Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Apple has released iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 today. Most iPhone and iPad users have probably forgotten all about these updates. Besides delivering plenty of security upgrades to patch potentially serious iPhone and iPad vulnerabilities, the updates add some interesting new features including a notification to alert you if a Bluetooth-powered item tracker you don't own, running on any platform, has been detected. This feature could save your life.
According to the release notes included by Apple in the update, iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 includes:
Apple News
Offline mode in Apple News+ gives you access to the Today feed and News+ tab, even when you don’t have an internet connection
Quartiles is a new and original daily word game that is now available in Apple News+
Scoreboard in News+ Puzzles gives you access to new player data for Crossword, Mini Crossword and Quartiles, including stats and streaks
Tracking Notifications
Cross-Platform Tracking Detection delivers notifications to users if a compatible Bluetooth tracker they do not own is moving with them, regardless of what operating system the device is paired with
So iOS 17.5 comes with a new original daily word game for Apple News+ subscribers called Quartiles. Will it be enough of an incentive to get more iPhone and iPad users to subscribe to News+? We will see.
Apple releases iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5
The new Cross-Platform Tracking Detection feature is important because it will warn you if you are being followed by a Bluetooth item tracker no matter which operating system the tracker is running on. Therefore, if such an item tracker owned by an Android user is tracking you, your iPhone or iPad will give you a heads-up. We should also point out that iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 include a new Pride Radiance wallpaper for the Lock Screen.
To install the update on your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Software Update and follow the directions. The devices covered by iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 include iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2nd generation and later, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 6th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later.
iOS 16.7.8 and iPadOS 16.7.8 have also been released for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPad 5th generation, iPad Pro 9.7-inch, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch 1st generation. These updates have a couple of security fixes including one to patch a vulnerability that could allow an app to access user-sensitive data.
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Update to watchOS 10.5 has also been released
Also released today is watchOS 10.5 for the Apple Watch Series 4 and later. This update patches six flaws and adds a new Pride Radiance watch face. To update your Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone and go to Settings > Genral > Software Update to install it. Once it is installed, make sure your Apple Watch is on the charger and in range of your Wi-Fi-connected iPhone. Once the battery on the timepiece is charged to 50% the update will start automatically. Do not restart or remove the watch from the charger until the update is complete.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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