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35 annoying problems with iOS 8 (and iPhone 6) and how to fix them

ios 8 problems version 1431429669 iphone 6 plus
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It may not be the kind of striking transformation ushered in by last year’s iOS 7, but the newest flavor of Apple’s mobile platform has plenty going on. There are new features, new apps, and a lot of little tweaks, including the ability to add custom keyboards, a new health app, iMessage features galore, a new iCloud Drive, and some cool new camera features.

Unfortunately, new updates come with new problems. Some people are already regretting making the upgrade from iOS 7. As more and more of you install iOS 8 on iPhone 6, older iPhones, iPads, and iPods, a few problems are rearing their ugly heads on support forums. Here are the main ones with advice on what to do about them.

Updated on 7-28-2015 by Simon Hill: Updated Wi-Fi problem, added iOS 8.4 problems with Home Sharing, iCloud Music Library, GPS not working, alarm not working, and touch screen unresponsive.

Glitch: Safari is slow

Complaints about poor Safari performance have been flooding in thick and fast since iOS 8 was initially released. The recent 8.0.1, 8.0.2, and 8.1 updates seemingly haven’t done anything to improve performance, either, and some people are still finding that pages are very slow to load or don’t load at all. There’s also rumors of delayed response time when using the keyboard and links that don’t open when tapped. The problem could be related to issues with the Wi-Fi and sluggish performance in general, but scrolling, reloading the page, or reloading the app may temporarily rectify the issue.

Workarounds

  • Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. You may notice a slight improvement, but the issues might return.
  • Some people found that going to Settings > Safari > Advanced and toggling JavaScript off helped.
  • You can also try going to Settings > iCloud and toggling Safari off.
  • Try using a different browser, such as Google Chrome or Puffin.

Potential solution

  • There’s no guarantee it will work, but if you’re suffering with this problem and others, it might be worth trying a factory reset. If you do go this route, then avoid restoring a backup and try setting up your device as though it was new.

Problem: Continuity Calls or Handoff not working

Many people seem to be struggling with getting the Continuity features to work properly with their Apple devices. Assuming your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac meet the system requirements, there are a few things you can try. First, make sure your devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and that you have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on.

Potential solutions

  • Start by going to Settings > General > Handoff & Suggested Apps > Handoff and toggle it off and on again. Go to Settings > Phone and make sure that Wi-Fi Calling is turned off. Now restart your device and try again.
  • If you’re using a Mac then check in System Preferences > General for Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices. You should also check in FaceTime > Preferences that iPhone Cellular Calls is on.
  • Try logging out of iCloud on every device on which its active, reboot, and log back in before trying again.

If you find that your device is stuck on the Apple logo, then you probably need to try recovery mode.

Potential solutions

  1. First of all, you could try holding down the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button for 10 seconds until the Apple logo reappears. If it still sticks, then it’s time for recovery mode.
  2. Hold down the Sleep/Wake button to turn your device off.
  3. Plug it into your computer with the USB cable and make sure the latest version of iTunes is running.
  4. Hold down the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons for a few seconds, when the device comes on let go of the Sleep/Wake button, but keep holding the Home button.
  5. You should see the Connect to iTunes screen and you can let go of the Home button.
  6. Now you can restore your device using iTunes, just bear in mind that you’ll lose anything you haven’t previously backed up.

Problem: Freezing during update

Many people run into problems during iOS updates when their device appears to freeze, often seeming as though it will never complete the update.

Potential solutions

  • Hold down the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons for 10 seconds until the device reboots and the Apple logo appears. Take a look in Settings > General > About to see if the update completed. If not, then you’ll need to go through the update process again.
  • Make sure that a lack of space isn’t the problem. Take a look in Settings > General > Software Update and see how much storage is required. If you have to make room, then tap Usage Settings and get rid of some stuff. Alternatively, you can use iTunes and install the update through your computer.

Bug: Calendar showing GMT

A lot of people have encountered an issue where new events in the calendar default to GMT instead of the local timezone.

Potential solutions

  • Apparently as of February Google has come up with a fix or workaround for this that works for Google calendars, but users of Microsoft Exchange and other services may still be suffering. To get this working you may need to remove your calendar, restart your device, and add it again. You can do this via Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Accounts > Subscribed Calendars > Delete Account.
  • Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Time Zone Override and toggle it off. Now remove your calendar account and restart your device. Now add your calendar account again and it may work properly, this solution has worked for some people.
  • You could check your Settings on iCloud.com and make sure you have the correct time zone set.

