How to install iOS 8

Apple has introduced iOS 8, the latest version of its mobile operating system. Here's how to update your iPhone or iPad when it becomes available to the public

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

Apple iOS: a brief history 

As iOS 8 becomes available to download from today, here's a brief and handy guide on how to get started with Apple's latest operating system.
Both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will ship with iOS 8 as standard, and will be available to buy from September 19.

1) Check if your device is compatible.
Before you do anything else, check whether your device is actually eligible to install the new software. Apple usually limits system updates to its newer devices. The following devices (along with the preinstalled iPhone 6) have been named by the company as compatible with iOS 8: iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, iPod touch 5th generation, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Air and iPad Mini.
2) Make sure you have backed everything up before installing the upgrade.
By far the most important thing to do before starting the installation is to backup everything on your iPhone/iPad. In the unlikely case of the upgrade failing, this means that you’ll be able to restore the device completely and start again without losing important data.
If you use iCloud for your backups, go to Settings, iCloud, Storage and Backup, then tap 'Back Up Now', or you can use iTunes to do so by plugging in your device, choosing it from the menu on iTunes, and selecting ‘Back Up Now’. A backup will then be saved onto your computer’s hard disk.
3) Create enough room to install the new software.
For the new download to happen, you’ll need to have enough space on your device to accommodate all the upgrades. At least 1GB of free space will be required on your iPhone or iPad before you can get started.
Photos, videos and big apps tend to be the main culprits for memory hogging, but to see exactly what to get rid of, go to Usage under General in Settings. Here you’ll find a list of everything that uses space and how much, in size order.
4) Download and install the update.
Once all that’s done, you’re now ready to install iOS 8. You should get a notification that the new operating system is available, at which point you can do so easily through the Software Update option in Settings. Make sure your device is connected to both Wi-Fi and a power supply, then simply tap Download and Install to do so.
If your device is passcode enabled, you’ll need to enter the passcode before installing the update. You’ll need to set aside some time for the update to complete - don't try to use apps, make calls or send texts while iOS 8 is installing.
If however you’d prefer to update using iTunes, you should install the latest version of iTunes on your computer, then connect your device and select your device from the menu. Under Summary, click Check for Update, then choose Download and Install, and it should be taken care of.
5) Confirm your iCloud details and start using your phone..
When the update is complete, your device should restart automatically. Once it does, you may be asked to enter some iCloud details, and set security questions. After these have been filled out, your newly updated device should be ready to use.

iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6: hands on with the most beautiful phones in the world

Apple’s Tim Cook told the whooping crowds at the Flint Center in Cupertino that the new iPhone 6 is “the most beautiful phone ever made”. I’m trying hard to be objective, but I think he’s right.

Does the 6 do very much that its predecessor, the 5s, didn’t? No, in the sense that the camera has the same number of megapixels, the processor is still 64-bit and most users will continue to ignore Siri. But the iPhone 6 - and the 6 Plus in particular - is a radical redesign where glass curves almost around the edge of the device and the larger screen provides a massive, meaningful improvement in user experience. The increased resolution, too, makes a real, albeit subtler difference. In an age where design is increasingly the sole differentiator between mobile phones, Apple has tightened its grip on first place. And that camera now does better slo-mo.

Where rival manufacturers have simply made phones with larger screens, Apple has thought seriously about how users will interact with a bigger device. If you want to just use one hand to operate the phone, you can now take advantage of the larger display, rather than simply being forced to adapt. So a simple double-tap on the home button brings the active screen into the bottom half. It’s obvious and indispensable. If Apple hasn’t patented it, every other manufacturer will steal it. Cleverly, too, the sleep button is now on the side.

In the brief hands-on I’ve had with the two new devices, there’s no time to form a meaningful opinion about battery life, but these are bigger devices that promise similar or better performance than their predecessor models, and for the Six Plus that sometimes means double. If Apple can deliver on that, then everyone’s main frustration with the iPhone dissolves.

Some users will still criticise the lack of widgets on the homescreen, which makes Android so glanceably useful. But with iOS8 Apple has improved notifications to such a point that much of that is addressed. The new A8 processor offers the kind of speeds that make new possibilities in apps realistic, but we have yet to see what they are. The new barometer, measuring the stairs you climb, is a useful addition but not one I could test. Similarly, Apple Pay, US only for now, is a revolution in prospect but has yet to appear in real life.

