Apple has just launched iOS 17.6.1. Its existence is something of a surprise as it’s only about a week since iOS 17.6—predicted to be the last iOS 17 release—was thrust upon us. So, what’s in the new update?
iOS 17.6.1 arrives—earlier than expected.
Which iPhones Can Run iOS 17.6.1?
A lot of iPhones can run iOS 17, reaching all the way back to the: iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max and iPhone XR released in 2018. Of course, all subsequent l iPhones are also compatible. That means the iPhone 11 series, iPhone 12 series, iPhone 13 series, iPhone 14 series and iPhone 15 series. This also includes iPhone SE second- and third-generation models.
How To Get It
To update is straightforward enough: open the Settings app, click on General, then Software Update. Here you can choose to download the new software immediately, which will usually mean it’s on your iPhone sooner. Pick Download and Install, and you’ll be golden in no time. In terms of download size, iOS 17.6.1 was 346MB on my iPhone 15 Pro Max upgrading from iOS 17.6.
What’s In The Release
There are no new features mentioned by Apple, but the main element is fixing a problem. The company describes it like this: “This update includes important bug fixes and addresses an issue that prevents enabling or disabling Advanced Data Protection.”
It looks like this is an issue which has only affected a small number of users, but since Advanced Data Protection is an optional feature that expands end-to-end encryption for some iCloud services, such as iCloud device backups, Messages and Photos, it’s an important feature to have in place.
According to 9to5Mac, “Apple says that the Advanced Data Protection bug in iOS 17.6 affected a small number of users. If a user attempted to turn Advanced Data Protection on and it failed, they were presented with a clear error message so they were aware the change failed. If a user attempted to turn the feature off and it failed, the interface would show that the feature had been turned off, but it was still active on iCloud. After installing iOS 17.6.1 and macOS 14.6.1, these users will be prompted to go to Settings and verify that they still wish to disable Advanced Data Protection. This means users affected by this bug were never led to believe they had more security than they actually had.”
Another version, iOS 16.7.10 has also been issued for older iPhones.
Alex Mitchell is your go-to expert for all things mobile. With a passion for the latest smartphones, apps, and mobile innovations, Alex provides in-depth reviews, insightful analyses, and breaking news about the ever-evolving world of mobile technology. Stay connected with Alex to navigate the fast-paced realm of mobile devices.
