Apple to release iOS 8.0.2 in the 'next few days'
After its decision to pull iOS 8.0.1 yesterday, Apple is now advising users to roll back to version 8.0 of the operating system.
Apple is planning to take a second crack at updating the newly-released iOS 8, which it yanked yesterday after widespread reports of it affecting cell service, mostly in newer iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models, as well causing problems with its fingerprint reader, Touch ID.
The bug appeared not to have been specific to a country or particular network, affecting iPhone 6 devices running on networks in the US, the UK and Australia.
Apple has now posted an advisory on the issue, telling affected users to pretty much follow the steps in the unofficial fix for iOS 8.0.1 that ZDNet outlined on Wednesday, shortly after users reported problems with the update.
"We have a workaround for you if you have an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus and you lost cellular service and Touch ID functionality today after updating to iOS 8.0.1," Apple's advisory states.
"We are also preparing iOS 8.0.2 with a fix for the issue, and will release it as soon as it's ready in the next few days," it added.
One of the key features of iOS 8.0.1 was that it enabled HealthKit apps to be installed on new iPhones and, as Apple notes, rolling back the OS to iOS 8.0 basically kills off that HealthKit functionality.
Users will need to ensure they’re using the latest version of iTunes before connecting the iPhone to iTunes. Apple advises users to back up their iPhone in iTunes to a PC, and notes that iCloud backups can't be used to restore earlier versions of iOS.
Instead, Apple has provided separate files for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which need to be downloaded. Further instructions from Apple are available here.
Besides enabling HealthKit apps to launch from the app store, iOS 8.0.1 also fixed an issue with new third-party keyboards that it permitted to run in iOS 8, as well as issues related to photos and the new "reachability" feature for the larger iPhones.