2G, 3G or LTE Toggle in iOS 8.1

Finally 2G, 3G or LTE Toggle in iOS 8.1

Finally Apple released iOS 8.1 on Monday, October 20 with a number of bug fixes, improvements and new features.  iOS 8.1 also addressed one of the major annoyances and glitches for users in some countries where there is still poor 3G or 4G LTE coverage by giving users an option to switch to 2G, 3G or LTE as desired by many iPhone Lovers.

Since there are still quite a few areas in some countries that have poor 3G coverage India, Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil and Mongolia. IPhone users who lived in such areas and countries used to disable 3G to extend their iPhone’s battery life, and relied on the slower 2G (EDGE) connection, which was possible in iOS 7 or earlier. So they were annoyed when the option to disable 3G was not present after upgrading to iOS 8 or 8.01/8.02.

As mentioned in the release notes, Apple has added an option to select between 2G, 3G or LTE for cellular data. Let’s take a look at the revised option. It’s quite simple, here’s how to switch to 2G, 3G or LTE for cellular data:

§  Go to Settings.

§  Tap on Cellular/Mobile.

§  Tap on Voice & Data.

§  Tap on Either LTE, 3G or 2G as per your requirement from the list of options.

That’s it. Your iPhone should now use the appropriate mobile speed for cellular data.

We’ve received quite a few complaints from our readers that they’re not seeing the Voice & Data option. I’m not sure why exactly everyone is not seeing this option. This could be related to your carrier or glitch while upgrading to iOS 8.1.

One may want to check if there are any new Carrier Settings that you need to download to address the issue. This is a probability or a probable solution for those who are not getting the 2G, 3G or LTE toggle in spite of upgrading the iPhone to iOS 8.1. I will suggest or recommend getting in touch with Apple Care 1800-4250-744 for detailed information and solution.

Update Carrier Settings

To manually check if a new Carrier Settings is available for download, connection your iPhone running iOS 8.1 to the computer, launch iTunes and click on the “Check of Updates”. If there is a new Carrier Settings, then you should get the following popup informing you that “An update to the carrier settings for your iPhone is available”. Click on Download and Update button to install the new carrier settings.

You should get an option to update carrier settings automatically, but you can check it manually like this. If you’ve the latest carrier settings, then you’ll get a message telling you that “This version of the iPhone software is the current version.”

If that doesn’t help then you may want to contact your carrier to find out how to fix the issue. You can find the version number of the carrier settings in the Settings app (Settings > About > Version).

This is a probability or a probable solution for those who are not getting the 2G, 3G or LTE toggle in spite of upgrading the iPhone to iOS 8.1. I will suggest or recommend getting in touch with Apple Care 1800-4250-744 for detailed information and solution if the above solution doesn’t work out.

All the best and enjoy 2G, 3G and LTE in iPhone seamlessly, do post and suggest to make the site better.

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How to upgrade/downgrade iOS

With the OTA (Over The Air) upgrades and push notifications it had becoming easier for the end user to get the devices upgraded or patch update or any firmware upgrade. Earlier we had to visit service center and wait in queue to get the device up-to date loosing on important data in the device.

All thanks to the technology which had made our work easier without even loosing on our important data. We can upgrade online (requires active mobile internet or Wi-Fi).

If the file size is small then your Device Mobile/Cellular Data can handle the requirement however it is recommended to connect to Wi-Fi network for any large file size. Also it lessen the chance of disconnection as the device might boot in the process. We can always get the device upgraded through the software (iTunes) which is much easier and safe (require a system with Internet).

Note – We can only upgrade our device with the above process.

Many user are unaware of the process so end up coughing good money to the vendors to get back to previous OS in their handset. It gives us the choice to download the best working OS for the device.

One doesn’t need to be an expert but certainly require basic understanding to carry out the process himself. With the below mentioned process the user can downgrade their device OS to the last working version. Very recently after the release of iOS 8 users were not getting option to toggle between 2G & 3G hence they wanted to shift back to the previous iOS version 7.1.

