Apple released a support document confirming that it's working on an iOS 8.0.2 update to fix the issues caused by the release of iOS 8.0.1.
On Wednesday, Sept. 24, Apple released its iOS 8.0.1 update, which instead of making things better on all fronts, ended up disabling the Touch ID fingerprint sensor and the cellular service on many iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones.
The company said that it was looking into the matter and will provide updates on its progress, and it has now released a support document announcing that an iOS 8.0.2 update is in the works and will roll out soon to patch things up.
"We have a workaround for you if you have an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus and you lost cellular service and Touch ID functionality after updating to iOS 8.0.1," reads the support document, which for now recommends reinstalling iOS 8 through iTunes. "We are also preparing iOS 8.0.2 with a fix for the issue, and will release it as soon as it's ready in the next few days."
The support document in question also offers a step-by-step guide on how to reinstall iOS 8 through iTunes, as a temporary fix until iOS 8.0.2 is ready to roll out.
In order to reinstall iOS 8.0, you will first have to make sure you have the very latest version of iTunes installed. Once that's covered, back up your iPhone in iTunes on your Mac or PC, as iCloud backups will not restore to earlier versions, which include iOS 8.0. Next up, download the file for the iPhone 6 here, or for the iPhone 6 Plus at this link. The next step is to select the downloaded file in iTunes either by pressing the Option key and clicking "Check for Update" if you're using a Mac, or by pressing the Shift key and selecting "Check for Update" if you're using a PC. Lastly, press Update and iOS 8 will install on your iPhone.
It's worth pointing out that the Health app will not work in iOS 8 after this, but it will be up and running again once the iOS 8.0.2 update kicks in.
Although Apple has pulled the buggy iOS 8.0.1 over-the-air (OTA) update one hour and fifteen minutes after rolling it out, that time frame when it was available was apparently enough to leave many iOS users with affected smartphones.
As a reminder, iOS 8.0.1 was supposed to fix a HealthKit bug that marred the release of iOS 8, causing Apple to pull all HealthKit-related apps from the App Store. The update fixed that bug and brought other tweaks to third-party keyboards, Photo Library, Reachability, SMS/MMS messages, and more, but also did some notable damage in the process.
The new iOS 8.0.2 update should roll out within the next few days to fix what iOS 8.0.1 broke, hopefully not doing more damage of its own. We'll keep you up to date as soon as more details become available, so stay tuned.
