This is one of the last updates for iOS 17, released as iOS 18 is released. It may not be obvious, but here’s why: every phone that runs iOS 17 can also run iOS 18. But no one wants to be on the new iOS series from day one. This update brings security and bug fixes without the uncertainty of iOS 18.
The iPhone 15 is the last iPhone to get iOS 17. All new iPhone 16 models will ship with iOS 18. … [+]
Which iPhones can run iOS 17.7?
All iPhones from the iPhone Xs onwards can run iOS 17, which means that it also applies to the iPhone Xs Max and iPhone XR, which were released in 2018. All subsequent iPhones are also compatible, which means the iPhone 11 series, iPhone 12 series, iPhone 13 series, iPhone 14 series, and iPhone 15 series. This also includes the second and third generation models of the iPhone SE.
How to get it
Updating is easy. Open the Settings app, click “General,” then click “Software Update.” From there, you can choose to download the new software immediately, which will usually install it on your iPhone sooner. If you choose “Download and Install,” it will be installed on your phone right away.
Release Contents
Apple didn’t mention any new features, and it’s clear that this update is focused on bug fixes. “This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users,” Apple’s note reads.
This means that any security updates included with iOS 18 will also be available here.
Apple will not implement this dual release system for the entire year that iOS 18 is released. Rather, it will likely release one or two more supplemental updates for iOS 17 that will focus entirely on bugs and other security issues, possibly in parallel with the release of iOS 18 updates. The next scheduled iOS 18 update is iOS 18.1, due for release in October, with iOS 18.2 due for release in December.
But it’s entirely possible that we’ll see smaller updates going forward. Last year, some iPhone 15 models suddenly overheated, prompting an unprecedentedly rapid software update. That shouldn’t happen this time around, by the way, because Apple has redesigned the thermal envelope for the iPhone 16 hardware.
We’ll report back later this week on whether this release (and iOS 18) is worth upgrading to.