Below is the detailed process along with screen shot to able you to understand better.

Step 1

Download relevant OS from www.ipswdownloader.com/download-iphone-ipsw-files.php

Step 2

Open iTunes, requires the latest version.

Step 3

Select the device and Go To Summary Tab

Step 4

Hold the Shift Button and click on update.

Step 5

Select the file from proper path containing the downloaded OS (.ipsw file).

Step 6

Click on update

Update process begins and one can see the progress on the Top (Extracting Software).

Step 7

Click on apply, it will upload the latest file and settings.

Step 8

It takes approximately 45 minutes to complete the process depending the quality of connection and system. Once the process is completed the device will turn on stating that the process is successful.

Please share your inputs if you find the article useful.

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iOS 8 to 8.0.1 to 8.0.2

Apple recovering from iOS 8 to 8.0.1 to 8.0.2 and more???

Apple released iOS 8 stating that it’s the biggest iOS release ever and indeed it turned out to be true. There were some big time changes in the Messages, Photos, Camera and Health but at the same time Apple had to work on updates in not less than 24 hours of the release. Moreover the issue doesn’t seems to completely get resolved even after two subsequent releases.

Majority of the users especially in India, Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil, Bulgaria, and Mongolia were not getting button to toggle between 3G and 2G instead could toggle between LTE and 3G.

iPhone 6 and 6 plus users when upgraded their device to 8.0.1 lost the Touch ID and even had issues in Network reception. However post upgrading it to 8.0.2 few issues were resolved but few of them are still lingering. Overall we can say that Apple still have to work and come-up a full concrete compact upgrade and resolve the issue of the users who had paid more than 65k to get the phone.

iOS 8.0.1

While the iOS 8 update delivered a number of new features to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users, it also delivered a number of iOS 8 problems.

Apple released iOS 8's first update, iOS 8.0.1, Wednesday morning. But no sooner had Apple released the update than iPhone users began reporting serious problems, seemingly caused by the update, including a total loss of cell service and unusable Touch ID. Sixty minutes after its release, Apple claims that about 40,000 people were affected before Apple removed the update from its Developer Center and disabled the over-the-air download for the software.

Some notable bugs that have been reported numerous crashes and general instability with Google Chrome. Spotify and Sound cloud. Few smaller issues including keyboard lag and crashes when using the Mail application. These issues are infrequent but they’ve been extremely annoying. FaceTime Audio continues to be a pain point as well though I am certain that it probably has to do with connection strength on Wi-Fi and LTE and not with iOS 8.

Just 24 hours later, Apple made good on its promise to fix those issues. Late Thursday, Apple pushed out iOS 8.0.2, an update similar to iOS 8.0.1 but one that came with fixes for those iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus problems. And despite the arrival of Apple’s iOS 8.1 beta, iOS 8.0.2 remains the current iOS 8 update for iPhone and iPad users.

iOS 8.0.2

Like the iOS 8 and iOS 8.0.1 updates before it, iOS 8.0.2 arrived with a change log full of bug fixes and promised the users to resolve the below mentioned issues/bugs…

·         Fixes a bug so Health Kit apps can now be made available on the App Store

·         Addresses an issue where 3rd party keyboards could become deselected when a user enters their passcode

·         Fixes an issue that prevented some apps from accessing photos from the Photo Library

·         Improves the reliability of the Reachability feature on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

·         Fixes an issue that could cause unexpected cellular data usage when receiving SMS/MMS messages

·         Better support of Ask To Buy for Family Sharing for In-App Purchases

·         Fixes an issue where ringtones were sometimes not restored from iCloud backups

·         Fixes a bug that prevented uploading photos and videos from Safari

Not everyone is experiencing iOS 8.0.2 problems though. Find below what few users had to say post upgrading iPhone to iOS 8 and iOS 8.0.2.

"After updating to iOS 8.0.2, I have problems with my cellular reception on iPhone 5s and no service appears every few minutes," said one user who posted in Apple's support communities forum.

