Annually Apple releases a serious replace for iOS, the working system in your iPhone. The present model, launched final 12 months, is iOS 16, and it doesn’t take a genius to foretell that 2023 will see the launch of iOS 17. This free software program replace will carry a raft of interface tweaks, bug fixes, and new options. It’s like getting a brand new iPhone with out paying a penny.
On this article, we focus on every part it’s essential find out about iOS 17. We cowl its launch schedule and when you possibly can count on the beta and remaining variations to return out; methods to get it when it does; the fashions of iPhone which are seemingly to have the ability to run iOS; and the options we count on and hope to be added within the new OS.
iOS 17 launch date: When will iOS 17 arrive?
iOS 17 can be introduced and demonstrated at WWDC 2023 in June, after which rolled out to iPhones internationally in fall 2023, nearly definitely in mid-September. (The final time an iOS replace was launched exterior September was iOS 5 again in October 2011.) It’s more likely to comply with intently on the heels of the iPhone 15 launch occasion. There was a niche of 5 days between the iPhone and iOS replace in 2022, and 6 days in 2021. Over th epast a number of years, the discharge of the brand new model of iOS has been pretty constant:
- iOS 16: Monday, September 12, 2022
- iOS 15: Monday, September 20, 2021
- iOS 14: Wednesday, September 16, 2020
- iOS 13: Thursday, September 19, 2019
- iOS 12: Monday, September 17, 2018
Earlier than this occurs, a sequence of beta variations of iOS 17 can be launched to testers, starting with the primary developer beta on the day of WWDC 2023. Right here’s our anticipated timeline:
- Early to mid-June 2023: iOS 17 is introduced at WWDC, and the primary developer beta is launched.
- July 2023: Apple releases the primary public beta of iOS 17.
- June to September 2023: Apple releases a sequence of further developer and public betas.
- Early September 2023: The iPhone 15 is introduced.
- Mid-September 2023: The ultimate public model of iOS 17 is launched.
iOS 17 compatibility: Which iPhones will be capable to run iOS 17?
Our greatest guess is that the iPhone XS and later will be capable to run iOS 17. The iPhone 8 and eight Plus, and the iPhone X which got here out the identical 12 months, are all on the borderline. They might miss out, or they could squeak by and get one other 12 months of software program help.
Apple, sadly, doesn’t comply with a strict system the place iPhones lose help after a specified variety of years. Some years Apple doesn’t take away any gadgets from the record of supported gadgets; final 12 months, in contrast, it eliminated the 6s and seven generations in a single stroke. (Optimists could hope that this unusually harsh 12 months can be adopted by a extra lenient one.) When you’ve acquired an iPhone 7, 1st-gen iPhone SE, or something sooner than these gadgets, nonetheless, you positively received’t be capable to set up iOS 17 since they aren’t suitable with get iOS 16.
- iPhone 7, iPhone SE (2016), and earlier: Not suitable
- iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus: Presumably suitable
- iPhone X: Presumably suitable
- iPhone XS, XS Max, XR: Most likely suitable
- iPhone 11 and later: Positively suitable
Even when your chosen gadget is granted one other 12 months of software program help, it’s price noting that older iPhones could not get the total vary of latest options. Final 12 months, for instance, the iPhone 8 and iPhone X missed out on a bunch of cool stuff attributable to its older processor.

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iOS 17: The best way to set up the beta and full model
As soon as the ultimate launch comes out, putting in iOS 17 can be a breeze. Open the Settings app in your iPhone and go to Normal > Software program Replace; iOS will examine for any out there updates and information you thru the method of putting in them. You merely must comply with the directions, which we clarify in our iOS updating information. And it’s simpler nonetheless should you’ve turned on Computerized Updates, which you are able to do from the identical display screen.
However you may as well set up betas each main as much as the primary launch of iOS 17 and thru the 12 months following its launch. there are two sorts—developer betas, which arrive first, and public betas, which usually present up a day or two later.
If you wish to set up a developer beta, you want, unsurprisingly, to be a registered Apple software program developer. This prices $99 a 12 months and provides you with precedence entry to all of Apple’s betas, together with macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. A greater possibility for many could be to go for the general public beta as a substitute: these come out later than the developer betas, however they’re free, and nonetheless provide you with bragging rights with your pals. Apple is altering the best way betas are put in in iOS 16.4, and they’re now tied to Apple IDs fairly than profiles, so the method is just a little friendlier than earlier than. You possibly can signal as much as obtain betas on the Apple Beta Software program Program web site.
