iOS 17: new features, how to download, compatibility, and more
iOS 17.6 is out now and ready to download
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iOS 17 is now available to download on all ofbest iPhones, withApplehaving launched its latest major software update on September 18, 2023.
You’ll find our full verdict on iOS 17 in our dedicatediOS 17 review, but in this guide, we detail the new update’s key features and availability, as well ashow to download iOS 17on your iPhone.
For a detailed breakdown of iOS 17’s latest iteration, head over to ouriOS 17.5roundup. Or, for a look towards the future of Apple’s iOSoperating system, check our out speculative guide toiOS 18.
iOS 17.6 has now landed, with a new ‘Catch Up’ feature.
iOS 17: Cut to the chase
iOS 17 release date
iOS 17 was released on September 18, 2023, just days after theiPhone 15line went up for pre-order. Prior to this launch, Apple officially unveiled iOS 17 on June 5, 2023 atWWDC 2023, the latest edition of its annual developer conference.
Directly afterWWDC, Apple launched a sign-up page for developers and early adopters interested in gaining access to the developer preview builds of iOS 17, and since then a number of public betas – for subsequent iterations of iOS 17 – have landed. Check out our ‘How to download the iOS 17 beta on your iPhone’explainer for the full download process, if you’re keen to try out upcoming iOS 17 builds.
For reference, here’s the release calendar for every major iOS 17 iteration released thus fur:
iOS 17 compatibility
iOS 17 is available to download on any iPhone released in 2018 or later. Specifically, that’s the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone SE (2020), iPhone SE (2022), and any variant of the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14 and iPhone 15.
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In other words, Apple has dropped support for almost all devices running on its A11 Bionic chip – but this doesn’t come as a surprise. Apple routinely drops support for older devices with every new edition of iOS and iPadOS – theiPhone 6s,iPhone 7andiPad Air 2were among the models left behind by iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, for instance – and both the iPhone X and iPhone 8 are now five years old, which is usually grounds for the chopping block.
How to download iOS 17
If your iPhone does qualify for Apple’s latest update, it’lllikely have downloaded iOS 17 automatically.iOS 16.4introduced a code that makes iPhone updates download by default, with Apple evidently hoping that the change will ensure that most people are running the latest version of iOS.
That said, this doesn’t always happen, and newer versions of iOS 17 may still need to be downloaded manually. So, if you’re looking to download the latest version of iOS 17, simply head to Settings > General > Software Update.
For a more detailed walkthrough, check out our guide onhow to download iOS 17.
iOS 17 features
You’ll find a comprehensive breakdown of the key iOS 17 features in our dedicatediOS 17.1,iOS 17.2,iOS 17.3,iOS 17.4,iOS 17.5, andiOS 17.6roundups, but below, we’ve listed every major iOS 17 feature, as well as the aspect of the iOS experience they relate to:
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Axel is TechRadar’s UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site’s Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.
Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.
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