Apple has announced the availablility of IOS8 for the iPhone and iPad. As with all updates, this is a reminder for those rushing to get the latest and greatest software.
- If you get an email linking you to the update, DELETE the email. DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS. Apple will send the update notification via the Software Update section in Settings. Review this post for more information on dealing with suspicious emails – http://blog.powerbiz.net.au/security/how-to-detect-and-deal-with-malicious-email-viruses/
- Perform a backup of your iPhone or iPad. You can run this via the free iCloud account that you should have when your device was first set up. Or, install itunes (www.itunes.com), and perform a manual backup to your PC.
- Clear out as much space as you can (this update requires 5.8GB). This will enable the device to perform the upgrade properly. If you do not have enough space, remove your music, videos and photos (after backing them up). You can re-sync them again after the update. Also check Settings, General, Usage, Storage to see where all the storage space is being used.
- Restart your device. Press and hold the power button, then swipe to turn off. Wait until it is turned off completely, then turn it back on.
- Plug it into the power charger. There is nothing more catastrophic than having your device run out of power just as it begins to flash the update into the memory. See the next point.
- Be patient. The download is over 1GB in size, so it will take a while to download, unpack, and install. I have seen an update take over 2 hours to install.
