The new year has begun, and Apple is working on a new version of iOS called iOS 17.3. Even though iOS 17.2 came out just a month ago, there’s a rumour that Apple will release a new version of its famous mobile OS in early January or early February. Suppose you already have one of the best iPhones. What can you expect when Apple releases its big software update?
We have compiled a list of all the rumoured iOS 17.3 features that are coming soon. These include a new security measure to keep hackers from accessing any private data on your iPhone and the return of the joint playlist feature that was taken away in iOS 17.2. All of this information should be taken with a grain of salt because it could change, but several test versions of iOS 17.3 have given us a good idea of what to expect from Apple’s next incremental update.
Before we start, there’s an important change to make: Apple took down the latest iOS 17.3 beta 2 last week, just hours after it came out, because it was breaking devices. Apple News reported that some users who updated said their devices got stuck in a boot loop. It looked like the problem was caused by the Back Tap feature being turned on. Whether you set up a Double Tap or a Triple Tap, the feature would always boot loop your device. Apple will send the beta to coders again once the bug has been fixed. Soon, please, so we don’t have to wait too long for the full public launch.
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Protection for Stolen Devices
iOS will get smarter as hackers do. The most talked-about change in iOS 17.3 is a new security feature called Stolen Device Protection. This is a useful workaround for when crooks may have seen your passcode and swiped your phone anyway.
This tool was already in the iOS 17.3 beta 1 that developers got in December, so we know it works. When Stolen Device Protection is turned on, you need to use Face ID or Touch ID to view passwords, turn off lost mode, delete content, and do other things. You can’t get around these checks with a PIN.
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Other, more private settings and functions will be locked behind a biometric security system that takes longer to work. Users will have to confirm their identity with Face ID or Touch ID, and then they will have to do it again an hour later. Apple says the process won’t happen in “familiar locations” like home or work where people use their phones a lot.
Before, if someone stole your iPhone and knew the PIN, they could get to all kinds of private data right away. The goal of Stolen Device Protection is to make this security risk much smaller.
Working together on playlists is back!
Collaborative Playlists are back
Collaborative Playlists for Apple Music were first shown off in the iOS 17.2 beta, but Apple took them away before the final release because they could be abused. Collaborative Playlists were brought back in iOS 17.3 beta 1, which is good news because it lets more than one Apple Music user change, add, or remove songs from a shared mix.
This is a cool little tool that Spotify users have had for a while, and it’s now coming to Apple Music. Apple is adding a new emoji button to the main player window so users can reply with emojis like they do in messaging apps. Collaborative playlists are also coming back. When you tap the button, it shows you some possible responses along with a + sign that lets you look for more. Emojis show up in a fun little animation when you choose one. Your team members will be able to see this animation when they play the same track in the mix.
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Concerns about Apple? Reports say the company plans to take a number of steps to stop spam and abuse, such as limiting the number of “pending requests” that a file can have. At this point, though, it’s still not clear if these kinds of steps have been taken or what they might involve.
Patches for important security
Last but not least, Apple is likely to release a number of security patches along with the latest iOS 17 update. Recently, spyware has been used to target a lot of iPhones. As a result, Apple has stepped up security and added several important vulnerability patches to iOS 17.2.1. We also think that iOS 17.3 will add a number of important security fixes, possibly for flaws that are already being used in attacks.
