Just after the release of iOS 17.1, Apple began beta testing iOS 17.2. While iOS 17.1 introduced some of the “coming later this year” features of iOS 17, there are a few more on the way, and we expect iOS 17.2 to include some of them.
The biggest is the Journal app, which Apple announced at WWDC and is included in iOS 17.2. We’re also still waiting for collaborative playlists in Apple Music, PDF form autofill, and a few other odds and ends.
Updated 10/27/23: The first public beta of iOS 17.2 is now available.
What’s new in iOS 17.2
With the first beta just released, we don’t know what all the changes are yet. We will continue to update this section as we discover more.
Journal app: The Apple Life Journaling app is included in iOS 17.2. You can record and reflect on your daily life and activities, with on-device machine learning helping you choose what to write about and choose photos, music listened to and more.
iMessage ignition key verification: Made for users who face ‘extraordinary digital threats’, such as journalists, human rights activists and government officials. This is a new method that allows users to verify the person they are messaging with.
Translate action button: The Action button on iPhone 15 Pro has a new Translate option.
Collaborative playlists: Open a playlist in Apple Music and tap the collaboration button at the top to invite friends.
Favorite songs playlist: A new Favorite Songs playlist in Apple Music collects all the songs you’ve marked as favorites.
Weather and clock widgets: There are three new widgets for the Weather app and one for the Clock app (the first digital clock widget Apple created).
Comments in messages: You can now respond to iMessages with any emoji or sticker. Just long press on the message and choose ‘add sticker’.
iOS 17.1: How to install the public beta
If you want to be among the first to test iOS 17, you can sign up for the public beta test. The process for installing a beta version has changed in iOS 16.4. This is how the new process now works:
- Click Sign In on the Apple Beta page and register with your Apple ID.
- Enroll in the beta software program.
- Click Register your iOS device.
- Open the Institutions app, tap GeneralThan Software update.
- In the Beta Updates section, select the iOS public beta.
After registration, it may take a few moments for the beta option to appear in Software Update.
iOS 17.1: How do I install the developer beta?
You must be registered as an Apple developer. Starting with iOS 17, you don’t have to join the $99 per year developer program to access the developer beta. A free developer account is sufficient. You can get one through Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Here’s how to do this through the Apple Developer app:
- Download the Apple Developer app from the App Store.
- Open the app.
- Tap Account.
- Sign in with your usual Apple ID.
If you want to sell applications on the App Store, you’ll need to pay $99/£79 per year for a paid account. Sign up for the Apple Developer Program (here) or via Apple’s Developer App. You can compare the free and paid accounts here.
Registered developers can choose to receive the public beta instead by selecting Public iOS beta on the Software Update screen. After you register as a developer, it may take some time for the option to appear in Software Updates.
Some developers have registered an Apple ID for developer access that is different from the Apple ID associated with their personal Apple account and information. To use a different Apple ID for beta access than the rest of iOS uses, open Institutions > General > Software update > Beta updates and select the Apple ID at the bottom of the screen.
Discover everything you need to know about iOS 17 in our iOS 17 super guide.