In both case, it’s essential to emphasize that betas are not completed software program and are more likely to include bugs. That’s form of the purpose of testing them. So be ready for issues to go fallacious, perhaps catastrophically, and we don’t suggest that you simply set up a beta in your main gadget. If that doesn’t put you off, comply with our iOS beta set up information.
iOS 17: Rumored new options
After together with quite a few new options in iOS 16, together with a brand new Lock Display screen, unsending iMessage, and the iCloud Shared Picture Library, however early experiences point out that iOS 17 could have ‘fewer main adjustments’ than common. Based on Mark Gurman, Apple has shifted assets to improvement of software program for its AR headset, tentatively referred to as xrOS. A report in early January indicated that its headset improvement had “value it some new options in iOS 17.”
A later report from less-reliable LeaksApplePro echoed Gurman’s feedback, saying iOS 17 will give attention to “stability and effectivity” and “there received’t be many visible adjustments.”
iOS 17: New options we hope to see
Since this 12 months’s launch is rumored to be extra upkeep and smaller enhancements than flashy new options, we’ve targeted on issues we wish to see improved in iOS 17—little tweaks that may make a giant distinction in how we use our telephones.
Apple definitely doesn’t come to us for recommendation about these things (and it’s too late to make main adjustments anyway), nevertheless it’s instructive to see how properly “what we wish” strains up with “what Apple delivers.” For what it’s price, Apple truly delivered a number of of our iOS 16 Wishlist options, and if iOS 17 brings us extra of the adjustments on this 12 months’s record, we’ll think about {that a} success. Right here’s what we wish to see this 12 months:
Overhaul the App Library
First launched with iOS 14, the App Library is an effective basic thought: Let your own home display screen be cluttered with solely these apps you really use day-after-day and conceal the handfuls of different apps in your iPhone away from view.
It’s only a dangerous design! Apps are stuffed robotically into class folders that don’t at all times match up with what you’d count on. I’ve two Fender guitar apps on my iPhone. Fender Tune is within the Leisure folder the place it doesn’t belong, and Fender Play is in Different. Intuitively, these belong in the identical folder, which ought to most likely be Creativity. Everybody I do know has quite a few examples like this.
The folders are represented by 4 icons, three of that are precise app icons that open the app while you faucet on them and the fourth is a bunch of 4 extra tiny app icons that open the folder. That is an interplay and interface mannequin that doesn’t exist wherever else in iOS and iPadOS, and it’s not intuitive. Oh, and all of the folders and their contents transfer round and alter so you possibly can’t develop muscle reminiscence.

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We now have a couple of easy ideas. Tapping the search field on the high of the App Library offers you an alphabetical record, which is a a lot less complicated and intuitive technique to discover an app. It ought to be the default view—or be capable to be set because the default view.
On the very least, make the folders within the App Library work like folders all through iOS. Don’t transfer them round, make them so that you open the folder while you faucet on them and by no means one of many apps inside. And perhaps incorporate a quantity displaying what number of apps are within the folder.
Finish the App Retailer monopoly—for all
A current report claims that Apple will begin to open up the iPhone in iOS 17, permitting the distribution of apps exterior of Apple’s personal App Retailer, using NFC for touchless funds past Apple Pay, browsers that don’t have to make use of Apple’s Webkit rendering engine, and extra. It’s all essential to adjust to the EU’s new Digital Markets Act, and the expectation is that it’s going to solely apply to these iPhones operating iOS 17 within the areas lined by EU legislation.
Apple ought to go forward and make the adjustments–no matter they’re–world. Naturally, we count on Apple to do the minimal potential to be in compliance with the Digital Markets Act, and we’re most likely going to be in for a spherical of hearings and lawsuits and such saying that Apple isn’t in full compliance.
I nonetheless suppose no matter restricted further selection and freedom the EU iPhone customers get can be an excellent factor, and could be good for customers the world over, on stability. Furthermore, it could be a wise transfer by Apple. The corporate is below antitrust scrutiny in a number of different markets, together with the U.S. It might take a variety of warmth off itself by providing the identical resolution that glad EU regulators, probably stopping even stricter treatments in different areas.
