5 Things to Know About the iOS 17.2 Update

Apple’s pulled iOS 17.2 out of beta testing and the software is now available to download.

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

The firmware replaces iOS 17.1.2 as the most up-to-date version of iOS 17 and it’s available for all iOS 17-powered iPhones.

In this guide we’ll outline iOS 17.2’s changes, offer some thoughts about the software’s performance, go over the current list of iOS 17.2 problems, highlight the iOS 17 jailbreak status, and more.

We’ll start with a quick look at iOS 17.2’s performance.

iOS 17.2 Review

If your iPhone’s currently running iOS 17.1.2, you’ll see the smallest iOS 17.2 download size. It’s around 1.2GB. Unless your iPhone is running low on storage, you won’t have to make room for the download.

The iOS 17.2 download size depends on your iPhone model and the version of iOS it’s currently running. That’s because iOS 17.2 brings the changes from any iOS updates you skipped.

As for the installation, it took about eight minutes to complete on an iPhone 12 Pro. Mileage will vary, but it should take around the same for most iPhone models.

For more about the iOS 17.2 download and installation, take a look at our walkthrough.

We’ve been using iOS 17.2 on an iPhone 12 Pro for several days and we haven’t run into any major problems thus far. Here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance:

iOS 17.2 Battery Life & Connectivity

• Battery life is stable right now and we haven’t noticed any abnormal drain
• Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable
• Bluetooth is working normally
• GPS and cellular data are also working properly

App Performance

• Third-party apps including Netflix, Twitter, Slack, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are all working fine
• First party apps like Safari, Podcasts, and Calendar are also running well

Speed

• iOS 17.2 feels fast and we haven’t noticed abnormal lag, lockups, or freezes

If you’re dealing with bugs and/or performance issues on iOS 17.1.2, or an older version of iOS, you should install the iOS 17.2 update on your iPhone today.

If you need help making a decision, check out our reasons to, and not to, install iOS 17.2 right now.

iOS 17.2 Problems

iOS 17.2 went through an extensive testing process, but the firmware’s causing problems for some iPhone users.

The current list of problems includes Wi-Fi issues, random reboots, abnormal battery drain, Bluetooth issues, installation issues, Exchange issues, and problems with first and third-party apps.

If you run into a problem with iOS 17.2, take a look at our list of fixes for the most common iOS 17 problems. We’ve also released tips that could help you improve your phone’s performance and some tips that could help fix battery life issues.

Apple’s currently signing on iOS 17.1.2 and iOS 17.1.1 which means you can drop your iPhone’s software back to older firmware if iOS 17.2 starts causing problems.

You can’t downgrade to iOS 17.1 or older because Apple’s closed off the path back to those versions. If you upgrade to iOS 17.2 from one of those versions, there’s no way back.

For more about the downgrade process, check out our guide.

iOS 17.2 Features

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

Here’s the full iOS 17.2 change log, courtesy of Apple:

Journal

• Journal is a new app that lets you write about the small moments and big events in your life so you can practice gratitude and improve your wellbeing
• Journaling suggestions make it easy to remember your experiences by intelligently grouping your outings, photos, workouts, and more into moments you can add to your journal
• Filters let you quickly find bookmarked entries or show entries with attachments so you can revisit and reflect on key moments in your life
• Scheduled notifications help you keep a consistent journaling practice by reminding you to write on the days and time you choose
• Option to lock your journal using Touch ID or Face ID
• iCloud sync keeps your journal entries safe and encrypted on iCloud

Action Button

• Translate option for the Action button on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max to quickly translate phrases or have a conversation with someone in another language

Camera

• Spatial video lets you capture video on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max so you can relive your memories in three dimensions on Apple Vision Pro
• Improved Telephoto camera focusing speed when capturing small faraway objects on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max

Messages

• Catch-up arrow lets you easily jump to your first unread message in a conversation by tapping the arrow visible in the top-right corner
• Add sticker option in the context menu lets you add a sticker directly to a bubble
• Memoji updates include the ability to adjust the body shape of any Memoji
• Contact Key Verification provides automatic alerts and Contact Verification Codes to help verify people facing extraordinary digital threats are messaging only with the people they intend

Weather

• Precipitation amounts help you stay on top of rain and snow conditions for a given day over the next 10 days
• New widgets let you choose from next-hour precipitation, daily forecast, sunrise and sunset times, and current conditions such as Air Quality, Feels Like, and wind speed
• Wind map snapshot helps you quickly assess wind patterns and access the animated wind map overlay to prepare for forecasted wind conditions for the next 24 hours
• Interactive moon calendar lets you easily visualize the phase of the moon on any day for the next month

Improvements and Bug Fixes

• Siri support for privately accessing and logging Health app data using your voice
• AirDrop improvements including expanded contact sharing options and the ability to share boarding passes, movie tickets, and other eligible passes by bringing two iPhones together
• Favorite Songs Playlist in Apple Music lets you quickly get back to the songs you mark as favorites
• Use Listening History in Apple Music can be disabled in a Focus so music you listen to does not appear in Recently Played or influence your recommendations
• A new Digital Clock Widget lets you quickly catch a glimpse of the time on your Home Screen and while in StandBy
• Enhanced AutoFill identifies fields in PDFs and other forms enabling you to populate them with information such as names and addresses from your contacts
• New keyboard layouts provide support for 8 Sámi languages
• Sensitive Content Warning for stickers in Messages prevents you from being unexpectedly shown a sticker containing nudity
• Qi2 charger support for all iPhone 13 models and iPhone 14 models
• Fixes an issue that may prevent wireless charging in certain vehicles

The upgrade removes the option to buy movies and television shows from the iTunes Store applications. If you try, you will get redirected to the Apple TV app. In doing so, it also removes wishlists for movies and TV shows.

iOS 17.2 also delivers security patches to iPhone users and you can learn more about those changes over on Apple’s security site.

Apple’s fixed an exploit that let the Flipper Zero multi-tool lock up iPhones.

iOS 17.2 Jailbreak

If you still jailbreak, make sure you avoid the iOS 17.2 update

We don’t expect developers to release a tool that’s compatible with iOS 17.2 today or at any point in the near future. If you still jailbreak your iPhone(s), keep an eye out for new information in the weeks ahead.

What’s Next

Apple’s confirmed a new iOS 17.3 update and the software’s currently in beta testing ahead of a public release in 2024.

The company hasn’t confirmed a release date for iOS 17.3, but we expect it to land in late January or early February.

If you don’t want to wait for the official release, you can download the iOS 17.3 beta on your iPhone right now.

For more about iOS 17.3 and the beta, have a look at our walkthrough. And for more about the iOS 17.3 release date, check out our guide.

Install iOS 17.4.1 for Better Security

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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.

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