The crucial difference in the new iPhone 6, however, is in design: thinner, more powerful, gorgeously light but larger and infinitely more elegant, it is the phone that the iPhone 4 or 5 maybe should have been to stop the Android tide in its tracks. Coming now, however, it simply reasserts Apple’s dominance ahead of the chasing pack. Samsung ain’t taking over quite yet.

iPhone 6 rumours: everything you need to know

Apple is expected to launch its iPhone 6 and iWatch at a media event in San Francisco this evening. The Telegraph's tech team rounds up all the latest news, rumours and release date.

Apple is readying itself to launch its next flagship smartphone - widely believed to be called the iPhone 6 on September 9. As new rumours circulate the internet each and every day, we summarise the latest, most likely developments and news on the year's most-anticipated phone release.

• What's it called?: iPhone 6, probably
• Announced: September 9, when a "special" media event is due to be held
• Cost: £549, the iPhone 5s' starting price, is probably the right ballpark

One of many iPhone 6 concepts, featuring rounder edges and a larger screen.

• What is it?

The iPhone 6 - as it's believed to be called - will be Apple's ninth iPhone model, and will take over from the 5s as the flagship smartphone. The iPhone range has sold over 500 million units worldwide since its release in June 2007.

• What will it look like?

It's generally believed that the iPhone 6 will mark an aesthetic departure from the 5s. The last relatively dramatic change in the iPhone range was the iPhone 5's display size upgrade to four inches from the 4s's 3.5-inch screen. We're now expecting the iPhone 6 to come in two sizes - at 4.7-inch and 5.5-inches.

^{Pictures claiming to be of the iPhone 6, leaked the Techradar website}

This does seem likely, given the warm reception that Samsung's Galaxy series, HTC's One and Sony's Xperia have received for larger displays. Research suggests the desire for a bigger iPhone exists within both current and potential owners, after half of 4,000 shoppers said they'd be willing to pay $100 (£58) for their new iPhone to have a 5.5-inch screen, according to research conducted by RBC Capital Markets.

^{An iPhone 6 concept by Nikola Cirkovic, which sees the screen extended across the entire width of the device}

Samsung have been swift to skewer the difference in screen sizes between the Galaxy S5 and a future iPhone with the release of a tongue-in-cheek advert.

It's possible the next iPhone's display will be made of sapphire glass - a synthetically grown crystal currently used in the iPhone 5s’ home button and camera lens cover. Apple recently opened several sapphire glass plants in partnership with GT Advanced Technologies, fuelling speculation they're planning to use the material in larger quantities for future products - which could include the iWatch.

However, analysis of the iPhone 6 supply chain found no demands for smartphone cover glass, according to TrendForce's LEDinside analysts. Disappointingly low yield rates of sapphire glass mean that while the material may be used for the display of later versions of the handset, the launch model will use another enforced form of glass.

Alleged difficulties in the production of the larger-screened model mean the 4.7-inch version is likely to be released first, but both versions are expected to use in-cell touch panel technology - built into the screen and allowing for thinner construction than with standard touch panel films - that was introduced with the iPhone 5.

^{One of the many mock ups of how the iPhone 6's new, larger screen could look}

In June Taiwanese pop star Jimmy Lin posted images of what he claimed was an iPhone 6 on Chinese social network Weibo. Mr Lin has a history of posting leaked Apple product photos which later turn out to be correct, having done the same with the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini.

The picture he posted alligns an iPhone 5s with what he alleges is an iPhone 6 - sporting smoother edges, what looks like brushed alluminium casing and is undeniably larger than its previous incarnation.

Like its predecessor, the new model is expected to come in silver, gold and space grey.

^{An iPhone 5s next to what Jimmy Lin claims is the new iPhone 6 for size comparison}

Australian blogger Sonny Dickson has also posted images of a mockup of the new handset, which corresponds with Mr Lin's picture - a slimmer, larger display set within thinner brushed casing, featuring more curved edges.

^{A mockup of the iPhone 6 sits alongside a 5s and 5. Copyright: Sonny Dickson}

^{The 6 mockup appears considerably larger and thinner than the 5s. Copyright: Sonny Dickson}

Luxury phone product manufacturer Feld & Volk posted an image of what they purported to be the iPhone 6 on their Instagram page on August 19.

