*Tricky situation* iOS 16+ on iPhone 8 Plus? 🤔 What would you do?

[LetteIT]

Hello, everyone!

Can anyone share their experience on having iOS 16+ installed on iPhone 8 Plus? And, maybe, with its old battery on board? How does your iPhone function? In theory, it should work fine, cause iPhone 8 Plus is intended to support this iOS version. But I’m concerned about possible very poor battery life, lagging and overheating. Did you experience anything of that?

My situation is that I own iPhone 8 Plus, 64gb with its initial battery for 5 and a half years now, and it still runs iOS 11.0 (well, it just so happened…). It’s in very good condition. I love the overall quality of the device, its big IPS screen! But Apple Services like App Store, Apple Music, etc. recently stopped working completely on it. Battery seems to be +/- fine, but I can’t really see its Maximum Capacity, because iOS 11.0 doesn’t support this function.

I’m considering getting a new phone in the nearest future, but also want to continue using iPhone 8 Plus.

What would be your advice? Should I risk and install iOS 16+? What are the chances that it will run ok and I’ll get fully functioning iPhone with it? Will I instantly need to change the battery? Or, chances are, it will still be laggy and bearly usable?

Or should I leave it as it is and use this phone only for some basic tasks? And also, will I still be able to install iOS 16+ on my iPhone 8 Plus even when iOS 17 will come out (iPhone 8 Plus won’t get iOS 17, if i'm not mistaken)?

 

[Populus]

If you had iOS 14 or 15, I’d tell you stay there (I’m still on iOS 15.7 on my iPhone 8). But you’re on a really old version. For many apps, the minimum requirement is iOS 12 because that system came with many new APIs. iOS 13 brought Dark Mode… it’s not only that you’re missing the new features from iOS 13, 14 and 15, it’s also about the security patches.

I don’t know what to tell you, honestly. On iOS 15 the iPhone 8 runs pretty well, but I remember that it was even snappier with iOS 14. It’s possible that you’ll notice a drop in performance and battery life if you update to iOS 16.6, although many people say it’s not terrible. And in my opinion, it could be worth it for the security and features you’re missing.

However if that’s going to be an auxiliary mobile phone and you’re not going to store sensitive data there once you switch to the new one, I’d leave it with iOS 11. If you’re going to use it for iMessage tho, again, you might be missing on key features.

There’s no hurry, if you don’t want to update now, you’ll be able to install the latest version of iOS 16 even when iOS 17 gets released, because the iPhone 8, 8+ and X aren’t receiving iOS 17.

 

[LetteIT]

If you had iOS 14 or 15, I’d tell you stay there (I’m still on iOS 15.7 on my iPhone 8). But you’re on a really old version. For many apps, the minimum requirement is iOS 12 because that system came with many new APIs. iOS 13 brought Dark Mode… it’s not only that you’re missing the new features from iOS 13, 14 and 15, it’s also about the security patches.

I don’t know what to tell you, honestly. On iOS 15 the iPhone 8 runs pretty well, but I remember that it was even snappier with iOS 14. It’s possible that you’ll notice a drop in performance and battery life if you update to iOS 16.6, although many people say it’s not terrible. And in my opinion, it could be worth it for the security and features you’re missing.

However if that’s going to be an auxiliary mobile phone and you’re not going to store sensitive data there once you switch to the new one, I’d leave it with iOS 11. If you’re going to use it for iMessage tho, again, you might be missing on key features.

There’s no hurry, if you don’t want to update now, you’ll be able to install the latest version of iOS 16 even when iOS 17 gets released, because the iPhone 8, 8+ and X aren’t receiving iOS 17.

Thank you for your response! How old is your iPhone 8? Does it still have its original battery? Are you ok with its battery life on iOS 15.7?

 

[Populus]

Thank you for your response! How old is your iPhone 8? Does it still have its original battery? Are you ok with its battery life on iOS 15.7?

To be honest, I’ve got used to it, but frankly, even staying at 15.7 and having replaced my battery five months ago (this is the third battery counting the original one), some days I have to charge it at the middle of the day, and some days I run out of battery at 7 or 8PM, and that’s without social network apps such as Facebook or Instagram, known to be battery drainers. That’s why I’m thinking about getting a newer iPhone.

