- iOS 17.3 is releasing next week for all compatible devices.
- It brings new features including one that limits access to iPhone thieves.
- Here’s all you need to know about the iOS 17.3 update.
Apple is preparing to release a new software update for iPhones next week. iOS 17.3 is coming with new features such as Stolen Device Protection, collaborative Apple Music playlists, and more. The release candidate versions of iOS 17.3 along with iPadOS 17.3 are available to developers and public beta testers with the stable version releasing next week.
iOS 17.3 features
Stolen Device Protection: iOS 17.3 will come with a very important security feature that will make it difficult for thieves to access your iPhone. It’s called ‘Stolen Device Protection’, and this feature will limit access to your personal details even if your iPhone and passcode have been stolen. It will trigger Face ID or Touch ID when someone tries to access your passwords in iCloud Keychain, turn off Lost Mode, or make purchases with your payment information.
Collaborative Apple Music playlists: As the name suggests, this iOS 17.3 feature will let you create collaborative Apple Music playlists with others. You can easily share these playlists with a link, and it also supports emoji reactions.
New Unity Bloom wallpaper: This update will also add a new Unity Bloom wallpaper for the iPhone and iPad. This wallpaper was announced as part of the 2024 Black Unity Collection that includes an Apple Watch band, watch face and more. The Unity Bloom wallpaper features an outline of flowers that fill with color when the display is active.
The exact release date for iOS 17.3 isn’t confirmed but it’s expected to arrive by January 23rd, which is Tuesday next week. Once the update is released, it will be available on all compatible iPhones. You can also manually check by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
As for the list of compatible iPhones, iOS 17.3 will release for iPhone 15 series, iPhone 14 series, iPhone 13 series, iPhone SE 3rd Gen, iPhone 12 series, iPhone SE 2nd Gen, iPhone 11 series, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS and iPhone XR.