Glitch: Can’t send email to trash

A lot of people have run into an issue where they find they are unable to move email messages to the trash. This problem has been around for a while, but a new batch of complaints popped up after the iOS 8.1 update. When attempting to move an email to the trash they get the message “Unable to Move Message, The message could not be moved to the mailbox Trash.”

Potential solutions

  • Try going to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendar and choose the email account in question then tap Advanced > Deleted Mailbox and make sure that it’s set to Trash. Now tap Advanced > Account and Done.
  • Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendar > Account > Advanced > IMAP Path Prefix and make sure it says INBOX next to it, then tap Account > Done.
  • Try going to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars choose your account then turn Mail Wait ten seconds and then turn it on again and retest.
  • If none of the above has worked then it’s time to try deleting the account. Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars choose your account and then Delete Account and confirm it. Now set your account up from scratch via Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Add Account.

Bug: iCloud password request for new mail and AirDrop

After the iOS 8.1 update a few people discovered that they kept getting the iCloud password pop-up every time they tried to write a new mail. It’s possible to cancel the prompt and still write and send, but it’s obviously annoying. This same issue also causes problems getting AirDrop to work when you choose Contacts Only, in this case even if you enter the password it won’t turn on.

Potential solutions

  • The first thing to try is to go to Settings > iCloud and Sign Out. If it’s AirDrop that you’re having issues with then sign out on all devices you’re trying to use it with. Now restart the device and try signing in again and it should work. If that doesn’t work and you have capital letters in your Apple ID check the next solution.
  • If you have capital letters in your Apple ID then that could be the problem. All you have to do is enter your username as lowercase letters. Log out of iCloud, restart your device, and then log in using lowercase letters only in the Apple ID field. Enter your password as normal.

Problem: Bluetooth issues

A lot of people have had trouble getting their iPhones to connect to accessories or in-car Bluetooth systems. Sometimes the connection won’t establish or it drops frequently. For some people the Bluetooth works perfectly for music streaming and incoming calls, but it won’t work properly for outgoing calls. Whatever your problem is there are a few fixes worth trying.

Potential solutions

  • Double check your pairing process. Make sure you are entering the system or accessory into pairing mode, you may need to press a button.
  • Try turning Bluetooth off on your iPhone or iPad, restart the device, and turn it back on again.
  • There could be a problem with the connection settings, or perhaps you’ve reached a profile limit. Try deleting devices from the Bluetooth system or accessory you are pairing with. Also go to Settings > Bluetooth and choose the device or system in question and tell your iPhone or iPad to Forget Device. Restart and set the connection up again as new.
  • Make sure that your Bluetooth system or accessory firmware is up to date. Check on the manufacturer’s website.
  • Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings, but bear in mind you’ll need to set up your Wi-Fi connections again after doing this.
  • If none of the above works then you could try restoring your device. Here’s how to factory reset an iPhone.
  • If the problem persists after this then it’s time to contact Apple and set up an appointment.

Glitch: Apps won’t download or update

Quite a few people have been having trouble getting apps to update properly. They seem to hang indefinitely. Some people have also had trouble getting new apps to download at all.

Potential fixes

  • The first thing to try is to double tap the Home button and swipe up on any problem app that’s listed to close it. Now restart your device by holding down the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until you see the Apple logo.
  • Try going to Settings > iTunes & App Store and turn Updates under Automatic Downloads Try updating manually, or restart your device and turn the automatic updates on again.
  • You could also go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings and see if that helps, you will have to re-enter passwords.
  • If that doesn’t work then try deleting any problem app from your device. Go to Settings > iTunes & App Store and tap your Apple ID then Sign Out. No hold down Home and Sleep/Wake to restart. Fire up the App Store, log in, and download the apps from scratch.
  • It could be that a specific app or game is causing the issue. Some people reported success after deleting the WSJ app. You could try removing apps one by one until you find the culprit or do a factory reset and selectively reinstall.

Problem: FaceTime and iMessage not working

There have been numerous reports about problems with FaceTime and iMessage not working. Some people have gotten the message “Waiting for Activation” or “An error occurred during activation”, others seem to be getting a network error of some kind.

