5 Things to Know About the iOS 17.4 Update

Apple’s released its new iOS 17.4 update for iPhone and the software is available to download right now.

iOS 17.4 is a milestone upgrade, the fourth for the iPhone’s iOS 17 operating system. As such, it brings more than just bug fixes and security patches to iPhone users. It delivers new features as well.

In this guide we’ll outline iOS 17.4’s changes, offer some thoughts about the software’s performance, go over the current list of  problems plaguing the software, highlight the iOS 17 jailbreak status, and more.

We’ll start with a quick look at iOS 17.4’s performance.

iOS 17.4 Review

If your iPhone’s running iOS 17.3.1, you’ll see the smallest iOS 17.4 download size. The download is around 1.6GB. If your iPhone is running low on storage, you may have to make room for the download.

The iOS 17.4 download size depends on your iPhone model and the version of iOS it’s currently running. If you skipped previous versions of iOS, the download could be quite large because the software brings the changes from 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 17.4 download and installation, take a look at our walkthrough.

We’ve been using iOS 17.4 on an iPhone 12 Pro for a few days now and the software’s performance continues to hold up well. We haven’t run into any serious problems with the firmware yet.

Here’s what we’ve learned about iOS 17.4’s performance thus far:

iOS 17.4 Battery Life & Connectivity

• Battery life is stable, 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 17.4 feels fast and we haven’t noticed abnormal lag, lockups, or freezes

If you’re dealing with bugs and/or performance issues on iOS 17.3.1, or an older version of iOS, you should install the iOS 17.4 update on your iPhone today.

If you need help making a decision, check out our reasons to, and not to, install iOS 17.4 right now.

iOS 17.4 Problems

iOS 17.4 went through an extensive testing process, but the firmware’s causing problems for some iPhone users.

The 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 trouble on iOS 17.4, 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 signing on iOS 17.3.1 which means you can drop your iPhone’s software back to older software if iOS 17.4 starts causing problems.

You can’t drop back to anything older than iOS 17.3.1. The downgrade path to older software like iOS 17.3 and iOS 17.2.1 is closed and won’t re-open.

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

iOS 17.4 Features

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 17.4 brings to the table.

iOS 17.4 delivers changes to iOS, Safari, and the App Store in the European Union. The changes comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Apple says the “changes include more than 600 new APIs, expanded app analytics, functionality for alternative browser engines, and options for processing app payments and distributing iOS apps.”

In addition to these changes, iOS 17.4 brings new emoji characters to the iPhone’s keyboard. The list includes a phoenix, a lime, and an edible mushroom.

The iOS 17.4 update also includes an upgrade to the Podcasts app. The app now features auto-generated transcripts which can be viewed within the app itself.

iOS 17.4 also ushers in 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.”

Here are the official iOS 17.4 release notes:

Emoji

• New mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads emoji are now available in the emoji keyboard
• 18 people and body emoji add the option to face them in either direction

Podcasts

• Transcripts let you follow an episode with text that highlights in sync with the audio in English, Spanish, French and German
• Episode text can be read in full, searched for a word or phrase, tapped to play from a specific point and used with accessibility features such as Text Size, Increase Contrast, and VoiceOver

Enhancements & Bug Fixes

• Music recognition lets you add songs you have identified to your Apple Music Playlists and Library, as well as Apple Music Classical
• Siri has a new option to announce messages you receive in any supported language
• Stolen Device Protection supports the option for increased security in all locations
• Battery Health in Settings shows battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models
• Call Identification displays Apple-verified business name, logo, and department name when available
• Business updates in Messages for Business provide trusted information for order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts or other transactions you opt into
• Apple Cash virtual card numbers enable you to pay with Apple Cash at merchants that don’t yet accept Apple Pay by typing in your number from Wallet or using Safari AutoFill
• Fixes an issue where contact pictures are blank in Find My
• Fixes an issue for Dual SIM users where the phone number changes from primary to secondary and is visible to a group they have messaged

iOS 17.4 also carries a bunch of new security patches and you can learn more about them on Apple’s security site.

iOS 17.4 Jailbreak

If you still jailbreak, make sure you avoid the iOS 17.4 update.

We don’t expect developers to release a tool that’s compatible with the iOS 17.4 today or at any point in the near future.

If you want to jailbreak your iPhone, you must stay put on older software.

What’s Next

iOS 17.4 was the last confirmed iOS 17 update in Apple’s pipeline, but we expect the company to put new software into beta testing sooner rather than later.

Keep an eye out for the iOS 17.5 beta. We expect it to enter beta testing in the near future ahead of its official release in April or May.

We may also see Apple push iOS 17.4.1 to bridge the gap between iOS 17.4 and iOS 17.5. We’ll let you know if we hear anything concrete.

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.

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