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iOS 17 release date window prediction: when does iOS 17 come out?

When will iOS 17 release? What features do we expect to see in the latest iOS?

Updated: Aug 9, 2023 11:15 am
iOS 17 release date window prediction: when does iOS 17 come out?

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The iOS 17 release date – as in the date the full, stable, public release comes out – remains illusive. Nothing has been confirmed yet by Apple, and we don’t expect them to, but we know that it won’t be coming out for a few months yet and can make an educated guess about when the iOS 17 release window will likely be.

We’ve already seen the first five developer betas released along with two public betas, and you can read more about what features these updates have come with in our dedicated iOS 17 beta page. As for everything else about the full release, read on!

Previous iOS release dates

Looking at when the previous iOS updates were announced and then actually released can give us a better idea of when to expect iOS 17. As below:

  • iOS 13 release date: Apple announced the iOS 13 update on June 3, 2019, at the Worldwide Developers Conference. Apple released the update to the public on Thursday the 19th of September, 2019. 
  • iOS 14 release date: Apple announced the iOS 14 update on June 22, 2020, at the Worldwide Developers Conference. On the same day, it released the developers’ beta version. The public beta version was released on July 9, 2020, whereas the official update was released on Wednesday the 16th of September, 2020.
  • iOS 15 release date: Apple announced the iOS 15 update on June 7, 2021, at the Worldwide Developers Conference, and on the same day, the developer beta was released. The public beta was released at the end of June 2021, and the update’s official release was on Monday the 20th of September, 2021. 
  • iOS 16 release date: Apple announced the iOS 16 update at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6, 2022. It released the developer beta on the same day. Apple officially released the update on Monday the 12th of September, 2022.

iOS 17 release window prediction

As predicted the first reveal of iOS 17 took place at Apple’s WWDC conference on the 5th June, as previous versions had been in previous years. The first developer beta version of iOS 17 was released on the same day.

As for the actual full iOS 17 release date, based on the historical release dates our prediction for the iOS 17 release window is sometime during mid-September, most likely 9th – 20th September 2023, as it has done for the four years previously,


iOS 17 latest leaks and rumors

Recently, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple may be developing an app that will function like a journal. This rumoured app for iOS 17 is reportedly ‘designed to help users keep track of their daily lives’ and is codenamed ‘Jurassic’.

What’s unique about this, is that the app could offer closer integration with the rest of Apple’s apps, essentially being able to track and analyze behavior for a ‘typical day’. This seems to be a part of a push for mental and physical health that we may see when iOS 17 rolls around.

iOS 17 features confirmed

Apple has stated that they will be bringing a whole host of accessibility features to iOS users later in the year (we assume after the iOS 17 release). These include the following:

Personal Voice

This will let iPhone users create a computerised version of their own voice that they can use instead of the standard Siri voice etc. This can be added to the Live Speech application.

Assistive Access

Bring new accessibility features that combine various apps with similar functions (e.g. Phone and FaceTime) for a simplified and more accessible users experience, along with visual aid improvements (bigger buttons and font etc.).

Detection Mode & Point and Speak

These features will be added to the Magnifier app.

Remember This

A new feature within Notes that allows users to create visual diaries.

Other features

  • Pairing of Made for iPhone hearing devices with MacBooks & iMacs.
  • Multiple phonetic suggestions in Voice Control for similar sounding words, plus improved Voice Control Guide.
  • Better font size adjustment in Calendar, Finder, Mail, Messages, and Notes.
  • Moving images / GIFs etc. can be paused for those sensitive to them.
  • Siri speech control can adjust the speaking speed between 0.8x – 2.0x.

Rumored features plus those we hope to see when iOS 17 releases

With every new release, there are a few features everyone wants to see, although the latest rumors from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, well-respected Mac tech commentator, suggests that iOS 17 may have fewer new features than iOS 16 did. This is because apparently Apple has been focused on its upcoming Apple Reality Pro VR/AR headset.

With this caveat in mind, here is a list of features we hope to see when iOS 17 releases, though it’s likely some of these won’t feature:

Dynamic Island

The ‘Dynamic Island’ that was introduced to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone Pro Max models last year will be on all four iPhone 15 variants in 2024. According to a source quoted by MacRumors it will have increased functionality on top of the existing system alerts (for low battery, incoming calls, etc.) and ‘Live Activities’ (showing live Uber rides and sports scores), although we don’t know what yet.

Control Center

The same source as above said that the Control Center will be undergoing some fairly radical changes. This is the quick access dropdown menu from the iPhone home screen that allows access to volume, brightness, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth controls etc. Once again we don’t exactly know what changes will take place in iOS 17.

Interactive widgets

‘Active widgets’ are the final change mentioned by the above source, which would turn the current read-only widgets you get on the iPhone Home Screen into more interactive affairs. This would include functionality such as: ‘one-tap buttons, sliders, and other dynamic content’ such as scrolling or switches, depending on the app in question.

Upgraded iMessage

An upgraded version of iMessage where we can expect a new iMessage home screen, AR chat features, stickers, and chat rooms. Also, adding RCS support will be beneficial for everyone. A new design and new features. 

Split Screen

Almost every Android phone has a split-screen option. Though the split screen or view option is available on Mac and the iPad, it is necessary for this feature to be implemented for iPhones. 

Having a split screen feature on the phone makes a lot of things easier. Split screen allows people to chat while watching a video or take notes while reading. 