My iPhone 8 is five years old, because I didn’t purchase it during the launch year, but a year after when it dropped the price. And honestly, it’s one of the iPhone I’ve enjoyed the most, that’s why I still use it. The only thing is the battery life and sometimes the performance, although in iOS 15 is still quite good.

However, I don’t think you can update to iOS 15.7 right now, it’s not signed anymore.

Your only chance right now is updating to iOS 16.6, or waiting to iOS 16.7 if it gets released next month. You have to take into account that the iPhone 8 Plus has a bigger battery, and it will probably have better battery life than my iPhone 8, but I’d say it will be worse than on iOS 11.

I don’t know what else to say, @17fox has the same model as you, and @BugeyeSTI has an iPhone X, both on iOS 16.6, maybe they can give you their opinion, or you can take a look at the iOS 16.6 thread.

 

[FeliApple]

iOS 16.6 will obliterate your iPhone 8. I’d just keep it as a backup for whatever it can do on iOS 11 and just get another iPhone on a newer version of iOS.

 

[17fox]

Hello, everyone!

Can anyone share their experience on having iOS 16+ installed on iPhone 8 Plus? And, maybe, with its old battery on board? How does your iPhone function? In theory, it should work fine, cause iPhone 8 Plus is intended to support this iOS version. But I’m concerned about possible very poor battery life, lagging and overheating. Did you experience anything of that?

My situation is that I own iPhone 8 Plus, 64gb with its initial battery for 5 and a half years now, and it still runs iOS 11.0 (well, it just so happened…). It’s in very good condition. I love the overall quality of the device, its big IPS screen! But Apple Services like App Store, Apple Music, etc. recently stopped working completely on it. Battery seems to be +/- fine, but I can’t really see its Maximum Capacity, because iOS 11.0 doesn’t support this function.

I’m considering getting a new phone in the nearest future, but also want to continue using iPhone 8 Plus.

What would be your advice? Should I risk and install iOS 16+? What are the chances that it will run ok and I’ll get fully functioning iPhone with it? Will I instantly need to change the battery? Or, chances are, it will still be laggy and bearly usable?

Or should I leave it as it is and use this phone only for some basic tasks? And also, will I still be able to install iOS 16+ on my iPhone 8 Plus even when iOS 17 will come out (iPhone 8 Plus won’t get iOS 17, if i'm not mistaken)?

My iPhone 8 Plus is as old as yours with the original battery (85% health - I charge it every few days and I didn't use it between 2019-2021). When it comes to iOS 16, the performance is quite okay as for an iPhone from 2017. There are sometimes minor lags across the system, I have recently noticed one when I was changing the wallpaper from the lock screen. However, I wouldn't say that they bother me. Battery life is good in my experience and I haven't noticed any kind of overheating. It is also worth mentioning that my tasks for this phone are quite simple (WhatsApp, phone calls and messaging), so I don't know how would it cope with heavier usage.

If I were you, I'd install iOS 16 to use all the services and apps. Of course, you will be able to install it when iOS 17 releases to the public (Unfortunately, 8, 8 Plus and X won't get it).

 

[17fox]

My iPhone 8 Plus is as old as yours with the original battery (85% health - I charge it every few days and I didn't use it between 2019-2021). When it comes to iOS 16, the performance is quite okay as for an iPhone from 2017. There are sometimes minor lags across the system, I have recently noticed one when I was changing the wallpaper from the lock screen. However, I wouldn't say that they bother me. Battery life is good in my experience and I haven't noticed any kind of overheating. It is also worth mentioning that my tasks for this phone are quite simple (WhatsApp, phone calls and messaging), so I don't know how would it cope with heavier usage.

If I were you, I'd install iOS 16 to use all the services and apps. Of course, you will be able to install it when iOS 17 releases to the public (Unfortunately, 8, 8 Plus and X won't get it).

