On June 30th, Apple released iOS 8.4, the fourth major update to iOS 8. The iOS 8.4 update is available for all iOS 8-compatible devices (i.e., iPhone 4S and newer, iPad 2 and newer, iPad mini and newer, and iPod Touch 4th generation and newer).
ISC recommendation
Informations Systems & Computing (ISC) and other groups across campus have tested iOS 8.4 on many current University apps, including a suite of apps and services listed here:
One compatibility issue has been discovered: Apple has made a change in both iOS 8.4 and OS X 10.10.4 (also released on June 30th) that breaks email compatibility (SMTP) for some servers, including those of the School of Arts & Sciences.
The current version of iOS on a device can be checked by launching the Settings app, selecting General, and then selecting About.
Users of managed iOS devices should consult their LSP before upgrading to iOS 8.4.
Improvements
The most significant change in iOS 8.4 is the addition of the Apple Music streaming service to the Music app. The iBooks, Notes, Newsstand, and Passbook apps have also been updated, there’s a new Audiobooks for CarPlay app, and there are various bug fixes and security patches.
Upgrade notes and best practices
- The iOS 8.4 download ranges between 250 MB and 1.4 GB. Note that iOS 8.4 may require up to 1.5 GB of free space to install.
- The upgrade to iOS 8.4 should not erase any information on the device, but doing a backup with iTunes before applying an iOS upgrade is always advisable.
- The upgrade process takes between 20 and 45 minutes.
Please contact me with comments, questions, or concerns.