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Apple releases iOS 8.1.3 software update w/ stability improvements, reduces space required to update

Apple released the iOS 8.1.3 software update for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users today. The update is available over-the-air through the Software Update section of the Settings app. The update includes the usual bug fixes and performances improvements, and notably claims to reduce the amount of free storage required to perform the update.

Apple first released iOS 8 in September near the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and iOS 8.1 added support for Apple Pay in late October. Since then Apple released iOS 8.1.1 in November, which focused on improving performance for iPhone 4s and iPad 2 users, and iOS 8.1.2 in December, which included bug fixes and a fix for missing ringtones.

Today’s software update release is available for all devices running iOS 8 including:

  • iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus
  • iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad mini, iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3
  • iPod touch, fifth-generation

The mention of reducing the amount of space required to update over-the-air addresses a common issue users have. iOS 8 adoption has been noticeably slower than iOS 7 adoption the year prior with adoption sitting under 70% according to Apple. In practice, iOS 8 users with as little as 600MB are reporting being able to update, while iOS 7 users are reporting more than 3GB being required to update over-the-air.

Additional bug fixes address issues entering Apple ID passwords with Messages and FaceTime, missing app results on Spotlight search, and multitasking gesture performance on iPad. The release also includes additional configuration options for education standardized testing, according to Apple.

Apple is also testing iOS 8.2 for release later this year to support communication between the iPhone and the upcoming Apple Watch. Several test builds of the beta software has already been released to developers in order to test WatchKit and build apps for the Apple Watch. Notable changes coming include new descriptions of categories in the iOS 8 Health app as well as a ‘Companion’ iPhone app for pairing and managing the Apple Watch. 9to5Mac detailed the upcoming app and its functionality earlier this month.

In addition to releasing iOS 8.1.3 publicly today, Apple pushed a new ‘120 Sports’ channel to Apple TV users, updated Apple TV 3 software to version 7.0.3, iTunes U version 2.1.1 for iOS with performance improvements, and released OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 for Mac.

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Comments

  1. daffidj (@DavidSmol) - 9 years ago

    they finally fixed the muiltitasking gestures on ipad!

  2. Antony Cleall - 9 years ago

    …and OSX 10.10.2

  3. Zac Hall - 9 years ago

    No new wallpapers :( (on iPhone at least)

    • Andy Cress (@andycress) - 9 years ago

      I thought new wallpapers were only released with each new full version of iOS? (7.0, 8.0, etc.)

      • Zac Hall - 9 years ago

        I believe they’ve slipped in with point updates, too. iPad marketing material has been using different wallpapers.

    • Radosław Górny - 9 years ago

      After reading your comment I feel like we are back in 90s.

    • And exactly how’s that relevant? I never even noticed there were new wallpapers on each major release… the last time I checked those was on July 2008 and when I got my first iPhone.

  4. rogifan - 9 years ago

    How about text selection and copy/paste. Can’t wait for that to be fixed.

    • resistor003 - 9 years ago

      That works fine and has for a long time.

      • chrisl84 - 9 years ago

        Not on many 4S models it doesnt. Drove me crazy until I got my 6

      • Andrew Messenger - 9 years ago

        No. It really hasn’t worked fine. Still doesn’t always copy when you tap Copy. Hopefully fixed now.

    • isshak96 - 9 years ago

      I have that question too, and im wondering if this happens on iphone 5s..?

    • ancientscreamer - 9 years ago

      agreed on an iphone6+ running iOS 8.1.2 the copy paste issues with text are ridiculous, any text that is not in image form on my screen – should be readily selectable in safari or other apps whether it be a form or directly on the page, and when I’m offered copy and … click on it … it should always work, this is not the case in IOS 8.1.2, some apps seem to have the ability to disable me from even selecting text on my screen – i just entered seconds earlier ? – this is not acceptable – thirdly why not use the old ancient single tap select a word, double tap select a line, and triple tap select a paragraph ? and get a damn site more intelligent about select-ability of postcodes and telephone numbers – its still rubbish at all this in many situations.

  5. Marc (@MarcMac50) - 9 years ago

    Where is the WIFI fix? This is crazy.

