iOS 17.5 Out With 4 New Features

We’ve highlighted the four most important iOS 17.5 enhancements in this post. Are you unsure about updating your iPhone? For a brief lesson, read on how to download iOS 17.

It’s about time we welcomed iOS 17.5 to the party, considering Apple released iOS 17.4 a little over two months ago. Any iPhone model older than the iPhone XR can now download the most recent software update. While we eagerly anticipate the release of iOS 18, iOS 17.5 offers a good number of helpful iOS enhancements as well.

The most recent software update from Apple broadens the sideloading permissions that were initially offered with iOS 17.4 (at least in EU countries). It also brings much-needed changes to a few select apps and settings, such as Apple News and Find My.

Downloads of Third-party Web Apps (EU only)

iOS 17.4 allowed EU residents to download apps from third-party app stores as part of a legislatively mandated reorganization of Apple’s strategy. iOS 17.5 extends these permissions by permitting website-based app downloads.

Said another way, this implies that online developers can now sell apps directly from their websites, saving EU-based iPhone consumers from having to download them via a physical app store (be it Apple’s or another). Although developers must have been a part of the Apple Developer Program for two years in a row in order to offer website-based app downloads, this move is still a step in the right direction toward greater iPhone owner autonomy (even though Apple may not agree). It’s not quite an unrestricted free-for-all.

Upgrades to Apple News Plus

Anybody who likes a good puzzle? With iOS 17.5, a new daily word game called Quartiles is available to users of Apple News Plus, the company’s premium news service in the US and Canada. Players must connect tiles to construct words and score points.

Additionally, Apple News Plus now has an offline option thanks to iOS 17.5, enabling users to view articles, audio reports, and games even when they are not connected to Wi-Fi or cellular service. You can adjust the settings to change the kind of content that is made available in this offline mode.

Recommended: iOS 17.5: Every Feature Your iPhone May Receive Very Soon

Setting for a New Repair State

With iOS 17.5, Find My now has a new feature called Repair State. In the past, customers who sent in their iPhones for repair were requested to disable Find My in order to verify that they were the owner of the device. Now that this new Repair State feature allows ‌Find My‌ to remain enabled, owners of iPhones can still follow their devices while repairs are being made. Though little, the change is nonetheless appreciated.

Alerts from Third-party Trackers

Apple’s Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers specification, which enables iPhone users to identify and locate third-party object trackers in addition to Apple’s AirTags (which have been detectable since iOS 14.5), has finally been released in iOS 17.5.

Now, if any manufacturer’s Bluetooth tracking gadget is found on you, your iPhone will warn you with a “[Item] Found Moving With You” message. After that, you’ll be able to turn off the problematic tracker and/or make a noise.

Android phone users may now access Google’s updated Find My Device network, so it’s encouraging to see the main mobile manufacturers standing together against this safety concern.