# IOS 17
**iOS 17** is the seventeenth major release of Apple's iPhone operating system, issued on 18 September 2023 as a free software update, four days before the iPhone 15 went on sale.[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/) • [2](https://www.axios.com/2023/09/18/ios-17-download-apple-software-update) Apple described it as making the iPhone more personal and intuitive through major updates to the communication apps, the new StandBy experience for a charging iPhone, easier AirDrop sharing, and more intelligent text input.[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 18 September 2023, as a free software update[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/) |
| Compatible devices | iPhone XS and later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation or later); Apple states 24 iPhone models introduced since 2018[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/) • [3](https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Longevity_by_Design-June_2024-Apple.pdf) |
| Headline features | Contact Posters, Live Stickers, Live Voicemail, StandBy, NameDrop, Check In, interactive widgets[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/) • [4](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/ios-17-review-standby-for-more-features/) |
| Later additions | Journal app (17.2), Stolen Device Protection (17.3), alternative app marketplaces in the EU (17.4)[5](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/118723) |
| Input | Autocorrect rebuilt on an on-device transformer language model; inline predictive text; improved dictation[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/) |
| Adoption | 77% of all iPhones and 86% of devices introduced in the previous four years, as of September 2024[6](https://cincodias.elpais.com/smartlife/smartphones/2024-09-10/fecha-lanzamiento-ios-18.html) |
| Extended support | Security-only 17.7.x releases for devices that cannot run iOS 18, continuing through 17.7.7[5](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/118723) |
## Communication features
The Phone, Messages, and FaceTime apps anchor the release. Contact Posters let users customize how they appear when calling known contacts, including in third-party calling apps, using photos, Memoji, typography, and font colors.[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/) Messages gained a unified stickers experience with Live Stickers created by lifting subjects from photos, automatic transcription of audio messages, search filters, swipe-to-reply, and single-use verification code cleanup after AutoFill.[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/) • [5](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/118723)
**Check In.** This Messages feature notifies a family member or friend when a user arrives at a destination. If the user is not making progress, the device's location, battery level, and cell service status are temporarily shared with the selected contact in a secure and private way.[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/)
FaceTime added video and audio messages for calls the recipient misses, gesture-triggered Reactions such as hearts, balloons, and fireworks (also available in third-party apps such as Zoom and Webex), and a connected experience with Apple TV 4K in which an iPhone hands off a call to the television using Continuity Camera.[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/)
## StandBy and widgets
**StandBy** is a full-screen experience shown when the iPhone is charging on its side, designed to be viewed from a distance on a nightstand, desk, or kitchen counter. It displays clock styles, favorite photos, and widgets including Smart Stacks that surface the right widgets at the right time, along with full-screen Live Activities, Siri results, incoming calls, and larger notifications. With an Always-On display it stays visible, and Night Mode adapts clocks, photos, and widgets to a red tone in low light; on a MagSafe charger it remembers the preferred view for that dock.[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/) Reviewers treated StandBy as the release's headline feature, effectively turning the phone into a smart display without extra hardware.[4](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/ios-17-review-standby-for-more-features/)
iOS 17 also made home-screen widgets interactive, so users can control playback in Music, Podcasts, News, and Books, or check off Reminders, without opening the app.[7](https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/ios-17)
## AirDrop and NameDrop
AirDrop gained the ability to continue transfers over the internet when a user steps out of AirDrop range, introduced in iOS 17.1.[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/) • [5](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/118723) **NameDrop**, part of AirDrop, lets iPhone and [Apple Watch](https://www.edgepedia.org/apple-watch) users exchange contact information by bringing their devices together; the recipient can choose to receive only, or to share their own details back.[4](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/ios-17-review-standby-for-more-features/) Apple's support documentation states that NameDrop requires iOS 17.1 or watchOS 10.1 or later on both devices, works only when devices are within a few centimeters, and shares only the name, the chosen phone number or email address, and Contact Poster information, not other contact-card details such as a home address or birthday.[8](https://support.apple.com/en-euro/guide/personal-safety/ips97e16d3b1/web) • [9](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/11/27/namedrop-iphone-ios17-safety/)
After some police departments and news organizations warned of privacy risks, Chester Wisniewski, a digital security specialist at Sophos, called the warnings "hysteria" and "nonsense"; the devices must be unlocked and the user must confirm what to share.[9](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/11/27/namedrop-iphone-ios17-safety/) NameDrop can be turned off under Settings > General > AirDrop by disabling Bring Devices Together.[8](https://support.apple.com/en-euro/guide/personal-safety/ips97e16d3b1/web)
