Apple is preparing for the release of iOS 17.5. Most likely, the new software version will be distributed to iPhone users starting next week, but those who are enrolled in the beta testing program can download the new version right now in the “Release Candidate” version, that is, the “near” final version. On this occasion we also find out what’s new in iOS 17.5, and the list is neither very long nor does it add much functionality.
In fact, iOS 17.5 seems to be a release born out of iOS’s need to keep up with iPadOS. The new iPad Air M2 and iPad Pro M4 tablets will ship with iPadOS 17.5, the first software version to support these new models, and iOS 17.5 is launching simultaneously. In Romania, we will most likely receive only one real update, as the other function is closely related to the Apple News application, which is not available in our country.
Here’s the full list of what’s new in iOS 17.5
Apple News
- Offline mode in Apple News+ gives you access to the Today feed and the News+ tab even when you don’t have an internet connection.
- Quartiles is a new and original daily word game now available on Apple News+.
- The News+ Puzzles leaderboard gives you access to new player data for Crosswords, Mini Crosswords and Quartiles, including stats and streaks.
Tracking Notifications
- Cross-platform tracking detection delivers notifications to users if a compatible Bluetooth tracker they don’t own moves with them, regardless of the operating system the device is paired with.
As expected, the new iOS 17.5 update will be compatible with all Apple smartphones starting with the iPhone XS/XR series and up to the latest variants of the iPhone 15 series.
This could be the last major iOS 17 release before iOS 18 debuts in the fall. In early June, Apple will debut iOS 18 at WWDC, the company’s annual conference for software developers on its platforms. This is where new versions of Apple’s operating systems are usually introduced and the first test versions are released. iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and other Apple operating systems are expected this year with built-in generative AI features.