Russian site Rozetked.ru published a video of what it claimed was the iPhone 6 on September 1. The display is not sapphire glass, according to the narrator, but is more probably sandwich sapphire (dual crystal) or a glass composite, and the home button sensor's area has increased to improve Touch ID functionality.

The model appears 'like a big 5th generation iPod Touch, the video stated, with a larger, more pronounced rear-facing camera.

^{The video contains footage of what it claims to be an iPhone 6, pictured next to a 5s}

China Telecom is already allowing customers to pre-order the new phone ahead of the launch event, publishing images consistent with other leaks - curved edges, resized volume buttons and slimmer frame, in the gold, dark grey and silver colours.

Those looking to pre-order it are given the option to choose between a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch model, further strengthening speculation about the two sizes.

^{The preorder page of China Telecom's website}

A seven minute video of what appears to be a fully operational iPhone 6 was uploaded to YouTube on Saturday 6 September, in which a man compares the speed and function of the alleged handset to current flagship the 5s.

• What will it do?

Apple announced new operating system iOS 8 at its worldwide developers conference in June, which contains a raft of new features expected to be put to good use in the next iPhone. While current iPhone users will be able to update their software to run the new system from the autumn, the iPhone 6 is highly likely to come with iOS 8 or higher as standard.

Through iOS 8, users will be able to monitor their health and fitness through new framework HealthKit, which aggregates numerous healthcare and fitness apps, such as blood pressure and heart rate monitors through partners including Nike, and allows them to communicate with each other.

^{Some of iOS 8's new features as envisioned on the current flagship iPhone 5s}

Additionally, you'll be able to control home appliances and other connected devices through HomeKit, Apple's connected home framework. . In a similar vein to HealthKit, it will streamline your smart devices to control them in one place. One method of control will be via Siri - for example, you could tell Siri you were “going to bed”, “going to bed” and it could dim the lights, lock your doors, close the garage door and set the thermostat.

With the introduction of both of these key features, it's likely the iPhone 6 will take on even more of a lifestyle device role, designed to streamline our lives and make everyday tasks easier and more efficiently executed.

Should the next iPhone sport a much-rumoured larger display, multitasking, running multiple apps in conjunction with each other and creating longer business documents would become a lot easier. iOS 8's iCloud Drive, which enables you to work on any kind of document across any of your Apple devices or even Windows PC, with any edits displaying instantly, and Continuity, which allows you to create a document or message on one device and finish on another, would also work extremely well on a larger screen.

Rumours also suggest that the new iPhone will include a near-field communication (NFC) chip – similar to those used in Oyster cards and contactless credit and debit cards – allowing users to make mobile payments in shops with the touch of a finger.

• When can I buy it?

If sources are to be believed, production of the new model began this month ahead of a September 9 launch. Whether the iPhone 6 will have its thunder stolen by the appearance of the much-fabled iWatch remains to be seen, after sources said production had also begun in July.

On August 26 Steve Hemmerstoffer, editor of French Apple fan site nowhereelse.fr uploaded a photograph of what he claimed was the company's new flagship smartphone's promotional artwork. The card featured the date Tuesday September 9, tallying with previous reports Apple was planning a 'big media event' on the same date.

^{Mr Hemmerstoffer uploaded a picture of what he claims is realiable promo art}

Mr Hemmerstoffer alleged the artwork had been passed onto him by his “most trusted and loyal Chinese sources,” who had provided a very similar piece of artwork to him “just hours before the launch conference of the iPhone 5s”.

Now that Apple has confirmed a 'special event' on Tuesday September 9, it could add some weight to the technical changes illustrated by the diagram, including larger, more rectangular-looking volume buttons and a re-positioned sleep/wake switch.

^{The invitation sent out to journalists was rather cryptic}

Going off previous launches, it's likely the new handset will go on general sale around 10 days later on September 19.

Suppliers are believed to be preparing to produce between 70 million and 80 million of the new handsets by the end of December, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Apple iOS: a brief history

Due to be announced at the same event as the iPhone 6, the Telegraph's Technology team take a look at the history of Apple's mobile operating system.

• iPhone 6 rumours: everything you need to know

As the world prepares itself for Apple's 'special event' next Tuesday, excitement is building for what is widely believed to be the launch date of the iPhone 6. The new flagship handset will be the first device to ship with iOS 8, which was first announced back in June at the company's WWDC event.

