Apple Again Rumored to Release iOS 7.1 in March

iOS7-smallA new report from 9to5Mac claims iOS 7.1 will indeed be released to all iOS users in March, representing the first major revision since iOS 7 was launched publicly in September of last year.

Sources note the next version of iOS 7 will continue with the visual improvements, minor tweaks and bug fixes reported in earlier beta versions seeded to developers.

While recent reports are pegging a launch sooner than later, reliable sources say that Apple is currently planning to ship iOS 7.1, the first significant update to iOS 7, in March. The iOS 7.1 update is said to not have any “secret features,” and it will basically be what we have been told to expect by the past five betas: some user-interface tweaks in the Phone app, an improved Calendar app, speed improvements, and numerous bug-fixes.

BGR originally cited a March release date for iOS 7.1 back in late December, but a follow-up report earlier this week seemed to hedge on that claim somewhat by noting that the update was expected in the "coming weeks." Slowing increments of build numbers from the developer beta versions suggest the software is nearing a public launch, but whether that date lands in late February or the early March is not clear.

Previous iOS 7.1 betas have included various improvements such as a new "Button Shapes" option in Accessibility, keyboard tweaks that indicate shift and caps locks, a new event list view within the Calendar app and refined icons for the Phone, FaceTime, and Messages app. The unreleased iOS in the Car feature has also been refined in the iOS 7.1 beta testing period, but it is unclear when the functionality will be made available to the public.

Details on features in past beta releases can be found in our previous beta posts: Beta 1, Beta 2, Beta 3, Beta 4 and Beta 5.

Tag: 9to5Mac
Related Forum: iOS 7

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
apple news banner

Apple News Loses CNN

Monday November 24, 2025 7:56 am PST by
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports. CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...

Top Rated Comments

AustinIllini Avatar
154 months ago
iOS 7.0.3

----------

I love how even though nobody has a good track record of predicting minor iOS release dates, and all the BGR predictions that MacRumors loves have proven wrong so far (especially their Beta 3 predictions), MacRumors continues to publish these meaningless made-up stories. Shows how desperate people can get for clicks these days.

7.1 will be released when it is ready (based on beta 5, that won't be for at least a few more weeks).

It's "Macrumors" not "MacFacts"
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BeyondtheTech Avatar
154 months ago
Ugh, so it's at least four more weeks of Springboard resets, black screen issues, Safari crashes, and phantom emails. Yay.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
stooovie Avatar
154 months ago
just throwing it out there but is this rapid one year release cycle really the best one?

it seems it takes half a year after the release to get over some of the major issues taken care of and then of course the day after the next os is released you might as well have a device from another company if you didnt upgrade.

to me it feels like they are chasing their tail.

its like you pay pretty high price for a device and get to be a beta tester for the 2-3 os-es it supports
yes, exactly my feelings. And the old adage "no one forces you to update" is false - Apple actively forces you with software updates requiring the latest OS. FCPX 10.1 and iWork apps require Mavericks - if you collaborate with other people on latest versions, you HAVE to update.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
numlock Avatar
154 months ago
just throwing it out there but is this rapid one year release cycle really the best one?

it seems it takes half a year after the release to get some of the major issues taken care of and then of course the day after the next os is released you might as well have a device from another company if you didnt upgrade.

to me it feels like they are chasing their tail.

its like you pay pretty high price for a device and get to be a beta tester for the 2-3 os-es it supports
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nozuka Avatar
154 months ago
did they improve the music app? that's really the only thing i liked better in ios6

ios 7 version sucks if you got alot of albums from the same artist or to just repeat one album from an artist instead of all of them or randomly.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WaxedJacket Avatar
154 months ago
I love how even though nobody has a good track record of predicting minor iOS release dates, and all the BGR predictions that MacRumors loves have proven wrong so far (especially their Beta 3 predictions), MacRumors continues to publish these meaningless made-up stories. Shows how desperate people can get for clicks these days.

7.1 will be released when it is ready (based on beta 5, that won't be for at least a few more weeks).

And here you are clicking...
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)