iOS 8.1

Pangu jailbreak for iOS 8 – iOS 8.1 released

The Pangu team has released a jailbreak for iOS 8 - iOS 8.1 devices today, just about 35 days after the launch of Apple's latest mobile operating system. The download link for Pangu for iOS 8 was briefly available on the official Pangu website before being pulled a few minutes later.

Although this is great news for jailbreakers, it does come with a few strings attached that make this initial iOS 8 jailbreak release somewhat useless for the time being.

How to make and take phone calls on your Mac

Now that iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite are out, the FaceTime app in OS X Yosemite is now capable of making and taking phone calls. It does so by connecting to an iPhone running iOS 8 to transmit calls via the iPhone’s cellular connection. All calls made from your Mac will appear as if they came from your iPhone’s phone number.

Want to see how it works in action? Check out our video after the break for a demonstration and setup details.

How to use Apple Pay

As expected, Apple rolled out Apple Pay to the masses today, courtesy of its iOS 8.1 update for eligible devices. Apple Pay, as you know, allows users to make in-app and online purchases using certain devices equipped with a Touch ID sensor, and in-store purchases using the NFC chips found in the recently released iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of setting up Apple Pay, including adding eligible credit cards, along with making in-app, and in-store purchases.

Apple releases iOS 8.1 with Apple Pay, Camera Roll, Text Message Forwarding and more

As promised, Apple on Monday released iOS 8.1 for public consumption. Users who have an older version installed on their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad can now update to the latest software over-the-air, by choosing Software Update under Settings > General.

iOS 8.1 flips the switch on Apple Pay in the United States on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, as well as the newly released iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3.

It also re-enables the missing Camera Roll album in Photos and beta iCloud Photo Library (in beta) while bringing additional Continuity features like Text Message Forwarding between iOS 8 devices and Yosemite Macs and more.

iPad @3x assets found in iOS 8.1 hint at Retina HD iPads

The possibility that the iPad Air 2 could get a higher resolution Retina HD screen just got a little more likely. Developer Hamza Sood, who's no stranger to unearthing hidden goodies within Apple's code, revealed some new iPad @3x assets after doing some digging around iOS 8.1. This means that Apple is at least considering a higher resolution "Retina HD" screen for the new iPads.

Apple seeds new iOS 8.1, Apple TV and Xcode betas to developers

Merely a week following the first beta of what would become the major iOS 8.1 bug-fix update, the iPhone maker on Tuesday seeded iOS 8.1 Beta 2 to its registered iOS developers, in addition to new Apple TV and Xcode software betas.

According to the Cupertino firm, iOS 8.1 Beta 2 with build number 12B407 (up from the previous iOS 8.1 Beta 1 with build number 12B401) contains bug fixes and stability improvements throughout the system.

It's available as an over-the-air update if you have the first beta installed or standalone through Apple's Dev Center portal for developers.

Apple Pay reportedly launching alongside iOS 8.1 on October 20

Apple is planning to debut Apple Pay on the third Monday of the month, reports Bank Innovation. The outlet claims that according to "multiple sources close to Apple," the mobile payment service is scheduled to launch on October 20, alongside iOS 8.1.

On Monday, Apple released the first beta of iOS 8.1 to developers, and hidden settings pertaining to Apple Pay were discovered within the firmware. Bank Innovation says it has learned that this code is there so Apple can test Apple Pay prior to launch.

References to Touch ID iPad and settings for Apple Pay found in iOS 8.1 beta

References to new iPad models with Touch ID support and a settings page for Apple Pay have been discovered hidden in the just-released beta of iOS 8.1. Developer Hamza Sood posted the evidence on Twitter this evening, in the form of three screenshot images.

The first two images, which you can see above, show a new Passbook pane in the Settings app for setting up Apple Pay, as well as a Privacy Policy page for the new mobile payment service. In the page, Apple outlines what user data it collects, and what it does with it.

Apple releases first beta of iOS 8.1 to developers

Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 8.1 to developers this afternoon, with build number 12B401. The release comes just a few days after the company posted iOS 8.0.2, and just a few hours after reports surfaced claiming that multiple iOS 8 updates were in the works.

We’re currently installing the beta and will be updating this post with any changes we find. If you find any changes from previous versions, be sure to email us at tips@idownloadblog.com or leave a comment below, preferably with a screenshot of the change or addition.

iOS 8.1, iOS 8.2 and iOS 8.3 allegedly coming across 2015

Not one, not two, but three major updates to iOS 8 — iOS 8.1, iOS 8.2 and iOS 8.3 — are in tow for 2015, perhaps signaling that Apple is speeding up its iOS development process, Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac reported Monday.

This would represent a break from Apple's practice of releasing a major new iOS version each Fall, followed-up by a substantial update early in the following year.

Gurman was able to confirm the three upcoming iOS 8 releases via “a developer of a major hardware-connected iOS application” who shared with him their analytics, in addition to traces of iOS 8.1, iOS 8.2 and iOS 8.3 spotted in Google Analytics for 9to5Mac.com.

Some apps on 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could switch to iPad layout in landscape

In a series of tweets, iOS developer Steve Troughton-Smith shared his findings surrounding Apple's iOS Simulator running stock apps at the screen size of the purported 5.5-inch iPhone 6, with dimensions of 736 points x 414 points (1472 x 828 at 2x or 2208 x 1242 at 3x). When viewed in landscape, certain default iOS 8 apps, including Calendar, Contacts, and Game Center, display contents in a divided mode very similar to the layout an iPad uses while in landscape.

These findings indicate that the larger, 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could have a stronger focus on productivity than its smaller 4.7- and 4-inch counterparts. Despite apps functioning normally while in portrait mode, this addition of dividing the landscape app view to display two separate menus would introduce a strong motivation for purchasing the 5.5-inch device over its more manageable companion.

Rumor: larger OS X 10.10 presence at WWDC as some iOS 8 features shift back to iOS 8.1

Reliable blogger Mark Gurman is stepping back from some of his earlier claims regarding rumored iOS 8 features like Healthbook and public transit in Maps.

Apparently, the blogger's sources have had a change of heart, now cautioning that some of the headline features planned for iOS 8.0 (code-named 'Okemo') could be moved to iOS 8.1.

As a result, Apple could place a larger emphasis on the next major release of its desktop operating system for Macs, code-named 'Syrah' after the wine.

It is speculated that the company's been allocating iOS user interface teams to OS X as Apple races to finalize a brand new OS X design in time for WWDC, which kicks off with a keynote on June 2...