While details of the new operating system remain sketchy, we know to expect a renewed focus on health and fitness features with the introduction of new framework HealthKit, and integrate ourselves more firmly into the Internet of Things through HomeKit through what chief executive Tim Cook described as a "giant release".

Now accounting for around 14.5 per cent of the European smartphone market, according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, iOS is the second most popular operating system in Europe, behind Android. Here's a brief history of each incarnation of the system since its 2007 inception.

2007: iPhone OS 1

^{The first iPhone, launched by the late Steve Jobs in 2007}

Revealed alongside the original iPhone in January 2007, the first Apple smartphone operating system was not given a specific name until the following March, with the launch of the first Software Development Kit beta., when it became known as iPhone OS. The first iPhone could not support 3G, the copy and paste function, email attachments or MMS - and couldn't run third party apps.
Further updates included the introduction of the iTunes Music Store, allowing users to purchase music directly onto their phones (through a WiFi connection) for the first time, and the ability to create their own ringtones.

2008: iPhone OS 2

^{The iPhone 3G, complete with GPS}

Coinsiding with the launch of the iPhone 3G, the second major update to the operating system saw the launch of the App Store, leading to the introduction of third party apps and games. Full support for Microsoft Exchange and the option to wipe your phone in the event of failing to enter your passcode were other new features, the latter being added in a subsequent update.
Google Street View was enabled with the 2.2 update, featuring walking, driving and public transport options.

2009: iPhone OS 3

^{The iPhone 3GS enabled typing via a horizontal keyboard for the first time.}

With the third incarnation for the new 3GS handset, the cut, copy and paste function finally became commonplace, alongside the long-awaited push notifications for third party apps. Video recording, MMS (multimedia messaging service) and voice control were also added, and users were given the chance to purchase films, TV shows and audiobooks through iTunes.
Spotlight search enabled more comprehensive search through email, contacts, calendar, notes and within music, and the new voice memo function facilitated the recording and storing of audio notes. Purchasing within apps was also introduced, but only within paid-for apps.

The 3.2 version contained a raft of improvements designed for use with the newly released iPad. While not supporting general multitasking, it was made to accommodate the differing resolution of a larger screen than the iPhone, as well as revamping apps specifically for the new platform.

2010: iOS 4

^{Steve Jobs launching the iPhone 4 in 2010}

Introduced on June 21 2010, iOS 4 was the first operating system to bear the iOS name, released on the new flagship iPhone 4. Its folder system accommodated the storing of up to 12 similar apps within one mother folder, while multitasking allowed apps to run simultaneously, such as writing an email while listening to Spotify, and navigation apps continuing to track your location in the background.
iBooks, Apple's ebook-reading software, and its parent iBookstore was introduced, and the improved 5MP iPhone 4 camera was complemented by 'tap to focus' software and 5x digital zoom. The device's new front-facing camera also facilitated video calling feature FaceTime.

2011: iOS 5

^{Susan Bennett, a voice-over actor from Atlanta, was the original voice of Siri}

2011 saw the launch of the iPhone 4S and with it, iOS 5. The main new feature was Siri, Apple's voice-activated virtual assistant that had previously been downloadable from the App Store as a third party app. Now integrated into the OS, Siri now communicated with other apps to make calls, check emails and transcribe text.
Containing more than 200 new features, iOS 5 heralded the arrival of iOS user messaging system iMessage, Twitter integration across a range of apps and online storage facility iCloud, replacing previous system MobileMe.

2012: iOS 6

^{WWDC 2012 took place in San Francisco's Moscone Centre}

Tim Cook took to the stage at Apple's 2012 WorldWide Developers' Conference shocked fans by announcing that Google Maps would not feature in latest incarnation iOS 6, and would be replaced by the company's own inbuilt Maps app.
Siri also received a makeover, featuring restaurant recommendations, the ability to dictate tweets or Facebook statuses and film reviews.
A year after Twitter integration into Apple's native apps, Facebook was added to the fold, and Apple launched its answer to Google Wallet, Passbook, will collated tickets, boarding passes and coupons within the single app. 

2013: iOS 7

^{iOS 7 compared to iOS 6}

iOS 7 marked a radical aesthetic departure for Apple, masterminded by Sir Jony Ive, and debuted on the twin release of the iPhones 5s and 5c. The new 'flattened' and pared-back user interface drew praise and criticism in equal measures.
The single-swipe control centre feature allowed users to quickly access key settings such as WiFi, Airplane mode, Bluetooth and the newly-introduced torch without having to delve into the Settings menu. Siri was upgraded to both male and female voices, and redesigned to understand French and German.
Other changes included a new camera interface with a square photo mode, full multitasking for all apps and new wallpapers.

