Have you installed iOS 17.4.1 on your iPhone yet? It was a tiny security-focused feature with only bug fixes and important security fixes, not new features (although some users are also reporting improved battery life since installing it). But the next big thing is already on its way.
iOS 17.5 is coming soon.
April 4th update below. This post was first published on April 1, 2024.
All the details about the iOS 17.4.1 release are here, and instructions on whether or not you should put it on your iPhone can be found here. Oh, and if you’ve heard there’s a mysterious revised edition, here are the details on what it is and how to get it.
But the world of iPhone updates never stands still, and it looks like we’ll be on our way to iOS 17.5 at any moment. After all, as 9to5Mac points out, three full weeks have passed since the release of the last beta. That’s because, as a minor update, iOS 17.4.1 didn’t have any betas, instead launching fully formed as a general release.
The report states that “Apple will soon release iOS 17.5 with build number 21F5048f, according to information shared on social media by a private account with good results.” This account usually publishes this information shortly before the software becomes active.
Then the report also says that there is increasing evidence of iOS 17.5 in the publication’s Google Analytics data, which is often a very clear sign that the real thing is about to arrive. All this suggests that something is inevitable.
Of course, it will be developer-only at first, though a public beta routinely follows a day or so later.
iOS 17.5: What to expect
We’ll get a much better idea of what’s coming once the beta hits. At the top of the list are updates that will affect users in the EU, as part of the response to the Digital Markets Act. As part of the transition to accepting external app markets in the EU, users will be able to download apps from developer websites. Apple said that “Web Distribution, available with a software update later this spring, will allow authorized developers to distribute their iOS apps to users in the EU directly from a developer-owned website.”
All the details here, but I’m confident that whatever Apple calls later this spring almost certainly means this revolutionary change will come in iOS 17.5.
iOS 17.5 Developer Beta Release Date
9to5Mac predicts that the first beta could arrive “sometime this week.” As we’re just coming off the Easter holidays, it won’t be today, and the usual Tuesday release date is likely to be disrupted as well.
I think the developer beta will arrive on Wednesday, April 3rd.
General release date of iOS 17.5
Since there are strong and growing rumors that the new iPads are coming in early May, I’m guessing the general release will be timed around that. My best guess right now, although this could change, is that we’ll see iOS 17.5 in the first week of May, on Tuesday or Wednesday, either Tuesday May 7th or Wednesday May 8th.
Stay with us.
Update as of April 4th. The first development beta for iOS 17.5 is now here, and its arrival means that the schedule above seems likely to work. It’s a great update, with tons of new features including the aforementioned EU download system. I’ll report on all the new features soon, but a few are worth mentioning. If those in the first beta make it to general release—which is far from a given, as features often come and go during the beta implementation phase—then we can expect new privacy features related to Apple AirTag and other Bluetooth trackers, so that the “Move with you” notification will be extended if one has been slipped into your bag without your knowledge.
Another feature appears to be coming, where users can block participants in group FaceTime calls, which is thought to help fight spam. Apple Podcasts widget design changes are coming. In fact, this is a perfect example of betas removing stuff: this was first seen in the iOS 17.4 betas, but disappeared before the general release. Looks like he’s back now.
And then there’s the ability to download apps from third-party developer sites, now called Web Distribution. Previously, Apple said it would arrive “later this spring” so, again, it coincides with the release date predicted above.
There’s even a mention of what looks like a brand new product: a new Apple Pencil for use with the iPad Pro expected next month. Read more about it here.
April 4th update, part two. There is now a further indication that things are going as expected and that the predicted schedule is therefore very likely to be implemented. This comes from the fact that the iOS 17.5 public beta arrived in the last few minutes, just two days after the iOS 17.5 dev beta.
As you know, if you just can’t wait for the general release, it’s very easy to get hold of the public beta. It’s not impossible to get a developer beta either, but the public beta is an easier option. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone, then select Software Update, located under the General section. Here you will see Beta update option. You can toggle the switch on here, though you’ll also need to log in to beta.apple.com to register your iPhone.
Apple always points out that it’s not the best idea to install beta software on your everyday iPhone – it’s a beta release after all.
The main reason you might want to join this beta right now is probably if you live in the European Union, so you can be prepared to download apps outside of the App Store. Note that while this is the first developer beta and public beta release, there are no active external app markets that are functional yet. It most likely won’t launch until the general release software comes out in May, though it’s an intriguing option. Several have been announced, including the Epic Games Store and Setapp from MacPaw, but as The Verge points out, “AltStore is likely to be the first to appear on users’ phones in the EU. This new app market from developer Riley Testut is a version of AltStore, an App Store alternative launched in 2019 that doesn’t require users to jailbreak their devices.”
The publication also noted that it had a chance to review the app store’s install process and described it as “cumbersome” and that each store required a dozen interactions with the install screen. He says: “It goes like this: You start by clicking a link in your browser to load an alternative store. From there, you’ll get a popup informing you that your installation settings don’t allow that developer’s marketplaces. Then you go to Settings, enable the marketplace, go back to your browser, click the download link again, and get another prompt asking you to confirm the installation. Finally, you can open the store and browse available apps.”
The Verge says it’s not gimmicky, but that it believes “there are enough steps and scary language to be irritating and act as a deterrent.”
Maybe things will be easier when the final software release is available in May. (Or maybe not.)