Apple

5 Things to Know About the iOS 17.3.1 Update [u]

Published

1 month ago

02/16/2024

Apple’s pushed a new iOS 17.3.1 update to iPhone users and it’s available to download right now.

We had a feeling Apple would provide a bridge between iOS 17.3 and iOS 17.4 and our gut feeling was correct. Apple’s deployed a new maintenance upgrade for iPhone and iOS 17.3.1 brings a fix for an issue plaguing the operating system.

It’s a small upgrade, it doesn’t have any outward facing features on board, but it’s an important one. Most iPhone users should download the update today or at some point in the near future.

Today we want to take you through iOS 17.3.1’s changes, offer some thoughts about the software’s performance, highlight iOS 17.3.1 problems, and more.

Table of Contents

We’ll start with a quick look at iOS 17.3.1’s performance.

iOS 17.3.1 Review

If your iPhone is running iOS 17.3, you’ll see the smallest iOS 17.3.1 download size.

iOS 17.3.1 requires a 259 MB download on iPhone 12 Pro and it should be in and around the same size for other iPhone models.

The exact size of the iOS 17.3.1 download depends on your iPhone model and the version of iOS 17 it’s currently running. If you’re running software older than iOS 17.3, your download could be larger. In some cases, much larger.

The update took just about eight minutes to install on an iPhone 12 Pro that was previous running iOS 17.3. If your iPhone is running older iOS software, the installation could take longer.

For more about the iOS 17.3.1 download and installation, take a look at our walkthrough.

We’ve been using the iOS 17.3.1 update on an iPhone 12 Pro for several days now. Here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance:

iOS 17.3.1 Battery Life & Connectivity

Battery life is stable
Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable
Bluetooth’s 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 17.3.1 feels fast, we haven’t noticed abnormal lag or lockups

If you’ve run into bugs and/or performance issues on iOS 17.3 or an older version of iOS, you should probably install the iOS 17.3.1 update on your iPhone today.

If you need help making a decision about the upgrade, check out our reasons to, and not to, install iOS 17.3.1 right now.

iOS 17.3.1 Problems

We haven’t run into any issues with the software, but iOS 17.3.1 is causing problems for other iPhone users.

The current list of iOS 17.3.1 problems includes rapid battery drain, CarPlay issues, Bluetooth issues, Wi-Fi problems, Exchange issues, and problems with first and third-party apps.

If you run into an issue with Apple’s new firmware, 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 abnormal battery drain.

Apple recently stopped signing on iOS 17.3 which means you can’t drop your iPhone’s software back to the previous version of iOS 17 if iOS 17.3.1 starts causing problems.

You can’t downgrade to anything older than iOS 17.3 either. Apple’s closed off the downgrade path back to older iOS software.

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

iOS 17.3.1 Features

Apple’s point updates (iOS x.x.x) typically bring essential fixes to the iPhone and that’s exactly what iOS 17.3.1 brings to iPhone users.

The update delivers a fix for an issue where text may unexpectedly duplicate or overlap while typing.

iOS 17.3.1 doesn’t have any security patches on board.

iOS 17.3.1 Jailbreak

If you still jailbreak your iPhone, avoid the iOS 17.3.1 update.

We don’t expect developers to release a public jailbreak tool that’s compatible with iOS 17.3.1 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 working on a new iOS 17.4 update and the software will arrive in March.

If you can’t or don’t want to wait that long, you can download a pre-release version of iOS 17.4 onto your iPhone via one of Apple’s beta programs.

For more about the iOS 17.4 update, have a look at our walkthrough. And for more about the iOS 17.4 release date, check out our guide.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 17.4.1 & 11 Reasons You Should

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 security patches, but Apple hasn't revealed them yet. It's probably waiting until it releases additional software for Mac and other devices.

The update's patches will help keep your device and its data protected from harm. And that makes it 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.