2014: iOS 8

^{Banners displayed at WWDC 2014}

Announced at the 2014 WWDC conference in June, iOS 8 will feature new frameworks HealthKit and HomeKit, integrating apps to track health data and the standardisation of controlling internet-enabled home appliances.
It is expected to ship on the iPhone 6, which Apple is believed to be preparing to announce at next week's 'special event' in San Francisco.
Other new features include being able to sent audio and video messages by holding down a record button while inside the Messages app, new predictive typing feature QuickType and the new and improved file hosting service iCloud Drive.

iPhone 6 and iOS 8: 16 hidden features

Apple has once again updated its mobile operating system. Sian Gardiner explains some of iOS 8's useful new features.

Apple has upgraded its mobile operating system to include a range of new features

• Apple iOS: a brief history
• How to install iOS 8

With the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus comes a brand new mobile operating system, iOS 8, available to download for older devices from today. Currently, iOS is one of the most popular operating systems in the world, playing second fiddle only to Android. Now upgraded to include a raft of new features, Apple will be hoping that the updated system will help in closing this gap. Here are some of the features that might not be immediately obvious, but could certainly help their cause.

1) ‘Send Last Location’ setting

A Send Last Location feature has been added to Find my iPhone so that your GPS coordinates are backed up to iCloud whenever your battery life is close to running out.

Just before the battery shuts down, the last thing the device does is pinpoint exactly where you left it, so there’ll be no need to turn the house upside down for your phone when it’s sitting pretty in the office.

2) Detailed battery usage breakdown

Is Kim Kardashian (or more specifically, her mobile game) responsible for running down your battery life? A new option in the usage menu under Settings will be able to tell you; it provides a breakdown of how much battery each app has used in the last 24 hours or seven days.

3) Leave Group Conversation option

Good news for those with already quite enough Whatsapp and Facebook group messages to contend with. Under Details in a group conversation on iMessage, there’s now the option to exit the conversation. Alternatively, if you’re not watching the same programme your friends are live messaging and fancy a little respite, you can also select the Do Not Disturb option to stay in the conversation, but silence it.

4) Grayscale mode

A little ostentatious perhaps, but for anyone interested in giving their device a vintage twist, the Accessibility menu now offers a ‘grayscale’ option, that gives the entire operating system a black and white hue.

5) Reply to messages without changing screens

Previously, if you were using an app and received a text message, you’d need to exit the screen you were on in order to reply. iOS8 eliminates this irritating feature; simply swipe down on the banner that appears when a message comes through, and enter a quick response without leaving the screen.

6) Self-destructing photos

Apple appears to have taken a leaf out of Snapchat’s book with this new feature. When using iOS 8’s messages app, holding down on the camera icon opens the camera app, and any pictures or videos sent from here will self-destruct two minutes after being sent.

7) Send multiple pictures at a time

If you tap on the keyboard’s camera icon, a preview of up to 20 recent photos comes up, giving you the option to easily choose multiple photos at the same time.

8) View all attachments from a conversation without scrolling up

Instead of having to scroll back through eons of messages to relocate a photo or video previously sent by a friend, with iOS 8, you can go to a ‘Details’ icon and scroll down to view all of the attachments that any conversations has garnered.

Press down on the attachment, and you can choose to either save or delete them too. This should save photos automatically cluttering your photo stream.

9) Share your location in Messages

iOS8 allows users to share their location directly through Messages. Under Details, you can choose the option to ‘Send My Current Location’, and a mapped image will be sent to the recipient – useful for when your friend asks where to meet you.

10) Faster access to contacts

Double tapping the home button will result in your most contacted people appearing as a line of icons. Clicking on one of the faces will provide you with the option to call, chat or FaceTime this contact.

11) Upgraded Mail

With iOS 8 comes gesture based message manipulation in the Mail app. Now, users will be able to swipe to the left to reply to a message or delete a flag, or, with a harder swipe, delete the message altogether.

12) Keyboard enhancements

The new iOS 8 software sees Apple upgrade its keyboard for the first time. It now offers context-sensitive predictive typing, which claims to pick up on how you write, and subsequently provide a list of words to make texting a lot faster.

