Apple

iOS 17.1 Fixes Several Annoying Bugs

Published

6 months ago

10/17/2023

Apple’s new iOS 17.1 update is bringing new features to the iPhone, but the software is also poised to fix several annoying bugs plaguing the operating system.

iOS 17.1 is Apple’s next major update for iPhone and it’s set to arrive later on this month. It’s the first milestone upgrade for iOS 17.

While a lot of the attention is on the software’s new features and enhancements, iOS 17.1 is set to fix bugs and performance issues which should be music to the ears of iPhone owners struggling on iOS 17.

In the iOS 17.1 change log, Apple calls out a number of bug fixes in the software’s change log. These are the only known fixes on board, but iOS software updates sometimes fix unlisted problems.

Apple says iOS 17.1 brings improved reliability of Screen Time settings syncing across devices. This is an issue that’s been around for months with parents complaining about the feature not syncing properly or getting reset on devices within a Family Sharing group.

Apple attempted to fix the issue with the release of iOS 16.5 earlier this year, but some users continued to run into the problem on later versions of iOS 16 and iOS 17.

The company says the software resolves an issue where the names of incoming callers may not appear when you are on another call. This is a bug we saw occur a few times on an iPhone 14 Pro Max and an iPhone 12 Pro.

iOS 17.1 also fixes the following problems:

Fixes an issue that may cause the Significant Location privacy setting to reset when transferring an Apple Watch or pairing it for the first time
Addresses an issue where custom and purchased ringtones may not appear as options for your text tone
Fixes an issue that may cause the keyboard to be less responsive
Fixes an issue that may cause display image persistence
Crash detection optimizations for all iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models

The fix for the display image persistence comes after complaints from iPhone 15 users about screen burn-in issues. While this was thought to possibly be a hardware problem with the devices OLED displays, it looks like Apple was able to remedy it with software.

As for the fix for keyboard responsiveness, iPhone users across the board have complained about lag, stuttering and lockups with the keyboard. iOS 17.1 should alleviate these issues.

Fortunately, iPhone users won’t have to wait too much longer for these fixes. Apple recently posted the final version of the iOS 17.1 beta and French regulatory group ANFR says the iOS 17.1 update will land by October 24th.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 17.4.1 & 12 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 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.