iOS 8

The best new features of iOS 8

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 25, 2023

Admittedly, the myriad of new and useful capabilities that Apple's just-released iOS 8 brings to your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad are going to prove hugely popular with mainstream users, to say the least. With iOS 8, Apple is appeasing harsh critics who'd frequently point out that Android is capable of things iOS cannot do, and then some more.

iOS 8 opens up Apple's mobile operating system to third-party development to a much greater extent than ever before. And stemming from relaxed policies, iOS 8 boosts on-the-go productivity with deeper inter-app sharing while implementing some of the features our Android friends have grown accustomed to, but in a typical hassle-free Apple fashion, things like third-party keyboards, custom actions, photo editing extensions within the context of Photos and Camera apps and way more.

And though evolutionary rather than revolutionary, we have no doubt in our minds that iOS 8 is going to significantly improve the functionality of Apple's mobile platform, and perhaps even give some folks less reasons to jailbreak.

To celebrate today's release of the free iOS 8 software update, we proudly present you this detailed overview of more than two dozen iOS 8 features we think you're going to fall in love with at first sight.

PanguTeam confirms it’s working on iOS 8 jailbreak

Cody Lee ∙ September 17, 2014

Good news for those of you missing out on today's iOS 8 festivities in order to save your jailbreak, the PanguTeam says it's on the case. As part of a PSA yesterday to remind users to jailbreak while still possible, the team confirmed it has already begun work on hacking the new firmware.

Now before you go getting your hopes up, note that just because an iOS 8 jailbreak is being worked on, does not mean we will see one anytime soon. This is, however, more intel than we had a few days ago, and it may be pertinent to those deciding on whether or not to update to iOS 8.

iOS 8 apps with Notification Center widgets

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Now that iOS 8 is here, developers are releasing updates to their apps and launching new apps altogether that take advantage of iOS 8's many new functionalities. Many popular apps are being updated to support Notification Center widgets in the Today view for displaying information and performing actions without having to open the app. We've compiled an extensive list of apps that support iOS 8's new Notification Center APIs and are available to download and install on iOS 8. We're working to populate the index continuously as more updates are released, so check back frequently. If you know of an app that currently has iOS 8 Notification Center widget support but isn't listed below, send us an email at tips@idownloadblog.com or comment below with a link to the app!

iOS 8 apps with Touch ID support

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

Users around the world have downloaded iOS 8 today, and developers around the world are releasing quality updates to their apps, enabling support for one or more the many APIs introduced in iOS 8. Many well-loved, seasoned apps now allow you to use Touch ID to easily and conveniently sign in with your password or account.

We've been busy gathering a collection of apps that have introduced support for the new Touch ID API alongside the launch of iOS 8. The list will be updating as we're aware of new release, so if you run across an app that supports Touch ID logins that isn't documented below, let us know via email at tips@idownloadblog.com or by leaving a comment below with a link to the app!

List of iOS 8 third-party keyboards

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

With the launch of iOS 8 finally arriving, developers are updating their apps and introducing new ones that take advantage of the many new features. Several keyboards that have been around for a while, as well as some new ones, can now replace your default iOS keyboard forever.

Below is a comprehensive list of the keyboard apps that are available for users to download and install on iOS 8 right now. We'll be updating the index as more releases come to our attention, so be sure to check back soon. If you are aware of an app that we haven't featured below, email us at tips@idownloadblog.com or leave a comment below with a link to the app!

Poll: did you upgrade to iOS 8?

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 17, 2014

iOS 8 released today and with it came not only plenty new features, but also the usual assortment of teething issues which — as is the norm in the software industry — happen to plague other vendors' software, too.

For example, a last-minute bug discovered in the HealthKit framework has prompted Apple to pull all HealthKit apps from the App Store this morning until the issue is fixed via a software update due by the end of this month.

Aside from this inconvenience, iOS 8 has also been found to slow down older devices such as the three-year-old iPhone 4s.

I'm sure readers will discover their favorite issues with iOS 8 just by scanning their RSS feed and keeping a close eye on conversations on Twitter, Facebook and other social media channels.

But here's the thing: it's all part of the Apple folklore. Early adopters certainly don't mind being part of it, even if it means coping with unforeseen issues, unexpected crashes, broken apps and other problems.

The question is, are you an iOS 8 holdout or an early adopter?.

Apple releases iOS 8, now available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

Sébastien Page ∙ September 17, 2014

Apple has released iOS 8, the latest version of its mobile operating system, to the public on Wednesday after months of testing by developers.

iOS 8 has been months in the making and was unveiled for the first time in June, at Apple's annual developers conference. Building on the foundations of iOS 7, iOS 8 can be qualified as a more opened version of the operating system, as developers are now able to tap deeper into the software and offer more powerful features to iOS users.

Read this before upgrading your iPhone 4s to iOS 8

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 17, 2014

Think twice before updating your rusty old iPhone 4s to the just-released iOS 8 because Apple's feature-packed upgrade makes its handset run most tasks about two times (or more) slower.

iOS 8 will slow down common tasks on the handset, including approximately two times slower launching of stock apps, almost three seconds longer booting and more, ArsTechnica reported Wednesday.

In addition to the performance hit, the three-year-old handset is incompatible with certain hardware-dependent iOS 8 features such as Handoff, AirDrop, the OpenGL ES 3.0 and Metal graphics run-time and more.

Readdle updates entire line of apps for iOS 8

Lory Gil ∙ September 17, 2014

If you have already downloaded Apple’s latest update to its mobile operating system, you’ll be happy to know that Readdle has been working hard to add extensions, widgets, iCloud Drive compatibility, and much more to its apps.

Scanner Pro, PDF Expert 5, Documents 5, Calendars 5, Printer Pro, and PDF Converter have all been updated with new features that compliment the productivity additions in iOS 8. Check out what each app can do for you now.

Download iOS 8

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated December 3, 2014

After several months of beta testing, Apple has released iOS 8 to the public on September 17, 2014. This update, available over-the-air or via iTunes is a massive upgrade for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users.

If you're looking to download a specific version of iOS 8, we've got you covered as we list all versions available for all devices below...

Facebook updates Paper for iPhone with iOS 8 compatibility, adds HD video uploading

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2018

The social networking behemoth Facebook has just updated its popular Paper app for the iPhone with iOS 8 compatibility following the release of Apple's mobile operating system this morning.

Facebook Paper version 1.2.2, a maintenance update, also enables high-definition video uploading. Previously, you could only upload photos in high-definition so this is going to be a nice upgrade for users who tend to post lots of video clips to the social network on the go.