appears Apple is borrowing features from the iPad and iPad Mini and bringing them over to the iPhone 6 Plus. Users will be able to view their homescreens either vertically or horizontally and Apple will also incorporate two-pane functionality for certain apps, allowing you to take advantage of the greater screen real estate.
Other new features
Near the end of the presentation, Apple flashed up a slide showing a variety of new iOS 8 features it didn’t have time to cover. These include Wi-Fi calling, an instant burst mode for the camera, a private browsing tab in Safari, panoramic photos on the iPad, separate focus and exposure controls, an “In Case of Emergency” card, and a battery usage report based on apps.
Cool new features revealed to developers
Unusually, Apple made its iOS 8 presentation a little more developer-centric this time around. Luckily, we weren’t bored with too much technical discussion, and instead the talk covered some of the most interesting new features we can expect in iOS 8.
App Store
The iTunes App Store will also be revised in time for iOS 8. An Explore option will let you browse through sub categories to help find the right app, there’s a new trending search option, related searches, and an editors choice button. Lists of apps now appear in a continuous scrolling list, making broader searches more manageable.
Developers with multiple apps will be able to bundle them together and sell them at a discounted price. This could work really well for related apps, or for game developers with sequel-heavy catalogs.
App pages will be enhanced with video previews for showcasing an app’s best features. Finally, TestFlight will be integrated into the App Store, so developers can invite beta testers to try out their new apps, all for free.
Widgets
Yes, another popular Android feature is coming to iOS 8. Using a new tool called Extensibility, developers can offer their app’s services across iOS, allowing for widgets – referred to as Extensions – to be used in the newly refreshed Notification Center.
Related: Here’s how Apple Pay mobile payments will actually work
If an app includes a widget, an option to add it appears in the notification center. Click it, and it’ll display relevant information in the drop down menu. They’re interactive too, with an eBay widget demoed to show a bid being placed directly in a Notification Center Extension, without ever visiting the app.
Extensions can also be used in the Action Center, with Bing Translation shown translating text in a Safari window, and a Pinterest Extension quickly adding an image to a board.
Related: Apple debuts Fitness and Workout apps for its Watch
BGR tested out a new app called Dataman, which has a widget that shows up in the Today panel of the iOS Notification Center. It will tell you how much data you’ve used so far during the month and it’s color-coded, so you’ll know when you’re running out of data when it goes red.
Touch ID
Apple’s fingerprint identification system now has its own API, so app developers will be able to add it to their own software so users can unlock secure apps with their fingerprint.
HomeKit
Another rumor which spread prior to iOS 8’s announcement was Apple’s play for the home automation market. Again, it didn’t make a big deal over this, revealing only a few key points. It’ll work with locks, lights, cameras, doors, thermostats, plugs, and switches. Thanks to secure pairing, the system will be safe to use, and you’ll be able to create your own custom “scenes” for simplifying a daily ritual such as ensuring all the lights are out and the door is locked before bed. Siri will be on hand to work with your HomeKit setup too.
Metal
This isn’t a feature you’ll immediately notice, but it’s all set to make a big difference to gaming on the iPhone and the iPad. It opens up access to the A7 processor’s true potential, allowing developers to bring console-quality graphics and effects to the mobile devices. Electronic Arts, Unity, and Crytek are all onboard, while Epic Games showed a demo of a game called Zen Garden, which will be available as a free download when iOS 8 is released. Expect it to be a showcase app, much like Epic Citadel.
Related: 15 best case to protect your gorgeous new iPhone 6
Mac OS X Yosemite works closely with iOS
iCloud Drive stores your app content
During the presentation on OS X Yosemite, iCloud Drive was announced. It can be used to store your own content in the cloud, and provides access to data from apps not installed on a Mac, including those on an iOS device. Content stored inside the iCould Drive can also be accessed on iOS and Windows devices.
Continuity eases transitions between all Apple devices
First, the good news is AirDrop now works between iOS and the Mac. A new feature named Hand Off means work started on any iOS or OS X device can be continued even if you swap devices. For example, a mail started on your phone can be automatically finished on your Mac. It works the other way around too, where an icon for your currently used app appears on the lock screen.
Related: Get U2’s new album for free on iTunes
Hotspots created between Macs and iOS are completed in only a few steps.
Incoming call alerts from your iPhone appear on the Mac, and the computer will even act as a speaker phone so calls can also be placed without picking up your phone. The numbers can be selected from a webpage, or through the Contacts app. Finally, text messages not sent using iMessage will now appear in Notification Center.
Article originally published on 06-02-2014
Previous updates:
Updated on 09-09-2014 by Joshua Sherman: Apple has showcased iOS 8 alongside the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and finalized information about several new features for the OS’s launch in mid-September.
SEE PAGE TWO FOR OUR IOS 8 RUMORS COVERAGE PUBLISHED PRIOR TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT
The next version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 8, is expected to be revealed in June. Unlike iOS 7, which brought a total design overhaul, many new features, and a raft of functionality changes, rumors point to iOS 8 being more of an upgraded version of the previous generation.
Related: Apple Watch will whip you into shape and make sure you look good doing it
Provided Apple doesn’t break with tradition, iOS 8 won’t be released until later this year, perhaps around September or October, along with the next generation iPhone. However, Apple usually gives us a preview of the more exciting new features at WWDC, which begins on June 2. Let’s take a look at what we’ve heard about iOS 8 so far.
(Additional reporting and editing by Andy Boxall.)
Updated on 05-13-2014 by Williams Pelegrin: iOS 8 is rumored to bring split-screen functionality to the larger-sized iPad, as well as high-resolution audio playback.
