iOS 17 is here. It’s the newest version of iOS, Apple’s mobile operating system that runs on iPhone – and it comes with some exciting new changes to voicemail, emojis, Messages, Safari and lots more. Here’s all you need to know about it.

iOS 17 release date

iOS 17 was released on September 18, 2023. So, if you haven’t updated to iOS 17 on your iPhone yet, you can do it right now.

Which iPhones Support iOS 17?

iOS 17 is compatible with iPhone XR/iPhone XS and later. That means if you’ve got one of the following iPhones, you can update to iOS 17.

• iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max.

• iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max.

• iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max.

• iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max.

• iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max.

• iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max.

• iPhone XR.

• iPhone SE (2nd gen or later).

iOS 17 isn’t available for older phones including iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. They’ll still run iOS 16 but can’t be updated to any newer versions.

5 of the best new iOS 17 features

There are lots of cool new features to enjoy in the iOS 17 update. Here’s a handful of our favourites:

Live voicemail
If someone calls you and leaves a voicemail message, you can see what’s being said as it happens, with a transcription appearing in real time on your lock screen. Then of course, you can make the decision to take the call or ignore it.

Standby
This handy new feature lets you turn your iPhone into a bedside alarm clock every night. Or if you’ve got an old iPhone gathering dust in a drawer, you can put it to good use. When your iPhone is charging and placed on its side, it now goes into this new standby mode and turn into a smart display. It shows the time in a range of clock styles, and you can also choose to display other things like your favourite photos and widgets.

NameDrop
Here’s a quick and easy new way of sharing your number and deets with someone else.
You can forget about making a deliberate mis-call just so they’ve got your number. Now simply NameDrop your info in the same way you pay for stuff on your phone. Just make sure your NFC is turned on, hover your iPhone over theirs, and they’ll receive your contact info.

Contact posters
This lets you personalise how you appear in the contact lists of your friends (and when you call them). You can choose any image you want, and also change the fonts and colours. The choice is all yours.

Check-in
Check-in is a great new feature that lets your friends and family know that you’ve arrived at a destination safely. If you aren’t making the expected progress, Messages will ask you to respond. If you don’t, it then shares information with your selected contacts, including your location, battery level, and mobile network status.

Other iOS 17 updates to look out for

As well as our five favourite features above, iOS 17 has lots going on behind the scenes to make your mobile life easier and more fun. For example:

Faster Messages. Search in Messages has been improved with filters that let you add terms to narrow down the results. You can now also jump straight to the first unread message in a group chat, and swipe to reply on any message.

New ring tones. There are 24 new ringtones to choose from, and a few new text tones too. You’ll find them in settings, under ‘Sounds & Haptics’.

New emojis and stickers. You can now turn emojis into stickers and resize them. You can also turn subjects from photos into stickers, and turn live animated photos into live stickers. Your cute pet photos are going to look sooo much cuter!

Accurate autocorrect. The days of being annoyed by autocorrect should be over with this improvement. Apple says autocorrect is now more accurate than ever, with machine learning adapting to your writing style and suggesting predictions that you actually need.

Better browsing. Search in Safari will be more responsive, with suggestions that are more relevant than they were in the past. You can separate your work browsing from your personal browsing, and even choose a new default search engine if you wan to stray from Safari.

How to update to iOS 17

Follow these simple steps to upgrade your iPhone to iOS 17:

1. Open your ‘Settings’ app.

2. Tap ‘General’.

3. Tap ‘Software Update’.

You’ll now see details of the iOS version currently running on your phone. If a new version is available you’ll be given the option to “Download and Install”, so go ahead and do that.

iOS 17 usually takes a few minutes to download. Your iPhone will then restart, and you’ll be introduced to iOS 17 and its new features.

FAQs

Will iOS 17 slow down my older iPhone?

Some iPhones slow down straight after an iOS update. This doesn’t usually last very long -once background tasks relating to the update are completed, it should be back up to speed.

How much storage space is needed for the update to iOS 17?

You’ll usually need at least 2GB of free space on your iPhone to update your iOS successfully. It sometimes takes a little more than that, so leave yourself plenty of free space. You won’t need 3GB, but it’s a good figure to aim for.

Can I revert back to my previous iOS if I don't like iOS 17?

This isn’t something Apple recommends, and it usually stops supporting old operating systems withing days of releasing a new one. But if you’re quick enough, here’s a handy article that explains how to downgrade from iOS 17 to iOS 16.

Should I do a backup before updating to iOS 17?

We recommend that you always backup your iPhone before updating operation system. You can do an iCloud backup, or connect your iPhone to a computer and use the Finder app.

Are there any potential issues with updating to iOS 17?

A few bugs are common with the first official versions of any software, but Apple has already released an update to resolve iOS 17 issues.

Any other questions?

Thinking about upgrading to the new iPhone 15 family or other iPhones? You can buy now, pay later with a flexible credit account. With flexible credit we make spreading the cost of your tech easy to manage. 24.9% APR representative (variable). And you can choose the term that suits your monthly budget, from 12 to 36 months. You can apply for a Your Plan credit account in-store or online at any time, then buy the tech you want.