It might additionally make iOS simpler to take care of and check as a single cohesive launch, fairly than fragmenting iOS into regional variants.
Enhance Siri in a giant manner (but once more)
Siri is certainly getting higher and acquired a pleasant set of enhancements in iOS 15 and iOS 16. It lastly acquired offline processing, which speeds issues up lots and improves privateness. It additionally acquired a bit smarter and extra dependable and is lots higher about understanding what’s on the display screen and reacting to it.
However Siri merely isn’t getting ok quick sufficient. Not a day goes by that I don’t ask my Google Assistant one thing to which I get an excellent reply, after which—simply out of curiosity—I ask Siri as properly, and Siri fails.
The emphasis on new massive language fashions resembling ChatGPT is transferring the bar for a way we count on to have the ability to converse with AI. Siri wants greater than only a “20 p.c higher than final 12 months!” replace, it wants a giant ahead leap which you could hear and really feel each time you employ it. It must sound higher, work higher, do extra, and be proper extra typically. It wants to really really feel conversational.
Siri kicked off the primary technology of smartphone AI and fell behind. Wouldn’t or not it’s nice if Siri was the primary true “next-generation” smartphone AI?
Make it simpler to make use of 2FA apps
There’s this superior characteristic in iOS that takes 2FA authentication codes you obtain through SMS and makes them an autofill possibility simply above the keyboard. This lets you fill within the code with out leaping away from the app or web site that requested it and again once more.
The one downside is that this solely works with 2FA codes from SMS or Apple’s built-in Passwords characteristic.

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We don’t counsel utilizing SMS for 2FA codes except you need to–they’re not as safe as they need to be. Utilizing the built-in password supervisor to generate codes isn’t a terrific possibility both as a result of it actually solely works properly in your iPhone–should you ever must log in wherever else, it’s an actual ache to leap three layers deep in Settings to get your code. And a few companies mandate using sure 2FA apps.
We’d love for Apple to supply a framework for one-time-password code technology apps resembling Authy, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and others to allow them to securely autofill codes when requested identical to Messages.
Display screen and file calls
Spam calls are uncontrolled, and Apple ought to be utilizing each software in its arsenal to resolve one of many greatest annoyances plaguing each smartphone person. For a while now, Google Assistant has been capable of display screen calls from unknown callers on Android telephones. It might produce textual content transcripts and recordings, too.
This looks like a factor Siri ought to be capable to do. In actual fact, Apple ought to go a step additional and construct an iCloud name spam service. These apps and companies exist already, however they require you to arrange a call-forwarding service–Apple, with low-level entry to the working system, might make this straightforward and seamless. Identical to the iCloud Non-public Relay service, this ought to be an apparent characteristic for an organization that payments itself because the “safety and privateness” smartphone selection.
Make the Island extra Dynamic
The Dynamic Island is a superb interface conference that we count on to see on all 4 iPhone fashions this 12 months. However it will probably do extra!
New notifications ought to stream out of the Dynamic Island after they are available as a substitute of simply sliding down from the highest of the display screen, and the choice to see what number of unread notifications you’ve could be helpful too. Possibly Siri might counsel new Stay Actions primarily based on the apps you employ.

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However most significantly, the Dynamic Island shouldn’t be a spot for notifications to reside, simply the place they briefly seem after they first are available. The usage of this space is obvious: it’s for persistent background actions and “right here after which gone perpetually” toasts just like the Face ID authentication or AirPods connecting.
Unify the model numbers
There’s no good motive for Apple’s ecosystem to have fragmented model numbers which are exhausting to maintain observe of. Greater than ever earlier than, the software program is up to date in sync with options meant to work collectively, so why do we’ve one model variety of iOS and iPadOS and tvOS, one other for watchOS, and one other for macOS?
That is solely going to worsen when the Actuality headset is launched and has xrOS 1 or one thing related.
Simply soar every part forward to 17. Or higher but, model 20. Why not? In any case, Apple skipped the iPhone 9 completely, jumped tvOS to model 17 out of the blue, and stored macOS at model 10 for greater than a decade.
Assist make it clear for customers: the most recent launch for every gadget’s OS could have the identical model quantity. The releases may not at all times occur on the identical day, however customers ought to be capable to simply see that the most recent watchOS 20.2 replace goes with iOS 20.2, which fits with macOS 20.2, and so forth.