Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 to Developers

Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 betas to developers for testing purposes, with the updates coming a day after the launches of iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3.

iOS 17
Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 Developer Beta. An Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

Apple has a March 6 deadline to introduce app sideloading in the European Union in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and iOS 17.4 will add support for this. Sideloading will allow Apple users in Europe to download apps outside of the App Store, but the change will be limited to the EU and won't impact customers in other parts of the world.

There's no word yet on what else is included in iOS 17.4, but Apple's updates around this time often introduce new emoji characters. If there are indeed new emoji in the update, we can expect to see the Unicode 15.1 additions, which include phoenix, lime, an edible mushroom, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake), and broken chain.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New MacBook Pros Could Now Arrive in March

Sunday February 8, 2026 6:02 am PST by
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...

Top Rated Comments

theboyfrombonao Avatar
27 months ago
Apple needs to add a feature on 17.4 that after multiple times the thief attempts to turn off stolen device protection the front camera snap a picture of the thief and send it to the iPhone's owner iCloud account so the owner can get that picture from another device he or she owns so they can take it to the nearest police station
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PommeFruits Avatar
27 months ago

even on the one they release to the public
That's why I'm still running 8.4.1
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PommeFruits Avatar
27 months ago

New beta updates, new beta bugs
A beta has bugs? That's crazy!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iOS Geek Avatar
27 months ago

New beta updates, new beta bugs
And with how many things are being opened up by this update...I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being one of the buggiest beta periods we've seen...

Then again, maybe if it's an absolute dumpster fire of an experience, maybe the EU might wake up and realize they made a mistake by dictating things they'd be better off keeping their noses out of.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PommeFruits Avatar
27 months ago

you know, they always come up with something new, if they don't brick your iPhone, they overheat the battery or make it run in slow performance
I know they're always purposely putting bugs in their beta software!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
theboyfrombonao Avatar
27 months ago
New beta updates, new beta bugs
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)