Here’s everything you need to know about iOS 17, including any issues and problems, the latest version, betas and new features that are coming in future updates.
Apple has launched new iPhones for 2023, but there’s another iPhone update available for all iPhones from the iPhone XR up: iOS 17. The iOS 17 update was made available to hundreds of millions of iPhones on Monday, September 18, 2023.
New features in iOS 17 include contact posters, NameDrop, StandBy, Live Voicemail, FaceTime video voicemail, a whole new Siri voice recognition model, huge improvements to autocorrect and dictation, and a lot more.
It’s almost like getting a new iPhone without paying a penny. In this article, we discuss everything you need to know about iOS 17, including all the features and any issues that arise, as well as keeping tabs on the latest version and what is coming in the next update.
Update November 7: Apple released iOS 17.1.1 with wireless car charging and Weather widget fixes. iOS 17: What’s the latest version?
The initial iOS 17 release was on September 18, but just days later on September 21 Apple issued iOS 17.0.1 with three zero-day security patches that “may have been actively exploited”. More information here: Apple pushes out critical iOS 17.0.1 update just days after iOS 17 release.
That same day there was a iOS 17.0.2 update for iPhone 15 models that fixed a bug for new iPhone buyers. Some users who bought new iPhone 15 models discovered that they were not able to transfer data from an old iPhone during the new iPhone setup process. This same fix was then issued for other iPhones on September 27. All new iPhones should be updated to iOS 17.0.2 before attempting a data transfer from an old iPhone.
iOS 17.0.3 arrived on October 4 with a fix for a problem that was causing iPhones to overheat–specifically the iPhone 15 Pro. There are also two security fixes, more here: iOS 17.0.3 is out with iPhone 15 Pro overheating fix and security updates.
Next up was iOS 17.1, which arrived on October 25. New features include improvements to AirDrop (file transfers continue over the internet when you are out of range), new StandBy options, Favorites in Music and a number of bug and security fixes.
The current version of iOS 17 is iOS 17.1.1, which was a minor update fixing a couple of bugs. One bug related to Apple Pay and other NFC features becoming unavailable on iPhone 15 models after wireless charging in BMW cars, the other bug related to the Weather Lock Screen widget which might not correctly display snow.
There will be a lot of updates over the coming months, both minor point releases for bug fixes and security updates and major releases that add new features. Here’s a look at just some of the iOS 17 features coming in later updates.
iOS 16 is also still receiving security updates. iOS 17 beta: Latest version
Apple has run a beta program since it revealed the details of iOS 17 at WWDC. Now that the full version of iOS 17 is available to the public the beta testing continues.
The latest beta version is iOS 17.2, which was released to developers on October 26.
If you’d like to continue to receive iOS 17 beta updates read How to get the iOS 17 beta on your iPhone. We also describe how to revert from iOS 17 beta to a non-beta version of iOS for those testers who wish to use the full version of iOS 17. iOS 17.2: Release date and new features
iOS 17.1 was first released to developers on September 27 and was made available for download just four weeks later on October 25. That’s actually a fast turn around, perhaps because of pressure from France to address an issue with iPhone 12 radiation levels. By contrast, iOS 16.1 arrived on October 24, which was six weeks after the launch of iOS 16 on September 12, 2022.
In 2022 iOS 16.2 arrived on December 13, so, assuming a six-week turnaround, we could see iOS 17.2 in early December.
iOS 17.2 is known to include the new Journal app. Other new features include iMessage Contact Key Verification and a Translate Action button.
We may also see collaborative playlists in Apple Music and PDF form autofill arrive in this version of iOS. iOS 17.1: New features
The following new features arrived in iOS 17.1 on October 25.
New StandBy settings give users a choice of when the display should turn off (automatically, after 20 seconds or never).
The Watch app gains options to control double-tap for Apple Watch.
Apple Music gains a new Favorites feature.
The Continue AirDrops over the internet feature will mean that you don’t have to keep your iPhones together while transferring data.
New Generic artwork available for Apple Music playlists.
iOS 17.1 also addresses the iPhone 12 radiation issue highlighted by the French government agency, Agence Nationale des Fréquences (ANFR). Apple claims that France’s testing method does not allow for the off-body detection and increased connectivity power that Apple has employed on all iPhones for more than a decade, so the update will accommodate this specific test protocol. After this update, iPhone 12 users in France may notice reduced wireless performance when the signal is poor. Apple maintains that iPhone 12 models are safe to use.
In addition, the update fixes a number of security flaws in Find My, Siri and the Weather app. More here: Apple’s iOS 17 update patches scary Find My, Siri, Weather flaws. That security fix has also been released for iOS 16 and iOS 15. iOS 17: Bugs and problems
Overheating: Apple has addressed a problem that was causing the iPhone 15 Pro to overheat.
