iOS 8 Now Installed on 68 Percent of Active iOS Devices

ios_8_adoption_5jan14Since launching in September alongside the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, iOS 8 has seen its adoption rate grow to 68 percent of compatible iOS devices, according to new numbers posted on the Apple Developer Support page.

With Apple updating data publicly every few weeks, this latest data point represents a four percentage point bump in adoption since the last update on December 23. The significant increase highlights Apple's strong performance in device activation numbers over the holidays to add to the company's iOS 8 user base.

Over the longer term, installation numbers are up 5 percentage points over the past month and up 12 percentage points in the past two months. iOS 7 usage has seen an understandable decline as its successor has gained ground, with the older operating system dropping from 33 percent in December to 29 percent in January. Earlier iOS versions represent just 4 percent of the current App Store user base.

Apple initially faced multiple issues following iOS 8's launch, including what has progressed to a lawsuit over storage space needed to install the OS on smaller GB devices, but the adoption rate has steadily increased as users have decided to upgrade and purchases of devices with iOS 8 preinstalled have increased.

Apple has brought a number of bug fixes and addressed some more significant flaws with recent updates such as iOS 8.1, iOS 8.1.1, and iOS 8.1.2. The company is also continuing to work on iOS 8.2, seeding a third beta to developers in mid-December. In addition to bug fixes and other improvements, iOS 8.2 will include support for integrating with the upcoming Apple Watch.

Related Forum: iOS 8

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
airpods color prototypes

Apple Tested AirPods in Bright Colors

Saturday December 27, 2025 6:06 am PST by
Apple reportedly tested a version of the first-generation AirPods with bright, iPhone 5c-like colored charging cases. The images, shared by the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami," claim to show first-generation AirPods prototypes with pink and yellow exterior casings. The interior of the charging case and the earbuds themselves remain white. They seem close to some...

Top Rated Comments

MH01 Avatar
143 months ago
Naturally the number will go up as new devices come with iOS 8 pre-installed. Be interesting what the number would be if people got the choice to downgrade to 7.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MattMJB0188 Avatar
143 months ago
I take great pleasure still being on iOS 7.1.2. I will never put the garbage that is iOS 8 on my iPhone 5S.

Still rockin iOS 6 on my iPad 3, too. Will never upgrade that either.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jsameds Avatar
143 months ago
Same happens every year. People championing the fact they are on iOS x-1.

Apparently being one behind is cool.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yvan256 Avatar
143 months ago
Same here…. not sure why anyone would stay on iOS7 at this point??? We have iOS8 on an iPhone 5, 6 and iPad II with no issues on any of them.

I get the impression there's a very vocal minority that wants to just trash on anything Apple without any merit behind their rants.
They may be a very vocal minority, but they are not Android users bashing Apple products. They are Apple users preferring an older Apple product to a newer Apple product.

The same principle goes for OS X and Apple hardware. Changing things that used to work with new features that only do half the things the old one could do is not a good thing for the users.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HenryDJP Avatar
143 months ago
I take great pleasure still being on iOS 7.1.2. I will never put the garbage that is iOS 8 on my iPhone 5S.

Still rockin iOS 6 on my iPad 3, too. Will never upgrade that either.
Many people feel iOS7 was pure garbage.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MattMJB0188 Avatar
143 months ago
Why? running iOS 8 without any issues on a 5s.

What are you worried about.

Maybe so. However, 7.1.2 is still more optimized and fluid. I have played with an iPhone 5S running 8.1.1.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)