    • ezfe - 9 years ago

      Well, considering I’ve never had Wi-Fi issues on my iPhone, perhaps this issue is more isolated to you and not something everyone is experiencing ;)

      • Marc (@MarcMac50) - 9 years ago

        Feel free to take a look around the support forums on apple.com its widespread and well documented.

      • zeagus - 9 years ago

        There are issues with Wifi being stomped on by AirDrop related things in the new discoveryd process IIRC. Happens mostly on older devices. As an aside, fingers crossed, I updated my wife’s 5s that suffered from lots of that issue and so far haven’t had it post upgrade.

      • These comments are my favorite… I’m not having the problem so it must be you… Then they whine like babies when something bad actually happens to them (heaven forbid).

    • who922 - 9 years ago

      Agreed!! Mine has never worked right since I updated to IOS 7!! Chris is right…the forums are FULL of this problem and all kinds of things to try and fix it. I just always keep hoping……

  6. Adam Beck (@Bonzaibeck) - 9 years ago

    Soo…. not to burst anyones bubble but I just updated my iPad Air 2 and now i have no service for the Tmobile service… hope this isn’t another cellular screw up

    • Adam Beck (@Bonzaibeck) - 9 years ago

      I rebooted it a couple times and now I have Tmobile service again, but its fluctuating kind of wildly. Sitting in the same place on my desk it keeps changing between LTE, 4G, and No Service. I know its Tmobile, but it doesn’t usually do this.

  7. Ken Porter - 9 years ago

    I would roll back to iOS 7 if I could. My iPad 2 is terribly slow & many apps crash after some use or don’t launch at all. :(

  8. azwardiiqbal - 9 years ago

    is it good work on 4S?

    • ezfe - 9 years ago

      If you have iOS 8 already, yes.

      • azwardiiqbal - 9 years ago

        currently my iOS is 8.1.2 and even i have updated with 8.1.2, sometimes i got few lag on my 4S, I hope this update will fix it

      • Radosław Górny - 9 years ago

        Damn, I perceived iOS 8.1.2 on 4S as “sometimes few lag”. It lags as hell in my opinion.

  9. vandiced - 9 years ago

    No fix for crashing 3rd party keyboards??? I stopped using them because they are pretty much useless if they crash/not show up often :-/

    • Named Name - 9 years ago

      I think it’s an individual developer’s job to optimize their app for the new version of iOS, not Apple’s.

      • Mike King - 9 years ago

        I’ve tried three different keyboards (SwiftKey, Swype, Fleksy) and they all have the same problems (crashing/not showing up, sometimes showing up but text doesn’t appear when you type). It’s pretty clearly a problem with the iOS API, not the individual keyboards.

    • braineatr - 9 years ago

      I’ve been using a third party keyboard as my primary keyboard almost as long as I’ve had my iPhone 6 Plus. My biggest issue has been replying to text messages from the lock screen, it simply won’t show up. I’m using Touch Pal on my iPhone and Path Input on my iPad Air. What keyboard did you have? Is this a known issue?

  10. Jason Christopher - 9 years ago

    I really hope it fixes the orientation lock issue where it won’t revert to landscape or vice versa. Also the keyboard not coming up when in text field.

  11. Kevin Mongru - 9 years ago

    i wish they would just fix the iphoto library syncing problem already.

  12. appledoomed - 9 years ago

    apple is doomed

  13. Charlie Thomas - 9 years ago

    any clue what “The release also includes additional configuration options for education standardized testing, according to Apple” means?

  14. Andrew Messenger - 9 years ago

    Still can’t write App Store reviews with a third-party keyboard.

  15. shahny786 - 9 years ago

    They need to fix the bug where AirDrop doesn’t work often when you’re sending something from your iphone to your mac

  16. K1RTB (@K1RTB) - 9 years ago

    This bricked my iPad Air, which was not jailbroken BTW!

  17. feonix2014 - 9 years ago

    Of course no mention of the wifi bug that has killed IOS 8. That’s the main reason no one is adopting it and staying with IOS 7.

