Apple yanks iOS 8 update after series of snafus

NEW YORK — Apple pulled its iOS 8.0.1 update shortly after releasing it after reports that it affected users' cellular service and access to the Touch ID fingerprint scanner.

On Wednesday, Apple introduced the update as a remedy for a snag with HealthKit apps and other maladies that afflicted the first version of the company's new mobile operating system software for iPhones and iPads.

But reports surfaced that the update introduced other problems. On Twitter, some of the folks who had installed the update said that they lost cellular service or that the Touch ID fingerprint scanner was no longer working.

"We are actively investigating these reports and will provide information as quickly as we can," said Apple in a statement. "In the meantime, we have pulled back the iOS 8.0.1 update."

Apple's fix was supposed to open things up so that HealthKit apps could be made available in the App Store. The launch of such apps had been delayed because of the bug preventing third-party apps from sharing health and fitness data with Apple's own Health app, which arrived on iPhones as part of the iOS 8 upgrade.

Apple also addressed an issue where third-party keyboards could be deselected when a user entered a passcode. And 8.0.1 fixes an issue that had prevented some apps from accessing photos in your photo library.

Also on the fix list, 8.0.1:

• Is supposed to improve the reliability of the Reachability feature on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus that makes it simpler for a user of such larger-screen phones to operate them with one hand. When you gently double-tap the home button, the top portion of the display on the phones moves down toward the bottom making it simpler to reach items that had been at the top.

• Addresses an issue that could cause unexpected cellular data usage when receiving SMS/MMS messages.

• Improves support for the Ask to Buy in-app purchase feature as part of Family Sharing.

• Fixes a problem in which some ringtones were not restored from iCloud backups.

• Squashes a bug that prevented uploading of photos and videos from Safari.

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