Apple iOS 17.4: Rollout Date and Features

iOS 17.4 is the next major software release for iPhones and Apple has made some new changes that will divide its app ecosystem into two versions. Starting January 25, 2024, Apple started seeding iOS 17.4 beta to developers and it will soon be available for public beta.

iOS 17.4 Rollout Date:

The public release of iOS 17.4 will happen in March as confirmed by Apple.

iOS 17.4 Features:

This new update is primarily aimed at iOS users in Europe from what Apple has said. It has new changes for iOS, Safari, and the App Store to comply with Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

This iOS 17.4 update confirms the availability of over 600 new APIs for developers across the EU. These APIs are related to app analytics, features for alternative browser engines, app payments, and app distribution.

What’s new?

1. Sideloading Apps: The software will now allow users to sideload apps from alternative app markets other than the App Store.
2. Alternative App Market: The new APIs and frameworks will allow developers to create alternative app markets to allow download and manage their updates directly from that app market.
3. Browser API: Third-party developers will now have more control over browser engine APIs other than Webkit for browser apps and apps with in-app browsing experiences.
4. NFC: The new iOS version will allow the use of NFC technology for banking and wallet apps from third-party developers to enable contactless payments.
5. Safari: Starting iOS 17.4, when a user opens Safari for the first time, the iPhone will prompt a selection screen to choose a default browser from a list of options.

App Store:

The App Store is also getting a major overhaul for European users with iOS 17.4. This includes warnings, labels, and more.

App Store will now show users that apps that they’re downloading are using an alternative payment processing system other than Apple’s own. This message will also appear inside the app during a transaction.

Apple will also change the app review process to ensure that the app remains secure for users. This update allows the users to export the data of their third-party app usage.

There are more new changes in the App ecosystem and you can read them all here on the official Apple press release.