iOS 17.6: Release Date and Features

At WWDC24, Apple announced iOS 18, its next-generation operating system packed with new features. But iOS 18 will come later this year, in the meantime, the company will continue to optimize iOS 17.

After a week of WWDC24, Apple started testing the iOS 17.6. The first version was rolled out for developers, followed by a public version. These beta software have no visible changelog and no major changes found so far. To date, the iOS 17.6 developer and public beta branch have received two software releases.

While preparing new features for global users, Apple has to deal with the European Union’s new digital rules. To cope, iOS 17.4 was released with numerous new changes for iPhone users in the European Union.

This version broadens iOS and App Store access to users and app developers. It enables app installations from alternative app stores and installs apps from the website. Switch web browsers with alternative web engines. Customers can now pay for in-app items via online payment rather than default options.

These are major modifications in the iOS ecosystem, which have been kept enclosed for years. However, these changes are exclusive to the EU. iOS 17.4.1 fixed some of the glitches that arrived with iOS 17.4. Afterward, the focus shifted to a few new functions with iOS 17.5. This update brought a new offline mode in Apple News+ giving you access to the Today feed and News+ tab without the internet.

New cross-platform tracking detection helps you access notifications when a compatible Bluetooth tracker is moving with them. It doesn’t require the user to own the device. Unfortunately, this build created a bug in the photo apps and brought back deleted photographs. To fix this issue, Apple released iOS 17.5.1 and addressed that the bug was caused by database corruption.

Other than these, the features of the upcoming iOS 17.6 remain unknown.

iOS 17.6 Release Date:

The development and testing for this new version is almost completed. Therefore, the earliest release date for iOS 17.6 could be next week but a new beta software may delay it to mid-to-late July.