One more thing. I am using iOS 16.1 (really lazy to update it to the latest one), but I believe, it shouldn’t make any difference.

 

[chrfr]

I find iOS 16.6 to be fine on an iPhone 8. Given how out of date your phone's OS is now, I am sure you'll have a better experience if you update it. App and feature compatibility will be much better with the current OS.

 

[meteor71]

Hello, everyone!

Can anyone share their experience on having iOS 16+ installed on iPhone 8 Plus? And, maybe, with its old battery on board? How does your iPhone function? In theory, it should work fine, cause iPhone 8 Plus is intended to support this iOS version. But I’m concerned about possible very poor battery life, lagging and overheating. Did you experience anything of that?

My situation is that I own iPhone 8 Plus, 64gb with its initial battery for 5 and a half years now, and it still runs iOS 11.0 (well, it just so happened…). It’s in very good condition. I love the overall quality of the device, its big IPS screen! But Apple Services like App Store, Apple Music, etc. recently stopped working completely on it. Battery seems to be +/- fine, but I can’t really see its Maximum Capacity, because iOS 11.0 doesn’t support this function.

I’m considering getting a new phone in the nearest future, but also want to continue using iPhone 8 Plus.

What would be your advice? Should I risk and install iOS 16+? What are the chances that it will run ok and I’ll get fully functioning iPhone with it? Will I instantly need to change the battery? Or, chances are, it will still be laggy and bearly usable?

Or should I leave it as it is and use this phone only for some basic tasks? And also, will I still be able to install iOS 16+ on my iPhone 8 Plus even when iOS 17 will come out (iPhone 8 Plus won’t get iOS 17, if i'm not mistaken)?

LetteIT, like you I have an iPhone 8+ and with the release of iOS 17, I will be unable to migrate to the latest version of the OS. Unlike you, I upgrade my phone regularly (I currently am at iOS 16.6) primarily for protection against viruses and malware. I purchased my iPhone 8+ in March 2018, an upgrade from my previous iPhone 6+ made necessary by a decision by Verizon, my carrier at the time, to modify their network to drop support for my older iPhone model. I replaced my phone's battery in November of 2020 and currently enjoy a Maximum Capacity of 95%. So why you may wonder did I never invest in a later model iPhone. The short answer is I like Touch ID, a technology that Apple has chosen to abandon. In truth, I covet the future iPhone 16 (based on current press reports) but for now, I've decided to purchase an iPhone 15 (Pro or Pro Max with an A17 CPU) in September and maybe next year, if new features merit it, trade it in for an iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max. Wish me luck in adapting to Face ID on my new iPhone 15 next month.

 

[LetteIT]

To be honest, I’ve got used to it, but frankly, even staying at 15.7 and having replaced my battery five months ago (this is the third battery counting the original one), some days I have to charge it at the middle of the day, and some days I run out of battery at 7 or 8PM, and that’s without social network apps such as Facebook or Instagram, known to be battery drainers. That’s why I’m thinking about getting a newer iPhone.

Thank you for your detailed response! Oh, the third battery?! I'm still on its original battery and it's +/- ok for my needs. You must be using your phone a lot during a day? It's understandable that after such big update battery life will be worse than on iOS 11, but I see a comment about possible phone obliteration because of the update... 😰 Thank you for the contacts of people with the same iPhone model as mine!

iOS 16.6 will obliterate your iPhone 8.

Do you really think so? Why, is it because of the old battery or the phone model itself? Isn't 8 Plus supposed to be ok with iOS 16.6 as it receives it as an update?

If I were you, I'd install iOS 16 to use all the services and apps. Of course, you will be able to install it when iOS 17 releases to the public (Unfortunately, 8, 8 Plus and X won't get it).

Thank you for sharing your experience! How long do you think Apple will continue signing iOS 16 after the release of iOS 17? Is there a possibility that I won't be able to update, because Apple will stop signing it one day?

I find iOS 16.6 to be fine on an iPhone 8. Given how out of date your phone's OS is now, I am sure you'll have a better experience if you update it. App and feature compatibility will be much better with the current OS.