Healthbook
One of the most prominent new additions to iOS 8 is expected to be Healthbook, Apple’s first major push into the world of health and fitness. Much of what we think we know about Healthbook comes from a leaked screenshot of the app, which bears more than a passing resemblance to Passbook. The cards indicate Healthbook will track everything from your steps and sleep, to your hydration and oxygen saturation, although it’s not clear exactly how it’ll do so.
Related: 5 major keyboard apps for iOS 8
It’s speculated much of the data will come from the rumored Apple iWatch, which may act like some of the more complex fitness trackers on the market, such as the Basis B1. Apple isn’t likely to restrict Healthbook to iWatch owners, so expect the M7 co-processor inside the iPhone 5S (and whatever its equivalent may be inside the iPhone 6) to play a part as well. Otherwise, Healthbook could pull data from apps such as RunKeeper, Nike’s Move or tracker-specific apps like FuelBand, and standalone hardware such as the Withings’ scales.
In addition to fitness tracking, the Emergency Card sounds like it will store all your personal medical information, such as medications, allergies, and emergency contact details.
Maps and Transit
Ever since Apple stopped using Google’s data from its Maps app in iOS 6, it has come under fire for being pretty terrible. While the iOS 7 update fixed a lot of the issues that made iOS 6 so amazingly awful, it still lost a large portion of its user base to the superior Google Maps.
With iOS 8, Apple is determined to get it right, and according to rumors it will add transit directions and stop times within the app rather than redirecting you to other apps. There’s also discussion Apple may make use of iBeacons to map indoor spaces such as museums and hotels.
Augmented Reality
While this rumor is a bit more ethereal, it’s clear that Apple wants to include more augmented reality functionality, especially within its native applications. Rumors have pointed to this functionality being used for overlays in maps that help with directions and highlight interesting places and businesses. In addition, there are possible uses for augmented reality in taking pictures and identifying QR codes.
Multitasking
While iOS already offers multitasking, you can only do so with one app displayed on the screen, something that both Samsung and Microsoft ridiculed in their advertisements. However, Apple might have plans to step up its multitasking game by including a split-screen feature in the upcoming iOS 8. Meant specifically for the 9.7-inch iPads, the feature will reportedly let you have two apps side by side, as well as allow interactions between the two apps.
While there is no word on whether the feature will make its way to the iPad mini and iPhone lines, YouTube user Sam Beckett created a concept video that shows what the new split-screen feature could look like.
CarPlay
CarPlay is already available in many new vehicles, and as part of iOS 7.1 on your iPhone, but it requires a Lightning connector to operate. In iOS 8, CarPlay could be going wireless, just like AirPlay. Of course, you’ll need to own a flashy car with its own Wi-Fi network – such as the Audi A8 – to make use of this feature, but while they’re rare at the moment, they’ll only get more common in the future. Whether there will be any other upgrades to the CarPlay system remains to be seen, but expect at least some fixes and improved functionality of some sort before the software is available in more cars.
Notifications
iOS 7 marked a massive upgrade for notifications, and iOS 8 looks like it will also include some simple, but hopefully effective, changes to the way the new system works. Instead of a “Missed” and “All” tab in the notifications center, the rumor is that these have been combined into one panel. Additionally, there will be upgrades to the “Today” panel that will allow it to take advantage of the new app sharing API and display information from non-Apple applications.
iTunes Radio
A recent update added iTunes radio as an option within the Music app, and rumor has it that iOS 8 will separate the radio functionality into its own app with extended functionality. Apple hopes to compete with services like Pandora and Spotify by presenting iTunes Radio as a standalone application, hopefully giving users more options and allowing for more ad revenue and possibly the extension of the service to other platforms.
Siri
With Google Now showing it’s prowess at always-on voice commands, it’s not surprising that people expect some of the same functionality from Siri in iOS 8. Some sort of more easily available access to Siri, possibly via new sensors in the iPhone 6, is possible, as well as more updates that add greater access to web resources like the already-connected Wolfram engine. In addition, Siri may be able to access information and apply voice commands to third-party apps from the app store via a new API.
Game Center
The Game Center as a standalone app is largely irrelevant, as most of its services are accessed from within games that want to use it for leaderboards and multiplayer. For this reason, it’s rumored that the iOS 8 will do away with the Game Center application, instead allowing changes to be made through the global settings, and putting more functionality and access within each game. While this isn’t a major change, it does show that Apple has been focusing on improving user experience, and keeping things simple while still adding functionality.
iCloud
Rumored screenshots of the new OS also point to what could be iOS versions of TextEdit and Preview, which are note-taking and image-viewing applications, respectively, for Mac OS X. The intention is to encourage the use of iCloud as a method for storing and viewing files, but that these two applications would be read-only, allowing users to view photos and documents stored in their iCloud.
App Sharing API
One of the major complaints of app designers with all the increased functionality is that their software can’t access it. Developers with access to newer versions of the SDK have noted the presence of a new API that allows apps to much more easily access data and commands in other apps, in much the same way apps can access centralized Twitter and Facebook login information. This opens up lots of new functionality that may allow other apps to control and be controlled by Siri and widgets in the notification center.
Audio Playback
Apple looks to improve the way your music sounds, as the company is rumored to introduce high-resolution audio playback with iOS 8. Currently, playing high quality 24-bit audio files that contain a sampling frequency beyond 48 kHz in the stock Music app cannot be done, with onboard playback limited at a 16-bit rate.
To accommodate high-resolution playback on Made for iPhone audio accessories, Apple will also reportedly introduce an upgraded Lightning cable, though it’s unclear when it would launch. Finally, Apple will issue a new version of its In-Ear Headphones to allow for high-resolution audio playback. Apple hasn’t updated its premium in-ear headphones since 2008, so an update might be due.
What have you heard about iOS 8? Did we miss anything? What would you like to see out of a new operating system?