    • gstevie - 9 years ago

      “No one is adopting it” – really? Pretty sure that’s not even remotely true.

    • aronvdherik - 9 years ago

      So I’ve had iOS8 since it’s release on my iPhone 5 and on my iPhone 6 when it came out here in the Netherlands, I’ve never had any issue on either of those devices and never heard any of my friends/relatives about this issue. Can you please explain what wifi bug killed iOS8?

  18. cm477 - 9 years ago

    I updated my iPad Air, but it required a few restarts to get it working again (was frozen at the Lock Screen). I tried updating my iPhone 6, but then required me to restore it on iTunes. Fortunately I am a home and can do it right now. The last few over-the-air updates have worked so well that I would have been tempted to do it on the road, which would have left me with a brick until I could get to my desktop. I think I will wait until I update my wife’s 5S, but for now I have will have to wait several hours while my iPhone completes the restore process.

    • cm477 - 9 years ago

      Update: After restoring the iPhone 6 back to factory state with iTunes, I had to restore my apps and other content from iCloud (because, like a moron, I didn’t have a relatively recent backup on iTunes). After 24 hours, only a few apps had restored. So I erased the iPhone again this morning, and it seems to be restoring a bit faster (though still slowly even with >50Mbps WiFi). For some reason there are apps that cannot be downloaded, but I just select “Retry.” This is torture. Usually it take me 4-6 hours to completely restore my iPhone because of the large number of apps I have downloaded.

  19. Denise Padula Kobrin - 9 years ago

    Is there an update to delete multiple email?

    • aronvdherik - 9 years ago

      In iOS8 you already can? When you’re in your mailbox just tap ‘Edit’ and then select all the emails you want to delete and then tap ‘Trash’ and you’re done.

  20. Wifi dropping is fixed in this version?

  21. alpaul - 9 years ago

    Thought the “GMT” Google Calendar bug would be fixed in this update. #Fail Hopefully next update.

  22. Matt N Renee Williams - 9 years ago

    With this new update, has anyone noticed any less lag with an iPad 3? Using this iPad is like being on dial up connection! I want iOS 7 back!!

  23. Madalyn Mitchell - 9 years ago

    too bad the update failed on my iphone 4s :(

  24. Satheesh Kumaar - 9 years ago

    Still Not Fixed the Health.. Blood Sugar (Glucose) monitoring Dashboard is missing since iOS8.1 update, these are some of the useful Dashboard for health related persons. (: from the update

  25. Scott Hilt (@scotthilt) - 9 years ago

    Everything is good now, but I forgot to turn off auto-lock and my phone went dark while updating witch resulted in my iPhone 6 being stuck in a boot loop. Quick tip. ALWAYS turn off Auto-Lock when updating. I always have in the past, but forgot this time and got bit. Had to do a full restore via iTunes.

  26. Heather Kersten - 9 years ago

    Anyone else have the problem of no bars after the update and having to call someone in order to get bars.

  27. Derk (@DerkPosner) - 9 years ago

    I noticed on my iPad mini 3 the emoji keyboard now has a space button and a back space button as well/ These weren’t here before. My iPhone 5 is the same doesn’t seem so slow when I turn it on from powered off state as well. Multitasking gestures on ipad are perfect.

  28. Phil Heron - 9 years ago

    what a great update. trying to update the wifes 6 plus. clicked on “download and install”, the “terms and conditions” page comes up. click on “agree” and a cute little “terms and conditions” pop up appears. click on “agree” again and that’s it. nothing more. page freezes and nothing happens. congratulations apple on a great product

    • Ben Johnson - 9 years ago

      Same effin’ problem too! Bueller? Anyone. . . anyone?