Potential fixes

  • Go to Settings > Messages and turn iMessage off and on again. Do the same with Settings > FaceTime.
  • Try going to Settings > General > Date & Time and make sure Set Automatically is On. If you notice that any of the information is wrong then turn Set Automatically off and set the correct time zone, date, and time manually.
  • Check in Settings > General > Restrictions and make sure you haven’t restricted FaceTime.
  • It’s worth confirming you don’t have a network problem so try Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings and then set up your Wi-Fi again.
  • Try turning both FaceTime and iMessage off then put Airplane mode on. Now turn Wi-Fi on and go back into Settings to turn iMessage and FaceTime on again. Now turn Airplane mode off again and see if it works. If it doesn’t, go back in and toggle iMessage and FaceTime off and on yet again.
  • Try tweaking your settings in Settings > Messages > Send & Receive.
  • If nothing has worked then you could try a backup and restore, or head into an Apple Store for further help.

Bug: Wi-Fi slow and dropping signal

A lot of people have experienced a Wi-Fi problem after updating devices to iOS 8. The Wi-Fi signal will appear to be strong, but websites are slow to load and video slow to buffer. In some cases the connection seems to drop altogether, and in other cases it just slows to a crawl. You may get a message that “the server has stopped responding” if you’re trying to use Safari. Other devices are still able to connect to the router and enjoy the usual speeds. It looks as though there was a fix for this in iOS 8.3, but it may have returned with the iOS 8.4 update. You can find out the latest in this monstrous thread at Apple’s forum.

Workarounds

  • Toggle Wi-Fi/Airplane mode: You might find that it comes back temporarily if you toggle Wi-Fi off and then on again. Alternatively you could switch on Airplane mode and then turn it off again. Swipe up from the bottom to open the Control Center and toggle these settings.
  • Reboot: Some people report temporary success by switching the device off on and again. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button for ten seconds or so, until you see the Apple logo. Your Wi-Fi may work again for a while.
  • Turn Bluetooth off: Sometimes Bluetooth can interfere with Wi-Fi speeds so you could try turning Bluetooth off. It won’t fix the issue, but it might reduce it.

Potential solutions

  • Reset Network Settings: Try going to Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset Network Settings. This has worked for a few people, but the problem might return.
  • Turn off Wi-Fi Networking: Try going to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and under System Services you need to toggle off Wi-Fi Networking.
  • Toggle 2.4/5GHz: If you have a two channel router then try changing from 5GHz to 2.4GHz. Generally speaking 5GHz is faster, but with a shorter range. Some people report a better connection on 2.4GHz and a few find an improvement by switching the other way.
  • Change router channel: You could also try changing the channel on your router. You’ll need to put your router’s IP into your browser and log in to change settings. Refer to your ISP for instructions.
  • Switch DNS to Google: Some people report success after switching DNS to use Google servers. You can do this via Settings > Wi-Fi then tap the ”i” icon next to your router, scroll down to DNS and tap the numbers, then enter “8.8.8.8”. You might have to restart your device for this to take effect.
  • Factory Reset: It’s a drastic step with no guarantee of success, but you could try a factory reset. Here’s how to factory reset an iPhone.
  • Update probably coming: There’s clearly some kind of glitch in here, Apple acknowledged it with a fix in the iOS 8.3 update, but many users are reporting that it has returned in iOS 8.4. Keep an eye on Settings > General >Software Update for another fix.

Problem: Rapid battery drain

A lot of people seem to suffering with a fast draining battery after the iOS 8 update. Some are reporting extreme cases where their iPhone is going from 100 percent to dead within four hours.

Workarounds

  • Check out our iPhone battery tips for some suggestions.
  • Try holding down the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons until the device restarts.

Potential solution

  • There’s a good chance that a specific app is causing the problem. Go to Settings > General > Usage > Battery Usage and take a look at what is guzzling down that battery juice. If you find a specific app that’s draining a suspiciously high amount of battery then check to see if there’s an update available and if not, think about uninstalling it. If you need it then try disabling Background App Refresh via Settings > General and Location Services via Settings > Privacy.

Issue: Sound not working

This seems to be a common issue for iPad owners after the iOS 8 update, but thankfully there is an easy fix that seems to be working for most people.