Sidebars

Macs have docks; similarly, iPhones must also have a sidebar where apps can be pinned. It will make multitasking easier.

Call Recording

All iPhone users have been waiting for the call recording update to be implemented for a very long time. With the iOS 17 update, we hope to have call recording as an in-built feature (though given Apple’s focus on customer privacy, this may not be likely). 

Background Tasks

The iPhone does not let background tasks run efficiently. Files will not download from Safari once the app is minimized. In the same way, game updates and Netflix shows downloading do not download in the background when using another app. 

With the new update, we hope to see a feature where apps can run in the background.

Notifications

Though Apple made changes to how notifications function with iOS 16, there should be an improvement in how we access and manage notifications on the notification center or the lock screen. 

Home Screen Widgets

We can add widgets to home screens, but the interactivity or the way the widgets function is limited. The widgets must be more interactive, which will help reduce the time from opening the main app to performing basic activities. For example, the widgets should have a feature where reminders can be cleared out with a tap. 

Widgets that allow us to read posts or reply to messages will be very helpful. Also, adding a battery widget where one can see the battery percentage of all the apple devices they own will be beneficial. 

Lock Screen Widgets

iOS 16 did come with the update of lock screen customization. The iOS 17 update should let us add more widgets to the lock screen because, right now, two large widgets or four small widgets can be added. 

Widgets make things easier without having to open the main app. 

Third-Party Apps 

Hoping that the new update allows us to download apps from a third-party store. This will help us download apps that are very important and useful. There is a lot of hope for this due to new European Union ruling that forces Apple to allow third-party apps more openly on the iOS platform. This is called the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and has to be complied to by March 2024.

Predictive Dialing

Instead of typing the entire name of the contact, Apple should have a feature where you type the first two alphabets of the name or the first few digits of the number, and a predicted list of contacts should appear. This will make work easy and fast. 

Siri

Siri needs to be improved. Siri should be able to relate recent speech to what was said earlier or a few minutes before. This way, there will be a flow of conversation. 

Every year people have more expectations from Apple. Some expectations are met, and few are not. There are quite a few features and expectations from iOS 17. We can only know whether the features we are looking for have been implemented during the first or second week of June 2023 during the Worldwide Developers Conference.

Other features we hope to see

  • Additional features within the Wallet app.
  • Improvements made to the Apple Music app.

iOS 17 sideloading and third-party app stores

As we already mentioned, third-party apps will be enjoying some additional screen time on iOS in the near future. That’s due to the Digital Markets Act which means Apple have to follow new rules allowing sideloading and third-party apps to be compatible with iOS devices. As this has to be in place by March 2024, iOS 17 may be laying the groundwork for the big switch.

Third-party apps refers to content which is created outside of Apple themselves, some of which won’t have official support on Apple’s app store. This opens up to a wider range of possibilities for apps, much like what we’ve already been seeing over on the Android side of things. Sideloading on the other hand means that users will be able to access alternative app stores much more easily. This includes external websites and other sources.

How can I get iOS 17 early? When is the iOS 17 beta coming out?

If you want to get your hands on iOS sooner rather than later, then your best shot is jumping into one of the iOS betas. Developer betas usually arrive first, so you may not have access to this if you’re a general user. However, public beta releases quickly follow them up to give all users the chance to try out iOS ahead of launch.

As stated, we’ve already seen a good number of iOS 17 betas come out, both developer and public, with the first one coinciding with the WWDC 2023 event in June.

Will iOS 17 release with the iPhone 15?

We expect to see iOS release hand-in-hand with the new iPhone 15. That means that the brand-new generation of iPhones will be benefitting from all the iOS 17 upgrades we’ve been talking about, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Both iOS and iPhone 15 should be releasing around mid-September, as many predict. Apple will most likely announce the iPhone 15 during September, which will be in time for the full version of iOS 17 after we’ve worked our way through the developer and then public betas.

iOS 17 compatibility – which devices are compatible with iOS 17?

It isn’t just the iPhone 15 which will have access to iOS 17, as many of the older devices should be able to upgrade. Following WWDC, we now have an official list of iOS 17 compatibles devices, which you check out below.

  • iPhone SE – 2nd generation or newer
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone XS Max
  • iPhone XS
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • iPhone 11 Pro
  • iPhone 11
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13 Pro
  • iPhone 13 mini
  • iPhone 13
  • iPhone 14 Pro Max
  • iPhone 14 Pro
  • iPhone 14 Plus
  • iPhone 14

iOS 17 release date FAQs

Which phones will be getting iOS 17?

We now know the full list of iOS 17 compatible devices, which Apple revealed in their iOS 17 preview. Support for the iPhone 8 and iPhone X is gone, but the iPhone SE, XR, XS, and XS Max models are featured. Anyone with a model from the iPhone 11-14 range can also use iOS 17.

Is iOS 17 available?

iOS 17 is not out yet in it’s full public release version. Following WWDC on June 5th, Apple dropped the first iOS 17 developer beta, with several more following afterwards as well as public betas that you can now download. The full launch will likely arrive in September.

iOS 17 release window: when will iOS 17 come out? Final Word

We hope this guide to the iOS 17 release window has told you what you needed to know. Do be sure to check out our various other phone, Apple, and Android pages and guides, or our iOS version history page for info on previous versions.


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