Apple claims that this feature is sensitive enough to decipher who exactly you are talking with and adjust the suggestions accordingly, so should, in theory, be able to pick up on the differences when texting your boss, as opposed to your best friend.

13) Siri listens at all times

Not as creepy as this might suggest; Apple has upgraded Siri to listen constantly in order for it to be activated simply by you saying ‘Hey Siri’, and without the need to touch the home button.

14) Siri and Shazam have integrated

Siri will now be able to recognise songs being played in the vicinity, eliminating the need to open the Shazam app used for the same purpose. You will then be able to purchase songs from the results screen.

15) Quick access to apps according to your location

Apple has built subtle notifications into the lock screen, based on location, so that if you’re near to a particular shop or business, a tiny icon for this business will appear. If you pull this up, you’ll be automatically transported into the relevant app.

16) Easily recover deleted photos

In iOS 8, when the preview icon at the bottom of the screen in the camera app is tapped, it opens up a view that allows you to recover deleted photos. To clear this menu, you can simply empty the ‘Recently Deleted’ album in the Photos app.

Orkut Shutting Down Tuesday, Last Chance to Export Your Data

If you want to revisit your long ignored Orkut profile, now is the best time to do so. Google is going to shut down its Orkut social network on September 30, as it had announced earlier. Orkut was the search giant's first foray into the social networking space, which failed to take off due to tough competition from rival services such as Facebook and Twitter.


Google later launched another social network called Google+, which may not be giving sleepless nights to Facebook, but turned out to be far more popular than Orkut. While Orkut wasn't a big success across the world, it was very popular in India and Brazil.


In a blog post, Google had said, "Over the past decade, YouTube, Blogger and Google+ have taken off, with communities springing up in every corner of the world. Because the growth of these communities has outpaced Orkut's growth, we've decided to bid Orkut farewell."


If you want to save the data you have on Orkut, we've written a complete guide on how to download your Orkut scraps, testimonials, and photos.


Google had said that it would save an archive of all Orkut communities after it shuts down the service on September 30. The company had asked people to remove their Orkut account from Google permanently if they didn't want their name or posts to be included in the community archive.


Both Orkut and Facebook were launched in 2004. While Facebook has become the world's largest social network with over 1.2 billion users, a Reuters report said Google declined to comment on the number of users Orkut has.


Orkut's fortunes floundered a few years ago and it is finally being closed.

Orkut

Orkut Logo

Orkut was a social networking website that is owned and operated by Google. The service was designed to help users meet new and old friends and maintain existing relationships. The website is named after its creator, Google employee Orkut Büyükkökten. 
Orkut Founded January 24, 2004 (10 years ago)

On June 30, 2014, Google announced it will be closing Orkut on September 30, 2014.
No new accounts can be created starting July 2014. Users can download their profile archive by Google Takeout

Orkut was one of the most visited websites in India and Brazil in 2008.
In 2008 Google announced that Orkut would be fully managed and operated in Brazil, by Google Brazil, in the city of Belo Horizonte. This was decided due to the large Brazilian user base and growth of legal issues.

Traffic on Orkut by country
Traffic of Orkut on March 31, 2004
	United States		51.36%
	Japan		7.74%
	Brazil		5.16%
	Netherlands		4.10%
	United Kingdom		3.72%
	Other		27.92%
Traffic of Orkut on May 1, 2014[1]
	Brazil		48.4%
	India		14.9%
	United States		5.9%
	Japan		5.8%
	Pakistan		3.4%
	Other		21.6%

State censorship

In Iran

Orkut was very popular in Iran, but the website is now blocked by the government. According to official reports, this is due to national security issues, and Islamic ethical issues about dating and match-making. To get around this block, sites such as orkutproxy.com (now defunct) were made for Iranian users. Other websites such as Yahoo! Groups and Google Groups have communities dedicated to receiving updates on the newest location of Iran's Orkut proxy. At one time it was possible to bypass governmental blockage of Orkut, but the site has closed its HTTPS pages on all anonymous proxies. Now it is almost impossible for ordinary users to visit this site inside Iran.

Many other sites have been published in Iran since Orkut's blockage, using the same social-networking model – examples include MyPardis, Cloob and Bahaneh.

