iOS 8: Why You Shouldn't Upgrade to iCloud Drive Yet

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Apple's newly released iOS 8 introduces nifty new functions like HealthKit and third-party keyboard support, but there's one new feature you should avoid: iCloud Drive.  This beefed-up version of iCloud is designed to give you access to all of your photos and documents across all of your Apple devices. However, due to compatibility issues with older software, upgrading to iCloud Drive can lock you out of your most precious files. 

iCloud Drive is designed for iOS devices running iOS 8 and Mac devices running the still-unreleased OS X Yosemite. As such, if you're still on iOS 7 or older or OS X 10.9 Mavericks or older, you'll be denied access to any of your iCloud files. 

MORE: iOS 8: Top 12 New Features

There's no going back once you add iCloud Drive, but avoiding the service is easy. When upgrading to iOS 8, you'll be prompted to upgrade to iCloud Drive, but you'll have the option to simply choose "Not Now."

Apple's iCloud Drive could turn out to be a useful and seamless storage system, but not until you have Apple's latest software for both your iOS and Mac devices. Once OS X Yosemite hits later this year, and your iPhones, iPads and iPods are all running iOS 8, the service should finally be usable. 

Michael Andronico
Michael Andronico
Editor
A devout gamer and tech enthusiast, Mike Andronico joined the Laptop team in July 2013. With a B.A. in Journalism from Purchase College and experience at GameNGuide, Examiner and 2D-X, Mike tackles everything from iPhone rumors to in-depth hardware reviews.