## Input and other additions
Autocorrect received what Apple called a comprehensive update built on a new transformer language model, an on-device machine learning model for word prediction, with sentence-level autocorrections, a refreshed design that underlines corrected words and allows one-tap revert, inline predictive text, and a new speech recognition model for dictation.[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/) The release also added Safari browsing profiles that separate history, cookies, and extensions by topic, a locked Private Browsing mode, password and passkeys sharing through end-to-end encrypted iCloud [Keychain](https://www.edgepedia.org/keychain-software), and Health app mental health features including mood logging and standardized depression and anxiety assessments.[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/)
Several announced features did not ship with the initial release; Apple planned to roll them out during the yearlong cycle, and the Journal app arrived in iOS 17.2 in December 2023.[4](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/ios-17-review-standby-for-more-features/) • [5](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/118723)
## Point releases
Apple issued a steady series of updates through the year:[5](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/118723)
- **iOS 17.1** allowed AirDrop transfers to continue over the internet and added StandBy display-timing options for Pro models.[5](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/118723)
- **iOS 17.2** introduced the Journal app, a Translate option for the iPhone 15 Pro Action button, and spatial video capture on iPhone 15 Pro for viewing on [Apple Vision Pro](https://www.edgepedia.org/apple-vision-pro).[5](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/118723)
- **iOS 17.3** introduced Stolen Device Protection, which requires [Face ID](https://www.edgepedia.org/face-id) or [Touch ID](https://www.edgepedia.org/touch-id) with no passcode fallback for certain actions, and a Security Delay requiring biometric authentication, an hour's wait, and a second successful biometric check before sensitive operations such as changing the device passcode or Apple ID password. The Associated Press reported the feature addresses theft tactics in which criminals watch a victim enter a passcode, then lock them out of accounts, delete iCloud data, or drain bank accounts via Keychain passwords.[5](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/118723) • [10](https://apnews.com/article/050608d4235c078a04b05d17803dfbd6)
- **iOS 17.4** added new options for residents of the European Union: alternative app marketplaces, alternative browser engines, default browser and contactless payment choices, and external-purchase payment options, alongside new emoji and Podcasts transcripts in English, Spanish, French, and German.[5](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/118723)
- **iOS 17.5** added cross-platform tracking detection notifications for unknown Bluetooth trackers moving with the user.[5](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/118723)
After iOS 18 arrived, Apple continued security-only 17.7.x releases for devices that cannot run the newer system, with 17.7.2 (November 19, 2024) fixing actively exploited WebKit and JavaScriptCore issues, and the series continuing through 17.7.7.[5](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/118723) • [11](https://support.apple.com/en-mide/121754)
## Compatibility and adoption
iOS 17 runs on iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and later, plus iPhone SE (2nd generation or later); Apple's 2024 longevity report counts 24 supported iPhone models introduced since 2018.[1](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/) • [3](https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Longevity_by_Design-June_2024-Apple.pdf) Adoption was rapid by Apple's own figures: by September 2024, iOS 17 was installed on 77% of all iPhones and 86% of devices introduced in the previous four years.[6](https://cincodias.elpais.com/smartlife/smartphones/2024-09-10/fecha-lanzamiento-ios-18.html)
## References
1. [iOS 17 is available today, Apple Newsroom (UK), 18 September 2023](https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/09/ios-17-is-available-today/)
2. [Apple iOS 17 available on iPhones today: Here's what's new, Axios, 18 September 2023](https://www.axios.com/2023/09/18/ios-17-download-apple-software-update)
3. [Longevity, by Design, Apple, June 2024](https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Longevity_by_Design-June_2024-Apple.pdf)
4. [iOS 17 review: StandBy for more features, Ars Technica, September 2023](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/ios-17-review-standby-for-more-features/)
5. [About iOS 17 Updates, Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/118723)
6. [Fecha de llegada de iOS 18, Cinco Días (El País), 10 September 2024](https://cincodias.elpais.com/smartlife/smartphones/2024-09-10/fecha-lanzamiento-ios-18.html)
7. [iOS 17 review: The biggest rewards for iPhone owners, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/ios-17)
8. [Secure NameDrop, Apple Support Personal Safety User Guide](https://support.apple.com/en-euro/guide/personal-safety/ips97e16d3b1/web)
9. [NameDrop is safe. Why you shouldn't worry about new iOS 17 feature, The Washington Post, 27 November 2023](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/11/27/namedrop-iphone-ios17-safety/)
10. [Why Apple's Stolen Device Protection feature is important, AP News, 25 January 2024](https://apnews.com/article/050608d4235c078a04b05d17803dfbd6)
11. [About the security content of iOS 17.7.2 and iPadOS 17.7.2, Apple Support, 19 November 2024](https://support.apple.com/en-mide/121754)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Computing and digital systems › Software and programming › Operating systems › Apple operating systems*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license