Do you own iPhone 8 on iOS 16.6? How old is your phone? Does it still have its original battery on board? Thank you!

I've decided to purchase an iPhone 15 (Pro or Pro Max with an A17 CPU) in September and maybe next year, if new features merit it, trade it in for an iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max. Wish me luck in adapting to Face ID on my new iPhone 15 next month.

Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm waiting for the iPhone 15 Pro Max release, too! I'm sure, we'll get used to FACE ID, just like everyone else did. And I wasn't getting a new iPhone all this time, because I really like my phone, I like its big IPS screen! What was your phone's original battery health when you've decided to replace it? Do you think I should install iOS 16.6 with the original battery on board?

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Thank you for your detailed response! Oh, the third battery?! I'm still on its original battery and it's +/- ok for my needs. You must be using your phone a lot during a day? It's understandable that after such big update battery life will be worse than on iOS 11, but I see a comment about possible phone obliteration because of the update... 😰 Thank you for the contacts of people with the same iPhone model as mine!


Do you really think so? Why, is it because of the old battery or the phone model itself? Isn't 8 Plus supposed to be ok with iOS 16.6 as it receives it as an update?


Thank you for sharing your experience! How long do you think Apple will continue signing iOS 16 after the release of iOS 17? Is there a possibility that I won't be able to update, because Apple will stop signing it one day?


Do you own iPhone 8 on iOS 16.6? How old is your phone? Does it still have its original battery on board? Thank you!


Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm waiting for the iPhone 15 Pro Max release, too! I'm sure, we'll get used to FACE ID, just like everyone else did. And I wasn't getting a new iPhone all this time, because I really like my phone, I like its big IPS screen! What was your phone's original battery health when you've decided to replace it? Do you think I should install iOS 16.6 with the original battery on board?

The latest version of iOS16 will always be available to your iPhone 8+ because it's the last version available for your device. If you ever have to restore your phone, it will be the only version you can use.. I have an iPhone X on 16.6 and it's performance is just as good as it was on iOS15.7. I did have Apple replace my battery just before iOS16 was released so I can't give you any opinion on how it performs on a worn battery

 

[chrfr]

Do you own iPhone 8 on iOS 16.6? How old is your phone? Does it still have its original battery on board? Thank you!

Yes, I still have an iPhone 8 on 16.6 though it's not my primary phone. The battery was replaced when iOS 15 was current.

 

[FeliApple]

Do you really think so? Why, is it because of the old battery or the phone model itself? Isn't 8 Plus supposed to be ok with iOS 16.6 as it receives it as an update?

You are used to the best iOS version, for years. You will be going straight to the worst iOS version, immediately. You will compare the best and the worst directly. Battery life will plummet to an absurd degree, and while performance will probably be usable, you’ll notice a LOT of hiccups.

Since the device is unsupported, you will lose compatibility regardless. I maintain my recommendation: keep it on iOS 11 and get anything newer.

I use an iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12, I have updated (by force). I’ve tried both ends of the spectrum, and I have no doubts: never update.

 

[chrfr]

You are used to the best iOS version, for years. You will be going straight to the worst iOS version, immediately. You will compare the best and the worst directly. Battery life will plummet to an absurd degree, and Hilary performance will probably be usable, you’ll notice a LOT of hiccups.

This response is full of hyperbole, really. There are plenty of people using these phones on iOS 16 without problems.

 

[LetteIT]

The latest version of iOS16 will always be available to your iPhone 8+ because it's the last version available for your device. If you ever have to restore your phone, it will be the only version you can use.. I have an iPhone X on 16.6 and it's performance is just as good as it was on iOS15.7. I did have Apple replace my battery just before iOS16 was released so I can't give you any opinion on how it performs on a worn battery

Thank you for your explanation!

Yes, I still have an iPhone 8 on 16.6 though it's not my primary phone. The battery was replaced when iOS 15 was current.

Thank you for your reply!

You are used to the best iOS version, for years.

I've read the opinion somewhere that iOS 11 is far from the best iOS version. Or do you mean, this is the best iOS version for this specific device, because it came out of the box?