      • Joanna Silverstone - 9 years ago

        Same here. WTF. Happy that I personally have an Android. I am helping a friend with this. Argghhh

  29. Has anyone checked if bluetooth with cars fixed?
    So dangerous to connect to car every call.
    Dosnt work with so many cars, especially Mazda.

    http://www.sterlingit.com.au/how-to-fix-mazda-3-6-cx7-cx9-and-more-with-handsfree-bluetooth-and-apple-phones-ios-8-problems-not-calling/

  30. Rindy Andina S - 9 years ago

    I recently upgraded to ios 8.1.3 for my iphone 4s and all running normally . I upgraded via wifi (OTA) of approximately 145MB . I hope in the future ios have the ability to clear cache and data in each application without deleted the app. thanks Apple . recommended for upgare iOS at iphone 4s ;)

  31. whyaz69 - 9 years ago

    I have NOT forgiven Apple for the atrocious 8.0 release which destroyed bluetooth in my beautiful 2015 Subaru Forester for SIX MONTHS. But at least yesterday’s 8.1.3 finally instantantly fix what Apple has wrought. Apple, of course, should never have fixed what wasn’t broke but that was only stupid number one. Many stupids followed: absurd fix ideas causing loyal users to think it was their faults; Apple telling Subaru it was their fault; and for me the ultimate stupid was the AppleCare Tech–three months after 8.0 was foisted on the world and exposed by Forbes Magazine and all over Apple blogs–who said to me, “You know I haven’t heard of that before.” I hung up.

    I will NEVER NEVER NEVER update anything Apple until after one year or four releases, whichever happens last.

    • ancientscreamer - 9 years ago

      agreed problem is new updates can always deliver new bugs its difficult to guarantee a clean update or update to an old update the way apple has updating configured, and reverting when you hacve a problem a nightmare if it is no longer signed by apple, they’re update system sucks, only when there were no updates was software written properly in the first place. I should by default always have the ability to install the software my device came with, regardless of apples desires.

  32. Jadon Irwin - 9 years ago

    im ipod 5th gen wont turn on, i press every button, ive plugged it in for 5 hours, and still just a black screen, can anyone help me?

  33. joseph (@josephdennihy3) - 9 years ago

    I downloaded the update and i had to go on to itunes and download it once i did it deleted everything off my iphone and it is saying my iphone is disable does that mean someone hacked into it? i lost everything even my crush number and she liked me back and i lost her pls help idk what to do now ); i have a 4s

  34. Judith Kindler - 9 years ago

    Does this update fix the freezeing, crashing and slow mo that the 8.1 update caused?

  35. Johan de Wit - 9 years ago

    Does anyone has a problem with FaceTime after updating ? Mine keeps saying bad connection. The camera is showing mine , but not the other caller, do the sound is oke

  36. Joyce Real - 9 years ago

    After I installed the update iOS 8.1.2 on my iPhone 5, my bluetooth will not pair with my Jabra in car speakerphone. It was working and paired just great before the update. It will not pair will a wireless speaker I have also, which also worked before the update. Could you please let me, or tell me what is going on. Thank you for your help I hope!

  37. Archie Stephenson - 9 years ago

    so my ipad 4 is on ios 7.0.4, is it too late to get 8.1.2 ? if not where can i get it ? how do i update without going straight to 8.1.3. I want 8.1.2 so i can re-jailbreak

  38. onkeljoakim - 9 years ago

    Great, after I updated my iPhone my videoplayers turn off on Lock-Screen after 1 min. This include Youtube i a browser and in the APP. VERY anoying.

  39. Naiyar Naqvi - 9 years ago

    I have upgraded my Iphone 5S to 8.1.3 over air and now it is locked with a passcode, it is not accepting my previous passcode. its midnight and I am sitting before computer trying to get out of it. Apple you really need to work hard

  40. Bill Rattigan - 9 years ago

    My itunes is telling me the update will take 41 hours to download, it will then update the phone.

    • ancientscreamer - 9 years ago

      its not so much a small patch as a complete replacement of the iOS hence its a 2.05GB download and no doubt the bug fixes are minimal – if they don’t introduce more issues. I guess they cant handle patching iOS anymore ? and just re-image the device and re-install everything all the time ? always do a full local USB backup from itunes even for a minor update, apple cant be trusted not to brick their own devices.

      • ancientscreamer - 9 years ago

        least iOS 8.1.3 was a 2.05GB for my iphone6+ from 8.1.2 ? I’m seeing some people have a smaller 246MB 8.1.3 download as noted above? im not sure why the difference between ? maybe doing update on iphone and through iTunes ?

