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Apple Releases iOS 8.0.2, Gets It Right This Time

After a botched iOS 8.0.1 update that disabled cellular connectivity and Touch ID for tens of thousands of iPhone users (see “Apple Releases 8.0.1, but Don’t Update Yet!,” 24 September 2014), Apple seems to have gotten it right with iOS 8.0.2, a 73.1 MB download you can obtain in Settings > General > Software Update. We’re seeing no reports of problems from those who have installed iOS 8.0.2.

Though Apple pulled the iOS 8.0.1 update quickly, some unfortunate users got stuck with the update package on their devices, which may confuse the upgrade path. You can delete the bum update in Settings > General > Usage > Manage Storage > iOS 8.0.1 (it will likely be either 1.1 GB and thus near the top of the list, or 73.1 MB, and much further down). iOS 8.0.2 should download automatically after that.

In addition to fixing the aforementioned cellular and Touch ID issues introduced by iOS 8.0.1, iOS 8.0.2 brings back HealthKit, which was pulled just prior to iOS 8’s release due to a bug. Developers can now release apps that take advantage of HealthKit to integrate with the built-in Health app, introduced in iOS 8.

Another frequent annoyance fixed in iOS 8.0.2 is an issue that caused third-party keyboards to be deselected when entering a password. We aren’t yet sure if this fixes the frequently reported “disappearing keyboard” issue, but we can hope.

iOS 8.0.2 also reportedly makes the new Reachability feature in the iPhone 6 more reliable. Reachability is a workaround for the larger screened iPhones, enabling you to move the top of the screen down by double-touching (not pressing) the Home button. In iOS 8.0, it was often difficult to trigger. In my testing of iOS 8.0.2, it doesn’t seem to be any more or less reliable.

Other issues fixed in iOS 8.0.2 include bugs that prevented some apps from accessing Photo Library photos, that could have caused unexpected cellular data usage when receiving text messages, that prevented ringtones from being restored from iCloud backups, and that prevented photo and video uploads in Safari. Plus, iOS 8.0.2 promises to improve support for the Ask to Buy feature of Family Sharing for in-app purchases.

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