5 Things to Know About iOS 17.2 Right Now

Apple’s confirmed a new iOS 17.2 update for iPhone.

iOS 17.2 is a milestone upgrade, the second for the iPhone’s iOS 17 operating system, and it will bring more than just bug fixes and security patches to iPhone users. It will deliver new features as well.

Apple hasn’t confirmed the iOS 17.2 release date yet and it will stay in testing for a bit longer. If you don’t want to wait for the stable release, you can try an early version of the software on your iPhone today.

With iOS 17.2 in the works, we want to take you through everything there is to know about the next major iOS 17 update for iPhone.

In this walkthrough we’ll take you through the iOS 17.2 update’s known changes, what you can expect from the iOS 17.2 release date and release time, information about the beta, and more.

iOS 17.2 Beta

If you want to start using iOS 17.2 on your iPhone you can do so. Apple’s pushed the iOS 17.2 beta to developers and the general public.

Before you download the iOS 17.2 beta, note that pre-release software is typically always plagued with bugs and performance issues.

These issues could impact the performance of your core apps, your iPhone’s battery life, and its overall speed which can make it tricky to use as a daily driver.

You should be able to fix some problems on your own, but some bugs and performance issues will probably require a fix from Apple down the road.

If you can’t stand the iOS 17.2 beta’s performance on your iPhone, you can downgrade back to iOS 17.1.2 or iOS 17.1.1. The downgrade path to other iOS firmware is closed.

If you’re thinking about trying the beta, take a look at our guide. It goes over the best reasons to, and not to, install it on your iPhone.

Apple is currently on iOS 17.2 beta 4.

iOS 17.2 Release Date

Apple hasn’t confirmed the iOS 17.2 release date, but it should arrive in December. iOS 16.2 and iOS 15.2 both arrived in mid-December, and that’s what we expect from iOS 17.2 right now.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple’s revamped version of the TV app will roll out as part of a tvOS software update for Apple TV in December.

Apple’s tvOS 17.2 update is currently in beta testing and the software includes said upgrade. tvOS 17.2 will almost certainly roll out alongside iOS 17.2.

iOS 17.2 Release Time

We don’t have an official iOS 17.2 release date yet, but we know exactly when Apple will roll the software out on the date it chooses.

The official version of iOS 17.2 will most likely arrive in and around 10AM Pacific. It sometimes takes a few minutes for iOS updates to show up so there’s no need to worry if you don’t see new software right away.

Apple will also release iOS 17.2 beta updates for developers, and those enrolled in the Beta Software Program, around 10AM Pacific as well. The company typically releases new betas every 1-2 weeks.

Keep this timeline in mind if you plan to install new versions of the iOS 17.2 beta, or the official version of iOS 17.2, right away.

iOS 17.2 Features: What’s New

Apple’s milestone updates (iOS x.x) typically bring new features, enhancements, security patches, and bug fixes to iPhone users and that’s what iOS 17.2 will bring to iPhone.

Beta testers are digging through the iOS 17.2 beta and they’ve found a number of exciting changes on board including Apple’s new Journal app.

The Journal app lets iPhone users write down their daily thoughts and incorporate photos and music into the entries. It 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.

The iOS 17.2 beta also has the following on board:

• A new Translate option for the Action Button (iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max)
• iMessage Contact Key Verification
• New Sticker tapback reactions in the Messages app
• Upgrades to Apple Music including a new Favorites playlist
• New Local Awareness option in Emergency Alerts
• New Weather widgets (Sunrise/Sunset, Details, Daily Forecast)
• New Digital Clock widget
• A new body section for Memoji
• Live Activities support for the News app
• Vision Pro spatial video capture on iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max
• Upgrades to Sensitive Content Warning (Stickers in Messages, Contact Posters in Contacts)
• Default notification sound
• Fix for Wi-Fi issues

Apple could add to, or subtract, from the iOS 17.2 beta as testing progresses and we’ll let you know if there are differences between the beta and the final release.

For a deeper dive into some of the biggest changes on board, head over to our other guide.

iOS 17.2 Jailbreak

If you still jailbreak, make sure you avoid the iOS 17.2 beta.

We don’t expect developers to release a tool that’s compatible with the iOS 17.2 beta. They haven’t released one for the official version of iOS 17 yet.

We’ll let you know when we learn more.

Install iOS 17.1.2 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, and you missed older versions of iOS 17, think about installing Apple's iOS 17.1.2 update right away. iOS 17.1.2 has two security patches on board. Both are related to WebKit. If you want to learn more, you can do so right here. If you skipped an older version of iOS, you'll get fixes from the updates you missed when you upgrade to iOS 17.1.2. 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 17.1.2 update as well.

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