When Will iOS 17.3 Be Released?

Update: On January 17, Apple revealed that iOS 17.3 will be released "next week", with Monday, January 22, and Tuesday, January 23, being the most likely dates.


Apple is working on an iOS 17.3 update, and has seeded three betas to developers and public beta testers so far. The update isn't quite as large as the prior iOS 17.2 update in terms of new features so the testing period won't be as long, and we are expecting it to launch before the end of January.

iOS 17
In terms of timing, a launch the week of January 22nd might make the most sense. We've had three betas, two of which have not added anything particularly notable, suggesting there isn't much testing left. If Apple plans to launch the update on the 22nd or the 23rd, we can expect to see the release candidate version of the iOS 17.3 update on the 15th, followed by the launch.

Apple could also release iOS 17.3 on the week of the 29th, but that is the week that visionOS and the Vision Pro headset will be coming out. Apple does sometimes tie software release updates together, but as an entirely new operating system, visionOS isn't likely to be accompanied by any other updates.

The last new operating system update that Apple came out with was watchOS back in 2015. watchOS saw its official release on Friday, April 24, 2015, the same day that the first Apple Watch models launched.

Apple last year released iOS 16.3 on January 23, and in 2022, Apple released iOS 15.3 on January 26, so a January 22 launch date for iOS 17.3 would be in line with Apple's past release timelines.

iOS 17.3's main new feature is Stolen Device Protection, a feature that prevents a thief that somehow gains access to both your iPhone and your passcode from accessing sensitive information. It locks several features behind a Face ID scan, preventing a thief from viewing iCloud Keychain passwords, turning off Lost Mode, using Safari payment methods, and more.

It also adds a time-based delay before allowing ‌Face ID‌, Find My, or Stolen Device Protection to be turned off, and before letting an Apple ID or ‌iPhone‌ passcode be changed.

Along with Stolen Device Protection, iOS 17.3 adds Collaborative Apple Music Playlists, a feature originally intended for iOS 17.2. With Collaborative Playlists, multiple people can contribute to one shared ‌Apple Music‌ playlist.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

'New' iPhone SE Product Listing Appears on French Website

Wednesday February 12, 2025 6:49 am PST by
As the wait continues for Apple's long-rumored, fourth-generation iPhone SE, French electronics retailer Boulanger has prematurely published a product listing for a "new" model of the iPhone SE. The placeholder page says the device is "coming soon," but it offers no further information, and the price shown is obviously not real. The listing was spotted by a reader of the French technology...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
M4 mini Glowing Blue

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished M4 Macs

Wednesday February 12, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today added MacBook Pro and Mac mini models with M4 series chips to its certified refurbished store in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland for the first time since the computers were introduced in October 2024. Some refurbished MacBook Pro models with M4 chips are also available in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and select other European countries. ...
M4 Mac mini Apple Video

Apple's Refurbished Mac Mini Pricing Has a Problem

Thursday February 13, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple this week began selling refurbished Mac mini models with the M4 chip for the first time, but this has led to a pricing conundrum. In the United States, Apple is offering a refurbished Mac mini with the base M4 chip, 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and Gigabit Ethernet for $509, down from $599 new. This is the standard 15% discount that Apple offers on refurbished Macs. The issue is...
Apple Ad on X

Apple Resumes Advertising on X

Wednesday February 12, 2025 2:18 pm PST by
Apple this month started advertising on X for the first time in more than a year. The company had stopped advertising on the social media platform in November 2023 following controversial remarks made by its owner Elon Musk. For example, the @Apple account is running an ad promoting Safari's privacy features. The ad was spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The @AppleTV account has a...
iPhone 16 Apple Store

iPhone 17 in New Sizes This Year: What to Know

Thursday February 13, 2025 2:45 am PST by
Last year, Apple tweaked iPhone 16 Pro screen sizes to make them bigger than 2023's iPhone 15 Pro models, and this year we are also expecting a change in the size of the displays in the iPhone 17 lineup. Here's what we know. Standard iPhone 17 Apple could introduce a new display size for the standard iPhone 17 model in 2025. The iPhone 17 could measure in at 6.3 inches, up from 6.1 inches,...
iphone air concept weis

iPhone 17 Air Could Look Like This in Real Life

Friday February 14, 2025 3:41 am PST by
There have been several alleged leaked details of the iPhone 17 Air, Apple's rumored new slim iPhone, but images have been limited to grainy shots taken in component factories. However, this hyper-realistic concept created by WEIS Studio gives us the best idea yet of what Apple's thin device might actually look like. The concept design is inspired by recent leaks indicating that the device...

Top Rated Comments

tonmischa Avatar
14 months ago
BTW:

The last new operating system update that Apple came out with was watchOS back in 2015. watchOS saw its official release on Friday, April 24, 2015, the same day that the first Apple Watch models launched.
Not true. iPadOS was released in 2019.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maxfromdenmark Avatar
14 months ago
Hopefully not before it’s ready
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lartola Avatar
14 months ago



BTW:

Not true. iPadOS was released in 2019.
True. However, iPadOS was more of a name change for iOS on ipad, an already existing software for an already existing product. WatchOS, on the other hand, was an entirely new OS for an entirely new product (apple watch), as will be visionOS for the vision pro.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
california_kid Avatar
14 months ago
Apple totally missed the opportunity to say version 123.123 will be released on 123123 and the new security feature will reset all PIN codes to 123123. It will be as easy as 123.....ok I'm done.....
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheGeneralist Avatar
14 months ago
I really hope they can hold off at least until 29th of January, better still until February.
The current versions should become more stable soon...and soon means in this case, better spend some additional weeks for fixing than rushing out another half-baked version...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GerritV Avatar
14 months ago

Hopefully not before it’s ready
Today's macOS, iOS and watchOS are perhaps the most buggy releases I've known so far.
Everything seems to work, but with hundreds of cosmetic issues.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)