iOS 8.0.2 update arrives to fix iPhone 6 loss of service & Touch ID bugs

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Apple replaces faulty iOS 8 update after users complain they lost service and couldn't use Touch ID after installing it

iOS 8.0.2 has been released by Apple to fix the network problems and Touch ID issues the previous iOS update released this week caused for iPhone 6 users.

Apple was forced to withdraw its iOS 8.0.1 update after iPhone 6 users complained that installing it had resulted in them losing network access.

The update also stopped Touch ID, Apple's biometric fingerprint scanner, from working, meaning users could have ended up locked out of their devices.

As a result, Apple issued guidance telling users how to go about rolling back their devices to iOS 8, while promising a full fix for the problems in the coming days.

How to re-install iOS 8 on the iPhone 6

1) Connect your device to iTunes, and back up the data on it.2) Download either the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus file for your device.3) Select the file you just downloaded, and check for updates in iTunes.4) An option to install iOS 8 should appear, so press update.

"You can reinstall 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."

Much to the relief of iPhone 6 users, the consumer electronics giant has now released iOS 8.0.2 to help fix these issues, and several other bugs users have encountered since upgrading from iOS 7 to iOS 8.

These include a bug that prevented HealthKit apps from being made available on the App Store, third-party keyboard issues and a fault that prevented some apps from accessing pictures stored in Photo Library.

The update also addresses the problem of SMS/MMS messages using more data than expected, and a bug that stopped users from uploading pictures and videos to Safari.

News of the network connectivity and Touch ID issues, which appear to be isolated to iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices, caused by iOS 8.0.1 first came to light on Wednesday night, with many Apple users taking to Twitter to report problems after installing the update.

In a statement the company apologised to those affected: "We apologise for the great inconvenience experienced by users, and are working around the clock to prepare iOS 8.0.2 with a fix for the issue."

iOS 8.0.1 was pushed out to users just one week after the major iOS 8 update was released by Apple, and was designed to fix a number of bugs that have emerged in the mobile operating system.

These include Wi-Fi connectivity and battery drain problems, as well as app performance issues.

News of the botched update comes hot on the heels of further complaints by iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users about their devices bending after being in their pockets.

Caroline Donnelly
Caroline Donnelly is the news and analysis editor of IT Pro and its sister site Cloud Pro, and covers general news, as well as the storage, security, public sector, cloud and Microsoft beats. Caroline has been a member of the IT Pro/Cloud Pro team since March 2012, and has previously worked as a reporter at several B2B publications, including UK channel magazine CRN, and as features writer for local weekly newspaper, The Slough and Windsor Observer. She studied Medical Biochemistry at the University of Leicester and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism at PMA Training in 2006.