Some users complained about losing connectivity with text messages and phone calls while others complained about poor Wi-Fi connectivity on their iPad Air and iPhone 6 Plus. They noted that Internet speeds have slowed down and even reached zero in some instances. While rebooting their devices has helped, the situation was only temporary as the issue persisted.

"After updating to iOS 8.0.2, [I] have problems with my cellular reception on iPhone 5s. No service appears every few minutes," added another user in the forum.

Other comments came from owners of iPad and iPad mini, who complained about Bluetooth, battery life and random crashes, among other glitches.

However, iPhone and iPad users that have updated to iOS 8.0.2 are complaining about an assortment of issues including bad iOS 8.0.2 battery life, iMessage and FaceTime issues, problems with Mail, cellular issues,various network problems, battery drain, AirPrint issues, iCloud Drive documents problems related to Reset All Settings, the usual array of Bluetooth problems, a number of issues with the iPhone 4sincluding connectivity problems, iOS 8.0.2 problems on the iPhone 6, and many, many more.

It should be noted that the iOS 8.0.2 update was released few days back and has been installed by millions of iPhone and iPad users and It seems that the demand on the update was just too much for Apple to handle as users still experience glitches. Hope Apple will come up with a Final update thus silencing all its critics.

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No 2G/3G Toggle Option in iOS 8 for iPhone Users

All the users who had upgraded their iPhone to new iOS8 are unhappy with the update. They are not getting option to switch between 3G and 2G instead they can switch between LTE and 3G which was not case in iOS 7.1. Infact in many countries LTE is not available hence having the option doesn’t suits their requirement. Many of those who have opted for 2G pack are unable to use as they are not in 3G or contract. 

Here is an explanation:

On iPhones running iOS 7 firmware, there was an option to turn ON or turn OFF 3G network whenever required thereby giving them liberty to choose 2G (EDGE) mode if they are not in 3G zone or have not opted for 3G services.

Users can go into the Settings menu, tap on Cellular and look for the “Enable 3G” button.

This simple option allowed users to disable 3G and switch to 2G/EDGE/GPRS Internet. However, it’s possible only on iOS 7 firmware. 

Who all are effected with the missing 3G Button?

Upgrade your iPhone 5s, 5c, 5, to the new iOS 8 and you will notice there is no 3G toggle option anymore however iPhone 4s does have that option (Tested with mine own).

Apple probably believed the whole world connects to the Internet over LTE, 4G and Wi-Fi network, which is absolutely not true.

The issue is not limited to India as many other users worldwide are complaining. On the Apple forum, we have seen many users from Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil, Bulgaria, and Mongolia looking to switch from 3G to 2G Internet without any luck.

Apple view on the missing 3G Button

Apple hasn’t officially responded to this 2G/3G problem. When questioned the Apple support team, they requested customers to talk to the carrier network. Only the carrier network can solve this problem and automatically switch your cellular data from 3G to 2G. Carrier settings need to be pushed into the handsets which will enable the option. However under huge pressure Apple care had assured to raise the issue with the Developers and seek resolution. But till then one had to live with it.

How it affects the users

Most of the users are in 2G plan hence the switch off 3G from the settings. If you have paid for the 2G data plan, you will be charged separately for using 3G.

The problem doesn’t end here. Having 3G activated in the background leads to two more major problems:

•        Poor network/signal (No Network)
•        Charged battery drains quickly

Work around or interim solution

Many users had tried all permutation combination but had failed to produce any solution. So what’s the ultimate solution to this big 3G bug or miss? For now, if you prefer using 2G over 3G, you can downgrade iPhone from iOS 8 to iOS 7.1.2 firmware. And if Apple stops signing iOS 7.1.2 firmware, you will never be able to downgrade to older firmwares again. The ultimate solution for this problem is in the hands of Apple as Only they have the keys to include “Enable 3G” option in the next update.

Techspecs Expert View

As already informed the issue is with few users and not all users are effected then certainly there is a miss or correlation between the operator and Apple. Which they need to acknowledge and work on to facilitate the end users.

