After the latest update, Apple users started asking themselves, “Should I update to iOS 17.3?” In this piece, we will talk about all of the innovations that the latest update has brought to our lives and whether you should update your phone.
Are you pondering whether to hit your iPhone’s update button for iOS 17.3? It’s a question many of us face every time Apple rolls out a new update. With iOS 17.3, Apple promises not just a fresh coat of paint but a suite of features that aim to enrich your daily digital experience. In this article, we’ll walk through some of these slick new offerings. If they tickle your fancy, maybe it’s time to give your iPhone the iOS 17.3 treatment. Should I update to iOS 17.3?
Should I update to iOS 17.3?
So, should I update to iOS 17.3? Let’s take a closer look at all the features announced with this update.
Stolen Device Protection
Remember those hair-raising reports earlier this year about iPhones getting swiped right under the noses of their owners? Thieves were learning passcodes, leading to drained bank accounts and more woes. Apple’s answer to this is the Stolen Device Protection in iOS 17.3, a feature that ups the security ante. Even if a thief gets both your iPhone and passcode, they’re in for a tough time.
This feature demands biometric proof – think Face ID or Touch ID – for sensitive actions like using iCloud Keychain, disabling Lost Mode, wiping the phone, or even surfing shopping sites in Safari.
Collaborative Apple Music Playlists
Music lovers, rejoice! With iOS 17.3, Apple Music gets more social with collaborative playlists. You can now create or choose an existing playlist and invite others to add their favorite tunes. It’s easy – just tap the person icon in a playlist, generate a link, and share it with your circle. The creator keeps control, able to remove songs or people or shut down collaboration as they wish.
Collaborative Playlist Emoji Reactions
To add a dash of fun, iOS 17.3 brings emoji reactions to Apple Music playlists. When a song plays, you can see emojis that others have attached to it, adding an interactive, emotional layer to your listening experience.
AirPlay 2 in Hotels
Travelers, there’s something for you too. Selected hotels now let you beam content from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac straight to a compatible hotel TV. This means no more logging into hotel TVs with your personal accounts.
AppleCare
The Settings app has a new section for AppleCare and Warranty. It conveniently shows the coverage for all devices linked to your Apple ID.
Crash Detection
For iPhone 14 and 15 users, the Crash Detection feature has been fine-tuned to avoid false alarms during activities that mimic a car crash.
TV Show and Movie Wishlists
Missed your iTunes Store wishlists? They’re back in iOS 17.3, letting you access and copy your carefully curated movie and TV show watch lists.
iOS 17.3 release notes
This update introduces additional security measures with Stolen Device Protection. This release also includes a new Unity wallpaper to honor Black history and culture in celebration of Black History Month, as well as other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPhone.
Stolen Device Protection
- Stolen Device Protection increases security of iPhone and Apple ID by requiring Face ID or Touch ID with no passcode fallback to perform certain actions
- Security Delay requires Face ID or Touch ID, an hour wait, and then an additional successful biometric authentication before sensitive operations like changing device passcode or Apple ID password can be performed
Lock Screen
- New Unity wallpaper honors Black history and culture in celebration of Black History Month
Music
- Collaborate on playlists allows you to invite friends to join your playlist and everyone can add, reorder, and remove songs
- Emoji reactions can be added to any track in a collaborative playlist
This update also includes the following improvements:
- AirPlay hotel support lets you stream content directly to the TV in your room in select hotels
- AppleCare & Warranty in Settings shows your coverage for all devices signed in with your Apple ID
- Crash detection optimizations (all iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models)
Featured image credit: Tyler Lastovich/Unsplash