Since the device is unsupported, you will lose compatibility regardless.

Yes, I know, that this will be the last iOS version available for this device, but the problem is, I cannot use any Apple Services on iOS 11 anymore... I believe, on iOS 16 they will be supported for a while.

I have no doubts: never update.

Are you fundamentally against updates? And what about security flaws then? Not to mention new features we're missing out...

 

[LetteIT]

This response is full of hyperbole, really. There are plenty of people using these phones on iOS 16 without problems.

Are you speaking about people on this forum or about people you know personally?

 

[chrfr]

Are you speaking about people on this forum or about people you know personally?

I personally don't see those problems, but you can be sure that if the problems were as absolute and widespread there would be an uproar in the media who report on Apple.

 

[17fox]

Thank you for sharing your experience! How long do you think Apple will continue signing iOS 16 after the release of iOS 17? Is there a possibility that I won't be able to update, because Apple will stop signing it one day?

There is no such possibility. As far as I know Apple doesn’t do anything like that and you can always install the newest OS available for your phone. Even the oldest iPhone 2G can be updated to the latest version.

 

[FeliApple]

This response is full of hyperbole, really. There are plenty of people using these phones on iOS 16 without problems.

Sure, there are, but iOS 16 is far worse than iOS 11. Tolerating that is more difficult when all of the performance and battery life degradation is shoved into the device at once.

 

[FeliApple]

I've read the opinion somewhere that iOS 11 is far from the best iOS version. Or do you mean, this is the best iOS version for this specific device, because it came out of the box?

iOS 11 is the best version for the iPhone 8 because it is its original iOS version. iOS 11 overall was abhorrent.

Are you fundamentally against updates? And what about security flaws then? Not to mention new features we're missing out...

Yes, I am fundamentally against updates.

 

[Spotlighter9]

I am still using my iPhone 8 Plus that I got on launch day in 2017...though it's been replaced once through AppleCare in 2020. So the battery is 3 years old and at 91%. I update the iOS at every release...including its current iOS 16.6 ...never noticed any battery/performance/lag issues from updating ever and in fact always feel like it's a brand new iPhone after updating. A little bummed it won't get iOS 17, as it is the best phone I've ever owned. Like others here, I too prefer Touch ID. I still marvel at the thinness, enormous display, and gorgeous form factor of the 8 Plus, which IMO reflects the true embodiment of iPhone design perfection. I'll upgrade when Apple goes back to slim rounded edges, as I am not really moved by the latest crop of bulky, heavy, squared faceID iPhones.

I'd update that iPhone 8 Plus to iOS 16.6 in a heartbeat.

 

[saudor]

Im running my 8+ on 15.7 and it runs mostly ok but does lag more from time to time compared to 14 especially on websites. However, even my ipad pro M1 on 15.7 lags from time to time (although not as bad) so it’s probably either websites being poorly coded (most likely) or 15.7 causing issues.

With my personal usage, i found ios12 and 14 to be the best in performance and battery. iOS11 was pretty horrible battery wise (got mine in 2017) I did get the battery replaced by apple earlier this year so it’s still at 100%.

Point is, you’ll notice degraded performance over iOS11 (since this is apparent even with iOS15) but it shoudn’t be too bad.

 

[knirirr]

I'm on 16.7.1 on an iPhone 8 Plus (256GB). I've had no problems with it.

 

[Populus]

I updated my iPhone 8 (4.7”) to iOS 16.6.1, not too long ago, after a whole year on iOS 15.7

The iPhone behaves really well, it feels I’d dare to say snapper that with iOS 15.7, and overall it is worth it.

However, keep in mind that, if you use your iPhone more than “a little bit”, it is going to experience a bit more power consumption. On the 8+ the battery is bigger, so I don’t think this would be a big problem.

 

[Jimbonatius]

Just update your phone already. You're missing out on a lot of security updates and feature updates, tbh. Is ios 16 more demanding than 11? Obviously, but it'll work fine. I sold my iphone 8 plus to a guy at work several years back and he still uses it, and he's on the latest version. The only issue is he never replaced his battery, so of course his phone is slow.