Apple just shipped out the iOS 17.4 and iPad OS 17.4 RC (release candidates) to developers. If all goes well and no major bugs are discovered, these are the same releases expected to roll out to the general public within the next week. On the iOS side, this release brings some big App Store changes in the European Union. Other than that, everyone else around the world should enjoy some new emojis, tweaks to Apple Podcasts, and a lot of other bug fixes thanks to this update. Today’s release comes about a week after iOS 17.4 Beta 4 was pushed, showing Apple’s usual steady progress on its software. We have a look at everything you need to know right here.
What’s new and changed in iOS 17.4 RC for European Users
We’ll begin first by touching on the big changes for IOS 17.4 RC that those in the European Union should experience. Apple mentioned these in a separate blog post, but as a recap, these are changes that reflect the new Digital Markets Act (DMA) requirements set to take place in a week. These changes are only for those in the 27 European Union (EU) countries, in addition to everything else mentioned in the next section.
As you’ve probably heard, there are new third-party marketplaces and options for distributing iOS apps from alternate app stores, as well as a new choice screen in Safari on initial boot to choose another default browser. Developers will also be able to use browser engines other than WebKit in their apps. Other changes include new APIs enabling developers to use NFC technology in their banking and wallet apps throughout the European Economic Area, and new controls that allow users to select a third-party contactless payment app.
What’s new and changed in iOS 17.4 RC for everyone else
For everyone else not in the EU, iOS 17.4 RC brings some other changes on top of what iOS 14 Beta 4 already delivered. These include new emojis, tweaks to Apple podcasts, changes to battery health, and more. The big one, though, is the fact that streaming games and apps can now be listed in the App Store. Other than that, Apple’s release notes are below.
- New mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads emoji are now available in the emoji keyboard
- 18 people and body emoji add the option to face them in either direction
- Transcripts let you follow an episode with text that highlights in sync with the audio in English, Spanish, French, and German
- Episode text can be read in full, searched for a word or phrase, tapped to play from a specific point, and used with accessibility features such as Text Size, Increase Contrast, and VoiceOver
- Music recognition lets you add songs you have identified to your Apple Music Playlists and Library, as well as Apple Music Classical
- Siri has a new option to announce messages you receive in any supported language
- Stolen Device Protection supports the option for increased security in all locations
- Battery Health in Settings shows battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models
- Call Identification displays Apple-verified business name, logo, and department name when available
- Business updates in Messages for Business provide trusted information for order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts or other transactions you opt into
- Apple Cash virtual card numbers enable you to pay with Apple Cash at merchants that don’t yet accept Apple Pay by typing in your number from Wallet or using Safari AutoFill
- Fixes an issue where contact pictures are blank in Find My
- Fixes an issue for Dual SIM users where the phone number changes from primary to secondary and is visible to a group they have messaged
Should you download iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 RC?
Right now, iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 RC are only available to developers, and they should be pretty safe to download. RC builds are almost exactly similar to what you’ll get when things are scheduled to roll out to everyone next week. You can still expect some bugs, though, so if you’re eager to try any of these changes you can enroll your iPhone or iPad to get it ahead of everyone else.