Apple’s new iOS 14 update could have a tremendous impact on your iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus’ performance.

Earlier this month Apple pulled its iOS 14 operating system and pushed it to millions of iPhone models around the world. The update is available to download right now if you own an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus.

Apple’s decision to push iOS 14 to the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus means the two devices will get another year of software support and that means many of you can hold off on upgrading to a new iPhone model in 2020 and beyond.

iOS 14 is a massive upgrade and it includes a nice mix of new features, upgrades, and under-the-hood improvements.

A ton of iPhone 8 users have already made the jump to the new operating system which means we’re getting a lot of feedback about it.

The software could have a positive impact on your phone’s overall performance. Some users are noticing improved battery life and stability.

We’re also hearing a growing number of problems. Some iOS 14 users have stumbled upon performance issues and a number of annoying bugs.

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If you decide to install iOS 14 on your iPhone, the download requires a nice chunk of space on your internal storage. If you’re moving up from an older version of iOS the upgrade could be massive. That’s because the features and fixes from the updates you skipped are included.

With that in mind, we want to guide you through the most important things to know right now about the iPhone 8’s iOS 14 update.

It’ll take you through the software’s current problems, provide you with some fixes for common issues, fill you in on the iOS 13 downgrade, and a whole lot more.

We’ve been using the iPhone 8’s iOS 14 update for a few days now so we’ll start with some quick impressions about its performance.

iPhone 8 iOS 14 Impressions & Performance

We installed iOS 14 on the iPhone 8 shortly after Apple pushed it live. Our device was previously running iOS 13.7 and it took about 20 minutes for the installation to complete.

As for the software’s performance, iOS 14 has been running pretty smoothly on our device. The software feels snappy and we haven’t encountered any UI lag in key areas like Control Center, Notification Center, or the keyboard. Apps open up quickly on our device and animations and transitions feel fluid.

We haven’t encountered any abnormal battery drain and connectivity (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS) is strong at the moment.

Our primary apps, which include the likes of Slack, Asana, Spotify, Chrome, and Gmail, are all stable right now. If you’re having issues with an app on your device, developers are rolling out iOS 14 support updates. If you run into trouble, try downloading the latest version because it could stabilize performance.

We haven’t encountered any debilitating bugs or performance issues yet, but we’ll let you know if that changes. The software is still new and there’s always a chance a bug, or three, pops up down the road.

If you’re currently on the fence about a move from iOS 13 to iOS 14, take a look at our list of reasons to, and not to, install iOS 14 right now.

You Should Prepare for iOS 14

If you plan to install iOS 14 today or at some point in the near future, make sure you prepare yourself, and your device, for the move. Doing so will help you avoid headaches.

If you don’t know where to start, have a look at our pre-installation guide. It will take you step-by-step through the process we use before we install new iOS software on our iPhones.

If you don’t have a lot of time to devote to the pre-installation process, you’ll want to at least spend time making sure all of your data is backed up properly.

iPhone 8 iOS 14 Problems & Fixes

iOS 14 is treating our iPhone 8 well, but others have run into problems. Some of these issues are brand new, others have carried over from iOS 13.

The current list of iOS 14 problems includes weird battery drain, crashes, various issues with first and third-party apps, Touch ID issues, Exchange issues, Wi-Fi issues, UI lag, and more.

This is an early list and we expect it to grow as more people download iOS 14. If you’re feeling leery, it might be a good idea to wait for Apple’s first batch of fixes.

If you run into an issue with the software there’s a very good chance you’ll be able to solve the problem on your own.

We’ve released a list of fixes for the most common iOS 14 problems and it’s a great place to start if you don’t have an encyclopedia of fixes stored inside your head.

If your iPhone 8’s battery life takes a major hit after the move to iOS 14, we have a list of tips that should help you improve battery life going forward.

And if you’re running into bad performance (lag, slow download speeds, etc), have a look at our guide to fixing bad iOS 14 performance.

iOS 13 Downgrade Open

If you’ve moved your iPhone 8or iPhone 8 Plus to iOS 14, and you’re dealing with issues, you could try moving your phone back to iOS 13.

Apple is currently signing on iOS 13.7 which means you can drop your device’s software back in an attempt to improve its performance.

The company won’t sign on iOS 13 forever. So if you really want to get your phone off iOS 14, you’ll need to move back soon. Once Apple stops signing on iOS 13.7, there won’t be a way back to iOS 13.

If you’re unfamiliar with the downgrade process, take a look at our guide.

iPhone 8 iOS 14 Update: What’s New

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus get most of iOS 14 has to offer. The two devices do miss out on a few features which you can learn more about over on Apple’s website.

All of the core upgrades are there though. The list includes Widgets on the home screen, improvements to Messages and Maps, the new Translate app, and a whole lot more.

We’ve released a guide that will take you through some of iOS 14’s best features and it’s worth a look if you haven’t spent any time digging into the software.

If you’re moving your phone from an older version of iOS 13 to iOS 14 you’ll, again, get the features and fixes from the updates you skipped.

We’ve also released a guide that goes over the latest iOS 13 features so make sure you check it out if you’re curious about the most recent versions of iOS 13.

What’s Next for the iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 Plus

If your iPhone is having a hard time on iOS 14, or you’re feeling a bit nervous about the move, you won’t have to wait long for fixes.

Apple recently told CNET that it is “aware of an issue that can impact default email and browser settings in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 and that a “fix will be available to users in a software update.”

The company recently confirmed an iOS 14.2 update and we’ve also heard that Apple might release iOS 14.1 alongside the iPhone 12 series in October. We could also see a fast iOS 14.0.1 release.

We should see a new version of iOS 14 roll out sooner rather than later so those of you dealing with issues should keep an eye out as we push through the month.

iPhone 8 iOS 14 Jailbreak

Don’t upgrade your iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus to iOS 14 if you’re jailbroken or want to jailbreak.

The developer team behind the Checkra1n jailbreaking tool for iOS has released version 0.11.0 which adds support for iOS 14. The tool works with the following devices:

iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and SE

iPad (5th generation)

‌iPad‌ Air 2

‌iPad‌ mini 4

iPad Pro (1st generation)

Apple TV 4 and 4K

The team says it hopes to bring support to newer models like the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X in the future, but we don’t have a timeline right now. If you want to jailbreak, you need to stay on iOS 13.

Earlier this year the developers behind the “unc0ver” jailbreaking tool released version 5.0.0. It’s compatible with iOS 13.5 and most versions of iOS that fall between iOS 13.5 and iOS 11.0. That said, it doesn’t work with iOS 12.3-12.3.2, iOS 12.4.2-12.4.5, or iOS 13.7-iOS 13.5.1.

For more on the iOS 13 jailbreak, head here.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 14 & 11 Reasons You Should

Last update on 2020-09-22. This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to read our disclosure policy for more details. Images via Amazon API