5 Reasons to Get Excited About iOS 17.2

If everything holds up during the beta testing process, iOS 17.2 will deliver exciting changes to iPhone users around the world. Here are a few reasons why we’re excited about Apple’s next major update for iOS 17.

iOS 17.2 is currently in beta testing ahead of its release for iPhone. Apple hasn’t confirmed a release date, but we expect the software to arrive before the end of the year, probably sometime in December ahead of the holidays.

Before we get into the features and fixes that have us feeling giddy, a word of warning. iOS 17.2 is still in beta which means Apple’s plans could change between now and the official release.

In other words, features and fixes on board the beta may, or may not, make it to the final release later this year. We’re hopeful everything holds up because iOS 17.2 is looking pretty good at the moment.

So, without further ado, here are five reasons to get excited about the iOS 17.2 release for your iPhone.

Wi-Fi Fix

We’ve covered the Wi-Fi issues impacting iOS 17 several times. The company didn’t include a fix in iOS 17.1.1, but iOS 17.2 will fix these problems it seems.

Just in case you haven’t heard, a little PSA. On iOS 17, some iPhones fail to connect to Wi-Fi. Instead of connecting, some iPhone models see a “No Internet Connection” notification in the Wi-Fi section of the Settings app.

iPhone users are also reporting slower than normal connection speeds and frequently dropped connections. This has been an ongoing issue since the release of iOS 17 back in September and these issue are still present in the most recent versions of iOS 17.

Fortunately, Apple says its fixed Wi-Fi slow down and connectivity issues in iOS 17.2. The company confirmed the news to iClarified.

Whether or not the software permanently fixes these issues across the board remains to be seen, but nonetheless, this is exciting news for those who have been dealing with these issues since September.

Journal App

When Apple announced iOS 17 back in June at WWDC, it highlighted a new Journal application coming to iPhone with iOS 17. The app failed to arrive on board iOS 17.0 in September and it missed iOS 17.1 in October. Well, it’s coming on board iOS 17.2.

The Journal app lets iPhone users write down their daily thoughts and incorporate photos and music into their entries. It also offers personalized suggestions curated from a user’s recent activity.

Apple’s also stressed how secure the app is and it was built to ensure that no one, not even Apple, can access a user’s Journal entries.

It’s easy to use, simply tap the “+” button in the app to add a new entry and then select what type of entry you want to make. There are suggestions, but you can also simply opt for a clean slate. Entires are organized by date, but you can also bookmark them for easy access.

We often use the Notes app to write down our daily thoughts so we’re excited to see Apple launch a dedicated app.

Translate for Action Button

If you own an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, iOS 17.2 should bring an exciting upgrade to your device’s Action button.

The iOS 17.2 beta features a new Translation option for the Action button. When you set the Action button to Translate, a pop-up window will appear and the iPhone will listen to you speak and translate from one language to another.

In order for this to work properly, you’ll need to setup your languages in the Translate app. As of right now, the app supports the following languages: Chinese, English, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

This is an exciting function if you often use your phone to help you communicate with others while you’re traveling, at your place of employment, or if you simply want it handy when you leave the house.

Collaborative Playlists

If you use Apple’s Music app, and you have friends or family members that do the same, there’s one upgrade on board iOS 17.2 that’s particularly exciting.

Apple’s made several changes to Music in iOS 17.2, but the standout, in our humble opinion at least, are the collaborative playlists.

iOS 17.2 lets you create a new playlist that people can add to. This is great if you are in need of new music to work to, to workout to, or if you’re out of the loop and just want some recommendations from others.

Once you’ve made the playlist, tap the three dots located in top right of the Music app. Then tap Collaborate and select “Start Collaboration.”

From there you can create a link to the playlist to send to anyone you want or you can create a QR code for access. You can add and remove people from the playlist as you see fit.

Weather App Upgrades

And finally, if you constantly check the weather in your area (we do), iOS 17.2 is set to deliver some exciting upgrades to the Weather widget. If you aren’t using a Weather widget yet, these additions might convince you to.

There are three new Weather widgets in iOS 17.2. There are as follows:

• Sunrise and Sunset: See the upcoming sunrise and sunset information for your location.
• Details: See the chance of precipitation, UV index, wind, and more.
• Daily forecast: See the current weather conditions and daily forecast for a location.

Given how crazy the weather has been in some areas, with more to come this winter, you might find one, or all of these, widgets extremely useful.

Install iOS 17.4.1 for Better Security

> 1 / 16

If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's iOS 17.4.1 update right away. The iOS 17.4.1 update includes two security patches. These patches will help keep your device and its data protected from harm. And that makes iOS 17.4.1 an important upgrade. If you missed iOS 17.4 and older software, you'll get the security patches from updates you missed when you upgrade to iOS 17.4.1. iOS 17.4 had four security patches on board.  The update also delivered quantum security protection for iMessage. The company says the upgrade gives iMessage "the strongest security properties of any at-scale messaging protocol in the world."  The iOS 17.3 update brought 15 new security patches to iPhone. The software also added Stolen Device Protection to iPhone. It increases the security of your iPhone and Apple ID by requiring Face ID or Touch ID to gain access to passwords, make purchases in Safari, and more. This is useful if someone gets access to your iPhone and its passcode.  iOS 17.2 delivered 10 new security patches to iPhone. If you wish to find out more, you can head on over to Apple's security site for the details. iOS 17.2 also included iMessage Contact Key Verification which improves the security of iMessage. The company also fixed an exploit that let the Flipper Zero multi-tool lock up iPhones. iOS 17.1.2 had two security patches on board. Both were related to WebKit. If you want to learn more, you can do so right here. iOS 17.1 brought 18 security fixes to iPhone. It addressed issues within Weather, Status Bar, WebKit, and more.  iOS 17.0.3 brought two patches for two security issues Apple identified within the software. If you want to read about the patches, head here. iOS 17.0.1 delivered three important patches to iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website. As for iOS 17 itself, it brought 40+ new security patches with it. A staggering number to say the least. If you want to learn more about them, head over to Apple.  In addition to those patches, iOS 17 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including improvements to Communication Safety beyond Messages. It now includes content sent by AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, FaceTime, and the systemwide photo picker. You now have an option to blur out sensitive photos and videos before you choose to view them. There's also an expanded Lockdown Mode which will help protect you against cyber attacks. Apple's also improved sharing permissions and you now have more control over what you share with the apps on your device.  The company also notes that starting in iOS 17, Voice Memos encrypts the titles of recordings stored in iCloud, in addition to the recordings themselves. If you skipped older versions of iOS, you'll get the security patches from those updates with your iOS 17.4.1 update as well.

> 1 / 16