  41. Michel Falardeau - 9 years ago

    Since the update the sound is distorted and i can no longer lesten to my music of in the itune store.

  42. Mary G. Midgett - 9 years ago

    I have lost my ringtones which I purchased and cannot get them back. This release touts to have fixed the ringtone problem. I also got back a bunch of apps I had deleted.

  43. Deanna Vermillion - 9 years ago

    iOS 8.1.3 is terrible on my iPad. Freezing, crashing, slow and I can watch my battery depleat in minutes, is there any way to go back?

  44. Did this last update with iPhone 4s and now it won’t turn on, not even sure if the update was completed. It was charging with the wall plug while doing the update.

  45. ancientscreamer - 9 years ago

    going from iOS 8.1.2 to iOS 8.1.3 is a 2.05GB update – I guess they’ve given up with the idea of patching and just replace the whole of iOS every time ?

  46. ancientscreamer - 9 years ago

    beware … it also updates iphone firmware, so its doing more than any patch notes from apple will technically describe to its user base( because of course they treat us like were dumb idiots(. It also just gave me a session ID failure in iTunes after the update( which only restarting iTunes resolved otherwise the phone didnt show up afterwards > but how in-elegant and ugly?) – its amazing to think that apple can barely update their own ‘premium’ idevices properly ? and are no doubt running to push iWatch out, when they cant even get the phones working right ? makes me sick … also iTunes 12 is the usual interface jigger about for no good reason garbage as well, avoid or revert that upgrade if you can? but no doubt some newer iOS update will make iTunes 12 a forced upgrade, the apple software ratchet in action ;( just to be able to connect your iphone or something … fapple!

  47. ancientscreamer - 9 years ago

    beware if you jailbreak not that I do … note : jailbreaking is a completely legal way of installing open source software outside of the closed apple eco-system / walled garden – apple spent your money and time making apple 8.1.3 defeat the latest jailbreak, when they should have spent it fixing bugs instead.

  48. ancientscreamer - 9 years ago

    apple stopped signing iOS 8.1.2 on the 10th Feb 2015 so if the 8.1.3 doesn’t go well for you, you cannot go back to 8.1.2 all this to prevent “legal” jailbreaking.

  49. Sarah - 9 years ago

    Has anyone noticed that after the update you no longer access the space left on your phone? Mine has 4 gigs of space free on it but the phone says I have zero. Won’t let me take a picture, save a note, or a voicemail, or basically do anything.

  50. iOS 8.1.3 crushed my camera! i have iphone 5! now i cant use my camera because of this update! it was working perfectly fine before the update SUCKS!!!!

  51. Lois Adkison - 9 years ago

    When are they going to bring out /add to iphones the ability to delete multiple phone nos at once. Every time I hook up to my computer or open FACEBOOK etc on my phone it duplicates my nos. I am now at a point of having 3, 4 & 5 of each number!

  52. Rob Furber - 9 years ago

    Since I upgraded on iPhone 5 – I have been unable to send texts from my Mac and there isn’t a commonality between iPAD and iPhone texts anymore!

  53. Chris Knight - 9 years ago

    Ran the update and now my ipad 3 wont restart. It shows the ‘plug to power’ symbol, then periodically starts to restart with the Apple logo, then dies and goes back to the plug symbol…it’s like is running our of power too quickly to boot up and can’t charge fast enough.

    Any suggestion welcome as i need my ipad back!

    Thanks.

  54. Bob Bartlett - 9 years ago

    For no apparent reason the screen on my iPad Air shrinks to 3/4 size. Sometimes it will right itself, but not now. I’m using 8.1.3. How do I correct this issue of the shrinking screen?

  55. Joe Cruz - 9 years ago

    Is there a way of deleting the upgrade option like before? Somehow the option to delete the software update has disappeared on my ipad 4.

  56. Dusty Muri - 9 years ago

    Please fix the crackling and popping!

  57. Carolyn Oxley - 9 years ago

    I thought I would get free updates when I purchased my iPad.

Author

Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.