How To Download iOS 8 Without Deleting All Your Stuff

If you've tried downloading iOS 8, or know anyone who has already done so, you're probably familiar with the biggest complaint: The download is huge.

It's not that iOS 8 occupies a ton of storage on your iPhone or iPad (iTunes says the file is about 1.2GB), but rather that the download itself needs up to 5.7GB of free storage to be completed.

As a result, people are scrambling to delete pictures, apps and music in order to make room for iOS. The previous version, iOS 7, only required 2.9GB of space to install, so the added storage requirement has hit some users pretty hard. Note: Depending on which model you have — and the last time you updated the iOS — how much space you'll need in order to download the software will vary.

But before you start deleting everything you've ever saved, there's a very easy solution: Sync your iPhone or iPad to the computer and download iOS 8 directly from there. This won't suck up any space on your device, and you can manually transfer the new software back to your device. Updating via your PC or Mac is more reliable way to upgrade, versus OTA (over-the-air), which is performed directly on the device.

If you're taking this alternate route, be sure to select "check for update" when the prompt pops up on iTunes — not "restore iPhone." The latter option will indeed wipe all content from your device.

For those who haven't downloaded the software yet, we recommend backing up your data via iCloud, among other tips.

If anything, the 5.7GB requirement to update to iOS 8 is a subtle nudge from Apple that you may need to splurge for the 64GB device next time.

-Mashable