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

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.

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.

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