Potential solutions

  • Hold down the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button together for 10 seconds or so until the device restarts and you see the Apple logo.
  • Check in Settings > General under Use Side Switch To and make sure Mute isn’t ticked or toggle the side switch. You can also check by swiping up and taking a look at the icon on the right in Control Center.

Glitch: Syncing music takes a long time or won’t work

A few people have run into an issue after the iOS 8 update where they’ve installed iOS 8 and had to restore the device, and the process takes a very long time to sync (24 hours or more), or appears to hang indefinitely.

Workaround

  • If you have a large number of tracks with artwork then it could be the culprit. Try deleting the artwork from your library and sync again.

Potential solutions

  • Load up iTunes and find your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch in the left column. Choose it then look under Summary at the Options section to find Manually manage music and videos. If it’s already check then try unchecking and re-checking it. You may need multiple syncs to get it to work. You may also have to toggle iTunes Match off under Settings > Music on your iPhone.
  • You can also try connecting the device to your computer and firing up iTunes. On the device go to Settings > General > Usage > Manage and delete all the music. In iTunes go to the Music tab and uncheck Sync Music then apply. Now check the Sync Music box again and it should sync up correctly.

Problem: iMessage won’t send and group conversation problems

There are a couple of different problems cropping up with iMessage after the iOS 8 update. Some people can’t send iMessages at all; others are having an issue with group conversations where it will only send them as SMS.

Workaround

  • If you’re having the group message problem then you can alleviate it by deleting the old group conversation. When you start a new one with all the same people you’ll find you can send iMessages again and it won’t default to SMS anymore.

Potential solutions

  • If you find you can’t send messages at all, maybe you’re stuck with a “Waiting for activation” message, then try going to Settings > Messages and toggle Send as SMS and iMessage off. Now go to Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset Network Settings. If you go back to Settings > Messages now you should be able to toggle Send as SMS and iMessage back on and it should work.

Glitch: Random reboots and BSOD

A few people have been experiencing random reboots, crashes, and the dreaded blue screen of death after updating to iOS 8. They seem to occur fairly frequently and apparently randomly while users are doing all sorts of different things. This seems to be more common with iPads.

Potential solutions

  • Try going to Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset All Settings. It won’t delete any of your files or apps, but you’ll need to re-enter passwords and choose wallpaper again.
  • It’s possible that an app is causing the problem. You can try uninstalling apps one by one and testing or you can try a factory reset and selectively reinstall.

Bug: Can’t upload photos in Safari browser

Many people have upgraded to iOS 8 only to find that they can no longer upload photos to any website through the Safari browser.

Workarounds

  • If you’re trying to upload to a website such as eBay, then download and use the dedicated app instead of Safari.
  • You could also use another browser such as Puffin or Google Chrome.

Solution

  • This is clearly a bug in the mobile Safari app, one that will likely be fixed with an update in the near future. We’ll keep you posted.

Problem: Spotlight Suggestions and Bing Web Results

A few people have been disappointed at the fact Spotlight Suggestions isn’t working for them. They are going in to Settings > General > Spotlight Search and trying to activate Spotlight Suggestions, but it won’t stay on. Some people are also experiencing a crash when they try to enable Bing Web Results in Settings > General > Spotlight Search.

Explanation

  • The Spotlight Suggestions feature is only available in a limited number of countries. There’s a list at Apple’s website.

Workaround

  • Some people have managed to get it working by going to Settings > General > Language & Region and switching to a supported country. You should try to make sure your language and region settings match and try restarting the device after changing the settings.

Issue: Sluggish performance

A lot of people have been complaining that the iOS 8 update has resulted in laggy and sluggish performance on their iPhone or iPad. This is more common, the older the device is. They actually ran a comparison test at Ars Technica — with an iPhone 4S running iOS 7.1.2 and one running iOS 8 — and found the update has significantly slowed boot time and app loading.

Workaround

  • Don’t update! If you have an older device and you haven’t yet updated, then don’t.
  • How to downgrade: After each new update there’s a short window during which you can downgrade to the last iOS version again. Apple generally stops signing it quite quickly, so this will stop working at some point. You’ll usually be able to find a reliable guide with a quick Google search.