One of the user said that he is using iPhone with Airtel and had upgraded to iOS8.  Post upgrading he is getting option of switching off LTE/4G. Once the same is done it automatically switches to 3G the next preferred network and then to 2G only if the 3G signal is poor. As we all know most of the high end handsets works with the functionality to take the best/strongest connection available.

Hence there should be a separate 3G toggle as well so that people can switch to 2G even if 4G is available.

What are your thoughts about this? Let us know through your likes and comments below.

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FaceTime and iMessage - Activation and Troubleshooting

FaceTime is Apple's video calling service. It allows anyone with a recent iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Mac to make free calls to any other Apple user over Wi-Fi or cellular connection. On the iPhone, FaceTime is bundled into the Phone app. On the iPod touch, iPad, and Mac, FaceTime is a separate app. 

Techspecs - FaceTime

On all devices, FaceTime can connect to any Apple-registered iPhone phone number or email address. That makes it perfect for keeping in touch with family who lives far away, with the kids while traveling, with business partners at distant offices, or even with that special someone while shopping for the perfect gift.

With iOS 7, Apple added FaceTime Audio as a way to make voice calls over the same network.

Apple originally announced that they would release FaceTime as an open standard so that third parties to create FaceTime for Android, FaceTime for PC, etc. So far, that hasn't happened till date but we will be eagerly waiting for it.

FaceTime and iMessage Activation

iPhone automatically registers your phone number for use with FaceTime and iMessage however you can also use your Apple ID.

•        To use FaceTime with your Apple ID, navigate to Settings > FaceTime and tap "Use your Apple ID for FaceTime."
•        To use iMessage with your Apple ID, navigate to Settings > Messages > Receive At and tap "Use your Apple ID for iMessage."

When you enable FaceTime or iMessage with an iPad or iPod touch, you need to enter a valid Apple ID and password. Other users will be able to contact you on FaceTime and iMessage using this email address.

FaceTime and iMessage Troubleshooting

If you see "Waiting for Activation", "Activation unsuccessful", or "An error occurred during activation".

These messages occur when your iPhone is trying to activate your phone number with iMessage or FaceTime.

To resolve these status messages, follow these steps. After each step, turn FaceTime and iMessage off and on again in Settings > Messages and Settings > FaceTime.

1.    Update to the latest version of iOS.

2.    Make sure that you have a cellular network connection with your cellular provider. You need a cellular network connection to activate iMessage and FaceTime with your iPhone phone number.

3.       Go to www.apple.com in Safari to make sure that you have a data connection. You need a data connection to activate iMessage and FaceTime with your iPhone phone number.

4.    Make sure that you can send and receive SMS. You need a valid SMS messaging plan to activate FaceTime and iMessage.

5.    Make sure that FaceTime hasn't been restricted: tap Settings > General > Restrictions > FaceTime.

6.    Set iPhone to the correct time zone: tap Settings > General > Date & Time.
Note: If Set Automatically is on but the incorrect time zone appears, turn Set Automatically off and choose the correct time zone, date, and time.

7.    Contact your carrier to verify that there are no restrictions, blocks, or filters on text messages. Restrictions, blocks, or filters on text messaging will prevent iMessage and FaceTime registration from completing.

If "Waiting for Activation" still appears after you perform these steps, turn FaceTime and iMessage off and on in Settings > Messages and Settings > FaceTime. You may need to wait up to 24 hours to complete activation. Most attempts will take less than an hour, but some attempts may take up to 24 hours. If your issue isn't resolved after 24 hours, please contact Apple care 18004250744 for assistance. If you've recently performed a remote wipe on your iPhone, wait 24 hours from the time you performed the remote wipe, and then turn iMessage off then back on.

You can still activate iMessage and FaceTime with your Apple ID when these status messages appear. You can see that you've activated FaceTime and iMessage with your Apple ID by tapping:

§  Settings > FaceTime > You can be reached by FaceTime at:

§  Settings > Messages > Send & Receive > You can be reached by iMessage at:

If you see "Could not sign in, please check your network connection and try again" when signing in to your Apple ID

please the below steps if the you find the above error while sign-in to FaceTime of iMessage.

