What you should know
- The iOS 17.3 update for iPhone includes the Stolen Device Protection feature which makes it harder for someone to steal your device by requiring Face ID or Touch ID verification for certain tasks when the device is away from home or work.
- The update also introduces the Collaborative Apple Music Playlist feature, allowing others to contribute to creating a playlist by adding or deleting songs, and changing the order of songs.
- iOS 17.3 is set to be released the week of January 22nd, according to information from an Apple Newsroom story.
- The Stolen Device Protection feature will delay certain tasks by an hour to give the owner time to realize their phone has been stolen and call Apple to prevent any changes from taking place.
Full Story
So, you’ve got an iPhone, huh? You’re probably waiting for that iOS 17.3 update. There’s a couple of reasons you might be excited about it. First off, there’s this Stolen Device Protection thing that’s coming with it. This feature is all about making it harder for some random person to steal your phone.
How does it work? Well, your iPhone will know if it’s not at your home or office. If it’s not, it’ll ask for Face ID or Touch ID before it lets someone do certain things. This new iOS update also brings something called the Collaborative Apple Music Playlist.
Now, when is this update coming? According to Apple, it’s the week of January 22nd. That’s next Monday, folks. This tidbit was found in a footnote in an Apple Newsroom story. It was about the release of the Unity Bloom iPhone and iPad wallpaper. Apparently, you need iOS 17.3 to install it.
So, what’s this Stolen Device Protection feature all about? It requires Face ID or Touch ID for certain tasks. Things like using passwords or passkeys saved in iCloud Keychain, applying for a new Apple Card, and turning off Lost Mode. It also delays some tasks by an hour. This gives you time to realize your phone’s been nicked and call Apple to stop any changes.
What tasks get delayed? Changing your Apple ID password, updating certain Apple ID account security settings, and changing your iPhone passcode, to name a few. Also, adding or removing Face ID or Touch ID, turning off Find My, and turning off Stolen Device Protection.
And let’s not forget about the Collaborative Playlists on Apple Music. This is a feature that lets others help create a playlist for your Apple Music account. They can add songs, delete songs, and change the order of the tunes. You can even share emojis in the Now Playing interface to react to song choices.
Starting next Monday, you can check if the iOS 17.3 update has arrived. Just go to Settings > General > Software Update. So, there you have it. A little bit of info about the upcoming iOS 17.3 update.