In the United Arab Emirates

In August 2006, the United Arab Emirates followed the footsteps of Iran in blocking the site. This block was subsequently removed in October 2006. On July 3, 2007, Gulf News revisited the issue, publishing complaints from members of the public against Orkut communities like "Dubai Sex", and officially bringing the complaints to the attention of the state telecom monopoly Etisalat. By July 4, 2007, Etisalat had placed a renewed ban on the site, which remains in effect despite Google's promise to negotiate the ban with the UAE.

In Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is another country that has blocked access to Orkut, while Bahrain's information ministry was also under pressure to follow suit.

Session management and authentication

On June 22, 2007 Susam Pal and Vipul Agarwal published a security advisory on Orkut vulnerabilities related to authentication issues. The vulnerabilities are considered very dangerous in cybercafes, or in the case of man-in-the-middle attack as they can lead to session hijacking and misuse of legitimate accounts.The vulnerabilities are not known to be fixed yet and therefore pose threat to the Orkut users.

A week later, on June 29, 2007 Susam Pal published another security advisory which described how the Orkut authentication issue can be exploited to hijack Google and Gmail sessions and misuse the compromised account of a legitimate user under certain conditions.

Joseph Hick performed an experiment on the basis of the advisories published by Susam Pal, to find out how long a session remains alive even after a user logs out. His experiment confirmed that the sessions remain alive for 14 days after the user has logged out. It implies that a hijacked session can be used for 14 days by the hijacker because logging out does not kill the session.

Legal issues

India

On October 10, 2006, the Bombay High Court's Aurangabad bench served a notice on Google for allowing a hate campaign against India. This referred to a community on Orkut called 'We Hate India', which initially carried a picture of an Indian flag being burned and some anti-India content. The High Court order was issued in response to a public-interest petition filed by an Aurangabad advocate. Google had six weeks to respond. Even before the petition was filed, many Orkut users had noticed this community and were mailing or otherwise messaging their contacts on Orkut to report the community as bogus to Google, which could result in its removal. The community has now been deleted but has spawned several 'We hate those who hate India' communities. Prior to the 60th Independence Day of India, Orkut's main page was revamped. The section which usually displayed a collage of photos of various people, showed a stylized Orkut logo. The word Orkut was written in Devanagiri script and was coloured in Indian national colours. Clicking on the logo redirects to a post by the Orkut India ProductManager, Manu Rekhi, on the Orkut internal blog. There has also been some media outcry against Orkut after a couple of youngsters were apparently lured by fake profiles on the site and later murdered.

On November 24, 2006, Bombay High Court asked the state government to file its reply in connection with a petition demanding a ban on social networking site, Orkut, for hosting an anti-Shivaji Web community.

In 2007, the Pune rural police cracked a rave party filled with narcotics. The accused have been charged under anti-narcotic laws, the (Indian) Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropics Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS). Besides the NDPS, according to some media reports, the police were deliberating on the issue of charging the accused under the (Indian) Information Technology Act, 2000 perhaps because Orkut was believed to be a mode of communication for drug abuses of this kind.

The police in India have entered into an agreement with Orkut to have a facility to catch and prosecute those misusing Orkut since complaints are rising.

Brazil

On August 22, 2006, Brazilian Federal Judge José Marcos Lunardelli ordered Google to release by September 28 Orkut user’s information of a list of about twenty four Brazilian nationals, believed to be using Orkut to sell drugs and to be involved in child pornography. The judge ordered Google to pay $23,000 per day in fines until the information is turned over to the Brazilian government. According to the Brazilian government, the information would also be used to identify individuals who are spreading child pornography and hate speech. As of September 27, 2006 Google has stated that it will not release the information, on the grounds that the requested information is on Google servers in the U.S. and not Google servers in Brazil, and is therefore not subject to Brazilian laws.

Shutdown

On June 30, 2014, Google announced that Orkut would be shutting down completely on September 30 of that year. Users can export their photo albums before the final shutdown date of September 30, 2014. Orkut profile, scraps, testimonials, & community posts can be exported until September 2016. Google engineering director Paul Golgher said in a blog post: "Over the past decade, YouTube, Blogger and Google+ have taken off, with communities springing up in every corner of the world. Because the growth of these communities has outpaced Orkut's growth, we've decided to bid Orkut farewell. Orkut was the result of a 20 percent project in which Google workers got to spend a fifth of their time on ideas not necessarily related to their job responsibilities".