Potential solution

  • You can wait for further updates. There’s a chance Apple will make improvements in the first few updates for iOS 8, it did do this with iOS 7, but there’s no guarantee.

Glitch: Personal Hotspot has disappeared

After updating to iOS 8 a few people have been surprised to find that the Personal Hotspot option has just completely disappeared from the Settings menu. Luckily there’s an easy fix that seems to be working for the majority.

Potential solution

  1. Go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data and type something in the user name field then go back and the Personal Hotspot option should appear in Settings.
  2. If that doesn’t work then go to Settings > Mobile Data > APN Settings and take a look, then make sure your carrier settings are the same under Personal Hotspot.

Problem: Device won’t charge or slow charging

A number of people have encountered issues with charging their iPad or iPhone after updating to iOS 8. In the majority of cases the device simply won’t charge at all when plugged in. In some cases it is charging very slowly.

Potential solutions

  • Apple wants you to use official chargers and cables and it may block third-party chargers or cables from working. Try using the original cable and charger that came with your device. Some people are reporting that this problem is occurring even when they use the original charger and cable, but it’s worth trying first.
  • Hold down the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until your device restarts and you see the Apple logo.
  • Try a different outlet, a different cable, and a different charger. If you’re trying to charge an iPad then make sure you aren’t using an iPhone charger.
  • Try plugging your device into your computer via USB and see if it charges. You might consider doing a restore through iTunes.
  • If you have a fake Apple charger, a third-party charger, or even an old charger you might have to spring for a new, official Apple charger.

Bug: Camera app upside downApple iPhone 6 macro camera

After updating to iOS 8 some iPhone owners launched the camera app to find that the top bar was displayed upside down. For some people it even began to start taking photos upside down and the issue extended to third-party apps like Instagram. Luckily, the fix is easy.

Solution

  1. Open the Compass app and calibrate it.
  2. Now hold down the Sleep/Wake and the Home buttons until the device restarts and you see the Apple logo.
  3. This seems to have solved the issue for most people and it should work if you find FaceTime or anything else is upside down as well.

Glitch: Screen brightness too dim

Some iOS 8 device owners have complained about a screen brightness glitch. The problem is that the screen on the iPhone or iPad will suddenly dim while they’re using it despite the fact that auto-brightness is turned off.

Potential solutions

  • Try going to Settings > Display & Brightness and toggle Auto-Brightness Now turn it off again, andhold down the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button to restart the iPhone (it should shut down and then you’ll see the Apple logo when it restarts).
  • Go to Settings > Accessibility > Increase Contrast and toggle Reduce White Point to off.
  • If you’re having an issue with the auto-brightness, then go to Settings > Display & Brightness and just turn the brightness up, it should set a new base level.
  • Some people found it improved after turning Zoom off in Settings > Accessibility.

Bug: Notification banners get stuck

A lot of people have found that sometimes the notification banners that pop up at the top of the screen to warn about incoming messages get stuck there. Flicking doesn’t seem to get rid of them. This bug occurs frequently when watching video in landscape mode, but it’s not confined to that instance.

Workarounds

  • You can press the Home button once and the banner should roll up.
  • You can rotate your phone from landscape to portrait and back again.
  • You can turn the screen off and on again.

Potential solution

  • This should be fixed in the next update when it rolls out.

Problem: Can’t make calls

There have been a few reports of iPhone owners with various different models of older iPhones, including the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5, being unable to make calls after the iOS 8.0.2 update. When attempting to make a call the connection continually drops or isn’t established in the first place. Some people are also unable to send text messages, but report still being able to receive incoming calls or texts.

Potential solutions

  • Double tap the Home button and swipe all the open apps up to close them.
  • Try holding down the Sleep/Wake and Home button together until your iPhone restarts and you see the Apple logo.
  • Make sure that you don’t have Airplane mode on and check that you’re not trying to call a blocked number in Settings > Phone > Blocked.
  • Try turning the iPhone off, removing the SIM card, and then replacing it.
  • Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
  • Go into Settings > Cellular and or Settings > Mobile and change your Voice & Data
  • Contact your carrier and make sure there’s no problem with your area or service contract.
  • If you’re still having an issue, try backing up and restoring your iPhone as new.

