iOS 14.8.1 Problems: 5 Things You Need to Know

iOS 14.8.1 Problems: 5 Things You Need to Know is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.

iPhone users are running into iOS 14.8.1 problems. Some iPhone owners are already noticing a big difference after moving their device from older versions of iOS to the latest version of iOS 14.

Performance has improved for some iPhone users. On the flip side, some iPhone users have already run into bugs and a variety of performance issues on iOS 14.8.1. Some of these issues have carried over from previous versions of iOS, others are brand new.

In this guide to iOS 14 problems, we’ll take you through the current state of the most common issues. We’ll show you where to find potential fixes for the most common iOS 14 problems and provide you with some resources that should help if you run into trouble.

iOS 14 Problems
iOS 14 Upgrade Feedback
How to Fix iOS 14 Problems
iOS 14 Downgrade Status
What’s Next for iOS 14

iOS 14.8.1 Problems

As we push away from Apple’s latest iOS 14 release we’ve seen a number of complaints from iPhone users. Some of these issues are minor, others are far more problematic.

The current list of iOS 14.8.1 problems includes some very common issues. iPhone users are having trouble downloading and installing the new operating system. If your iOS 14.8.1 installation gets stuck, try hard resetting your phone. This typically resolves the issue.

We’re also seeing complaints about UI lag, AirPlay issues, Touch ID and Face ID issues, Wi-Fi problems, Bluetooth problems, issues with Podcasts, stuttering, CarPlay issues including a fairly widespread glitch impacting Apple Music, a “No Service” bug, issues with Widgets, lockups, freezes, and crashes.

We expect the list of iOS 14.8.1 problems to grow as more people move from their current version of iOS to the current version of iOS 14.

If you haven’t downloaded iOS 14.8.1 yet, we recommend preparing your iPhone for the download. Some prep work ahead of time can help you avoid major headaches.

We’ve put together a step-by-step pre-installation process and it will take you through the best way to prepare for the move.

Where to Find iOS 14.8.1 Reviews

If you’re currently running iOS 14.8.1, or if you’re planning to upgrade, you’ll want to sift through feedback from early adopters. This feedback will alert you to potential problems and performance issues others are having on the same iPhone as yours.

We’ve released our list of reasons to, and not to, install the iOS 14.8.1 update and it’s a good starting point for those of you weighing a move from iOS 14.8 or older iOS software.

We also recommend keeping an eye on YouTube, Apple’s discussion forums, social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, and the MacRumors forums for additional feedback about iOS 14.8.1’s performance.

We’ve published our mini iOS 14.8.1 reviews for the iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 6s, and iPhone SE so check those out if you need additional feedback.

How to Fix iOS 14.8.1 Problems

Some issues might require a fix from Apple, but you should be able to fix others on your own.

Before you get in contact with Apple support, have a look at our list of fixes for the most common iOS 14 problems. It might have what you’re looking for.

We’ve also released some tips that could help you improve your device’s performance and a guide that shows you how to fix iOS 14 battery life problems. If you’re running into severe battery drain issues on iOS 14.8.1, these tips could help.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for in our guides, you should head on over to Apple’s discussion forums. If they can’t help you, you might want to get in contact with Apple Support via Twitter or customer support via Apple’s website.

If you still can’t fix your issue(s), you might want to schedule an appointment to see a Genius at your local Apple Store. They should be able to diagnose your problem in minutes.

iOS 14 Downgrade Status

If you run into bugs or performance issues on iOS 14.8.1, note that you can’t downgrade your iPhone’s software in an effort to improve its performance.

Apple isn’t signing on iOS 14.8 which means you can’t drop your iPhone back to the previous version of iOS 14 if you run into trouble on iOS 14.8.1.

Unfortunately, Apple has also stopped signing on iOS 14.7.1, iOS 14.7, iOS 14.6, iOS 14.5.1, iOS 14.5, iOS 14.4.2, iOS 14.4.1, iOS 14.4, iOS 14.3, iOS 14.2.1, iOS 14.2, iOS 14.1, iOS 14.0.1, iOS 14.0, and iOS 13 which means there’s no way back to those versions of iOS either.

For more about how the downgrade process works, take a look at our detailed walkthrough.

What’s Next

Apple lets iPhone users stay on iOS 14 so you can skip the company’s iOS 15 operating system. That being said, iOS 15 brings numerous improvements and most iPhone users should upgrade.

If you do decide to keep your iPhone on iOS 14, Apple will roll out new iOS 14 software though the change log will likely be limited to bug fixes and security patches.

We’ll let you know when we learn more about the next version of iOS 14.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 14.8.1 & 11 Reasons You Should

Install iOS 14.8.1 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing iOS 14.8.1 right away.

The iOS 14.8.1 update brings 12 new security patches to the iPhone. You can read about all of them over on Apple's site.

If you want to better protect your iPhone and its data, you'll want to install the iOS 14.8.1 update in the near future.

If you missed iOS 14.8, you'll get its security patches with your upgrade. You can learn more about them right here.

If you missed iOS 14.7.1, you'll get its patch with your upgrade. If you want to learn more about iOS 14.7.1's security update, check out its support page.

If you missed iOS 14.7, you'll get its 31 security patches with your upgrade. You can learn more about those on Apple's website.

If you skipped iOS 14.6, you'll get the update's 38 security patches with your iOS 14.8.1 update. If you're curious about the particulars, you can read about them right here.

If you skipped iOS 14.5.1, you get the update's two security patches on board. You can read about them over on Apple's website. Both are related to WebKit.

If you missed iOS 14.5 you'll get its patches with your upgrade. You can read more about those changes over on Apple's website.

iOS 14.5 also brought Apple's new App Tracking Transparency which lets you control which apps are allowed to track your activity across other companies' apps and websites for ads or sharing with data brokers.

If you skipped iOS 14.4.2, you get its security patch with iOS 14.8.1. You can learn more about that patch over on Apple's website as well.

If you missed iOS 14.4.1, you get its patch with your upgrade to iOS 14.8.1. You can read about that patch right here.

If you skipped iOS 14.4, you get the update's patches with your upgrade. You can learn more about iOS 14.4's security patches right here.

If you skipped iOS 14.3 you'll get its nine security updates with your upgrade. You can read more about them on its security site.

iOS 14.3 also included a new privacy information section on App Store pages that includes a developer-reported summary of the app’s privacy practices.

If you skipped iOS 14.2, your iOS 14.8.1 update includes 24 additional security patches. You can learn more about the patches on Apple's security website.

If you're still running iOS 13, iOS 14.8.1 includes iOS 14.0's security updates.

iOS 14.0 brought 11 new security patches to the iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's website.

In addition to those patches, iOS 14 comes with some security and privacy upgrades including improvements to Home/HomeKit and Safari.

For instance in Safari, you can now tap the Privacy Report button to better understand how websites handle your privacy.

With iOS 14 on board you can now get information on the App Store that will help you understand the privacy practices of apps before you download them.

There is also a new recording indicator that will appear at the top of your screen whenever an app is using your microphone or camera. You can see if an app has used them recently in Control Center.

Researchers also discovered that Apple brought a new "BlastDoor" sandbox security system to iOS 14. The system is meant to prevent attacks from occurring via the Messages app.

You can read more about "BlastDoor" right here.