1.    Update to the latest version of iOS.

2.    Verify that you have a data connection by going to www.apple.com in Safari. You can complete Apple ID activation using Wi-Fi or a cellular data connection. If you need help connecting to Wi-Fi, follow these steps.

3.    If you're using Wi-Fi, make sure that your local Wi-Fi network is using the recommended Wi-Fi settings.

4.    Sign in to your account and ensure that the primary email address and alternate e-mail addresses have been verified. If verification is pending, follow the instructions in the email Apple sent to that email address to complete verification. Or remove the e-mail addresses from the account.

5.    If your Apple ID isn't an email address, you can change it. The Apple ID that you're using to activate FaceTime or iMessage must be an email address. Find more information on how to change your Apple ID.

6.    Tap Settings > General > Date & Time. Make sure that your iPhone is set to the correct time zone. If Set Automatically is on but the wrong time zone appears, turn Set Automatically off and choose the correct time zone, date, and time.

7.    Enable iMessage and FaceTime while connected to a different Wi-Fi network (in a different location) if a cellular data connection is not available.

You can see that you've activated FaceTime and iMessage with your Apple ID by following these steps.

§  Tap Settings > FaceTime > You can be reached by FaceTime at:

§  Tap Settings > Messages > Send & Receive > You can be reached by iMessage at:

If you see "Unable to verify email because it is already in use" when signing in to your Apple ID

Many a times we find that iMessage or FaceTime is unable to verify the Apple ID or says already in use, to resolve this issue, follow the below steps.

1. This error message means that your email address is associated with another Apple ID. It could be tied to Game Center, iTunes Store, or another service. Try using your Apple ID for those services to log in to FaceTime or iMessage on your device.
2. If you wish to use a separate Apple ID for FaceTime or iMessage, unlink the email address from any other Apple ID before using it as a separate Apple ID for FaceTime or iMessage.
3.  If you would like to change your Apple ID to another email address, go to My Apple ID and follow the below instructions to change your Apple ID.

How to change the Apple ID associated with the device

In most cases, your Apple ID is also the primary email address of your Apple ID account. You can change your Apple ID to any address, except an address used by another Apple ID. You can change the address of any Apple ID, except an Apple ID that ends with @icloud.com, @me.com, or @mac.com.

1.    Sign out of iCloud, the iTunes Store, App Store, FaceTime, Find My Friends, Find My iPhone, and iMessage on each device that uses your current Apple ID for these services.

2.    Go to My Apple ID (appleid.apple.com).

3.    Select “Manage your Apple ID” and sign in. Forgot your password?

4.    Select Edit next to “Apple ID and Primary Email Address.”

5.    Enter the email address to use as your Apple ID, then select Save Changes. Apple will send a verification email to that address.

6.    Open the email from Apple, then click Verify Now in the email. Didn't receive the email?

7.    When the My Apple ID page opens, sign in with your renamed Apple ID.

8.    When you see a message that verification is complete, you can begin using your renamed Apple ID. You should also update the features and services that you use with Apple ID.

If you've waited 24 hours and still can't activate FaceTime or iMessage

If you're still unable to resolve the symptoms above after performing these troubleshooting steps, please contact Apple care 18004250744 for assistance.

To sign out of your Apple ID

Go to Settings > FaceTime, tap your Apple ID, and select Sign Out.

Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive, tap your Apple ID, and select Sign Out.

Additional Information

FaceTime may not be available in all countries or regions. hence it is always recommended to check the cokpatibility. On iPhone, SMS messaging is required to activate FaceTime and iMessage for use with your phone number. Depending on your carrier, you may be charged for this SMS.

Although the application comes inbuilt with the device it is seldom used as it only communicates with the Apple product. Apple initially thought of allowing it for cross platform but due to some legalities they have to abandon the plan.

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