Bug: iCloud storage displaying incorrectly

Since the iOS 8.3 update, a lot of people have run into a bug whereby iCloud displays the wrong amount of storage. If you go into Settings > iCloud > Storage, you’ll see that Total Storage is being displayed incorrectly. Most people are finding that the Total Storage amount and the Available amount are lower than they should be. This seems to be a display error. If you tap Manage Storage, you should see the correct amount at the bottom of the screen, and your device should continue backing up, according to your settings.

Potential solutions

  • Try hooking your device up to your computer with the USB cable and launch iTunes and a manual sync. Some people found that this resolved the issue for them.
  • You could try backing up and then doing a factory reset via Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. People report mixed results with this solution.
  • Your only other option is to wait for an update. You can no longer downgrade to iOS 8.2. Report the issue to Apple and wait for a fix.

Problem: Apps crash or won’t load

A lot of people have encountered a problem with apps frequently crashing or refusing to load. There doesn’t seem to be any particular pattern to it. Some apps will crash almost immediately, others will work as normal, but then crash at random intervals.

Potential solutions

  • Press the Home button twice and swipe up on any app that has been giving you problems to close it. Try loading it up again and see if the problem reoccurs.
  • Hold down the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button together to restart your iPhone. You can let go when you see the Apple logo.
  • It may be that the app requires an update to run smoothly with the latest version of iOS. Your apps should update automatically. Check in Settings > iTunes & App Store under Automatic Downloads to make sure that Apps is toggled on.
  • Try uninstalling any problem apps (if you can), and then re-install them. If that doesn’t work, then try the next step.
  • It could that your iCloud backup is causing an issue. You’ll lose your backed up data from the app if you do this, but it could solve your problem. Go to Settings > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage and choose your device. Under Backup Options tap Show All Apps and toggle off any problem app. Choose Turn Off & Delete. Now try re-installing the app.
  • Your last option is to factory reset the device. You’ll want to backup everything precious first, but bear in mind that there’s a risk your problem will return if you restore a backup. If you want to try it then go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.

Issue: No cellular data

A few people have been unable to connect to their carrier’s network after upgrading to iOS 8.3. It continues to work fine with Wi-Fi, but there’s no cellular data.

Potential solutions

  • Take a look in Settings > Cellular and make sure that Cellular Data is toggled on. Try toggling it off and on again.
  • Try switching Airplane mode on, by swiping up to open Control Center, and tapping on the Airplane icon. Leave it on for a while, and then turn it off again.
  • Try holding down the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button together until your iPhone restarts.
  • Turn the iPhone off. Remove the SIM card. Try it in a different phone, if you can, just to confirm there’s no issue with it. Replace the SIM card. Turn it on again.
  • Go to Settings > General > About and wait for a few seconds to see if a Carrier Settings Update pops up. If it does, then go ahead and tap Update.
  • Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. You’ll have to reset a few things, but you won’t lose any content this way and it may have the desired effect.
  • If the problem persists, contact your carrier and/or Apple and see what they say.

Glitch: iTunes Wi-Fi sync not working

Some reports have surfaced that iOS 8 users are having trouble syncing their devices with iTunes, particularly when using Wi-Fi syncing. Sometimes iTunes will freeze, sometimes it will only partially sync, and sometimes it appears to sync correctly, but tracks are unplayable.

Potential solutions

  1. Make sure that your device is fully up to date via Settings > General > Software Update.
  2. Make sure that iTunes is fully up to date via the menu bar iTunes > Check for Updates.
  3. Connect the device using the USB cable.
  4. Choose your device in iTunes and under Options make sure that Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi is not checked and that Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected is checked, then tap Apply at the bottom right.
  5. Now you should quit iTunes, disconnect the device, and restart it.
  6. Relaunch iTunes and reconnect your device using the USB cable.
  7. Pick your device and check the option Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi and then tap Apply at the bottom right again. That should be it working again.

Bug: Touch ID not working in App Store

Quite a few people have found that Touch ID stopped working in the App Store, after they updated to iOS 8.3. It potentially happens on any device with Touch ID support. The problem is that users are prompted to enter passwords when purchasing apps in the App Store, and no longer have the option to use Touch ID.

Potential solution

  • Go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, toggle iTunes & App Store off.
  • Restart your device and enter your passcode.
  • Go back to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, and toggle iTunes & App Store on again.

Problem: Home Sharing not working

A lot of iOS users were dismayed to find that Home Sharing no longer works in iOS 8.4. The ability to stream audio content from Mac OS X computers to iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches was cut without warning.

Workaround:

  • If you’re willing to pay, you can get the same functionality from Apple Music and iTunes Match, but you’ll need a subscription. Some suspect that’s the reason that Apple pulled it.

Potential solution:

  • Eddy Cue eventually responded to angry iOS users with a tweet promising that “We are working to have Home Sharing in iOS 9.” That means waiting for the update which is expected towards the end of the summer.

Glitch: iCloud Music Library can’t be enabled

After updating to iOS 8.4 a lot of people got the message “iCloud Music Library can’t be enabled. You can enable it later from Music in Settings. Until then, your music won’t be available on your other devices.” There is a solution that seems to have worked for most people.

Potential solution:

  • Some iOS users report success after going to Settings > Music, and toggling iCloud Music Library to on, then choosing Replace or Merge. You can choose either one. Apparently it can take a few attempts before this works. If it’s not working for you, try rebooting your iPhone and then try again.

Bug: GPS not working

Quite a few users have been complaining about GPS problems after the iOS 8.4 update. Using Google Maps, Waze, or other apps that employ GPS, they found it was difficult, and in some cases even impossible, to establish a GPS signal.

Potential solutions:

  • Hold down the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button for 10 seconds until the Apple logo reappears.
  • Try going to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and toggle it off and on again. You might want to try rebooting the iPhone after it off and then turning it on again when the iPhone restarts.
  • You could try going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Just remember you’ll have to re-enter your Wi-Fi and other network settings.
  • Some people had success after doing a restore from iTunes. You’ll want to make sure you’re backed up first. Plug your device into your computer, start up iTunes and tap Restore in the Summary Try restoring from backup, but if the problem persists you might want to try setting it up as new.

Glitch: Alarm not working

A few people have reported an intermittent glitch with the alarm where it fails to go off or goes for a very brief burst and then goes silent.

Workarounds:

  • Turning your iPhone off and on again seems to temporarily resolve this issue. Hold down the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button for 10 seconds until the Apple logo reappears.
  • Use a third-party alarm clock app. There are tons to choose from in the App Store with various features and functions.

Potential solution:

Problem: Touch screen unresponsive

There have been reports of iOS users suffering with unresponsive touchscreens. In some cases the screen slides up and down as though it has a mind of its own, in other cases key presses are not registering, or the device is delaying key presses. If you’re suffering from generally erratic touchscreen behavior, there are some things you can try:

Potential solutions:

  • First try double tapping the Home button and swiping up all the open apps to close them.
  • Next try a simple reboot. Hold down the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button for 10 seconds until the Apple logo reappears.
  • If you’re using a screen protector or a case, there’s a chance that it might be causing the problem. Try removing it and see if there’s a difference.
  • There could be a problem with some of your old settings. Try going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings and see if it helps.
  • Your last resort is to go for a factory reset. You might consider making an appointment at an Apple Store before you do this, if you have one handy. There’s a chance they’ll be able to help you with this issue, or that it might be a hardware fault of some kind.

We’ve reached the end of our iOS 8 problems roundup, but we will continue to add to this list as we discover new problems and solutions so check back for updates. If you have a solution that we haven’t listed or you’ve encountered a new problem, then post in the comments and share it.

Return to page one.

Updated on 5-12-2015 by Simon Hill: Updated text and added problems with iCloud storage displaying incorrectly, apps crashing, no cellular data, iTunes not syncing wirelessly, and Touch ID not working in App Store.

Updated on 2-18-2015 by Simon Hill: Added problem with Safari being slow, Continuity Calls or Handoff not working, stuck on Apple logo, freezing during update, and updated Safari upload bug.

Updated on 12-8-2014 by Simon Hill: Reformatted and added email trash problem, iCloud login bug, Bluetooth issues, apps update glitch, and FaceTime and iMessage not working.

Updated on 10-14-2014 by Simon Hill: Added charging problem, camera upside down, screen brightness too dim, notification banners get stuck, and can’t make calls problem.

Article originally published 9-23-2014.

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Simon Hill
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Simon Hill is an experienced technology journalist and editor who loves all things tech. He is currently the Associate Mobile…
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