Apple issued its latest software update iOS 17.5 to iPhone users on Monday, May 13, 2024, two months after releasing iOS 17.4. The new software update brings offline news mode, puzzle game Quartiles, and LGBTQ+ wallpapers, and also lets developers distribute their apps from their own websites. Let’s find out what new features the latest iOS version has brought on how you can download it.
News Offline Mode
If you are a fan of having the liberty of finding things offline, then here’s good news. The iOS 17.5 lets Apple News Plus subscribers read the news offline with the Offline Mode. After enabling this option, the app automatically downloads stories, audio, and other content to your iPhone so that you can get them later even without an internet connection. You can determine what to download by tapping Download Options under the Automatic Downloads. The new Offline Mode on iOS 17.5 Apple iPhones is available from Settings > News > Automatic Downloads.
Anti-tracking solution
The iOS 17.5 now supports Google’s Find My Device network. That means, if an iPhone detects a tracker, the user gets a notification automatically. The feature is extremely handy to ward off any trackers. “This will help mitigate the misuse of devices designed to help keep track of belongings,” writes Apple.
Quartiles Puzzle Game for Apple News Plus subscribers
Likewise, the new iOS update brings a new puzzle game Quartiles for the Apple News Plus subscribers. The game is fun, engaging, and challenging. At the start, you get a grid of 20 tiles with parts of words on them. It’s about grabbing more points. Quartiles is available from News > Following > Puzzles. Also, you can scroll down the Puzzles page and find it below Crossword Minis.
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Puzzle leaderboard
Besides Quartiles, iOS 17.5 brings Apple News Plus subscribers a feature to compare their puzzle scores with others. This is available from Settings > News > News > Puzzles > Game Center. There, you can see, “Send your results to Game Center to see how you rank among friends and other solvers on today’s puzzles” under the Game Center option. All users can toggle on this option but non-Apple News Plus users can’t play the game and post scores on the leaderboard.
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LGBTQ+ wallpapers
Apple supports gender inclusion and what could be a better reflection of it? The latest iOS 17.5 update brings Apple’s 2024 Pride Wallpaper which also matches with Apple Watch Face that came with WatchOS 10.5. The wallpapers and watch face are intuitive, fun, and dynamic. They react to users’ touch and movement.
More liberty for iPhone users in the EU
Apple has been opening up its operating system more with each edition. This has taken a further stride but that’s entirely within the EU though. To illustrate, iOS 17.5 lets users download apps from developers’ sites. It gives more alternatives to users to get their favorite apps away from Apple’s Apps Store.
“In eligible regions, you can distribute approved, non-marketplace apps from your website,” Apple writes. “To distribute your app, fill out a web form that outlines the qualifications, and if approved, Apple enables you to download a framework that facilitates the secure installation of your app from your website.”
But for this, Apple developers need to agree to the new App Store business terms and conditions for the EU and pay a 0.50-euro Core Technology Fee. The iOS 17.4 gave users in the EU the ability to download alternative app stores to adhere to the EU’s Digital Markets Act. It was also the reason the US phone maker ditched its lighting port and replaced it with a USB Type-C port.
The podcast widget can change color
With iOS 17.5 running on iPhone, the Podcast widget will have the ability to change color to match the artwork of a running podcast. If a podcast artwork is in blue, the widget will turn blue. This feature was available in the 17.4 betas but was scrapped later. Together with the transcript, the color-changing widget feature enhances the podcast experience on iPhones.
How to download iOS 17.5 to your iPhone?
You can download and install iOS 17.5 on your iPhones easily from Settings > General > Software Update. Devices eligible for iOS 17 are also compatible with this new update.
The iOS 17.5 is a minor update in the latest iOS 17 tree but brings a handful of new features, security enhancements, and bug fixes. For any queries, reach out to us in the comments below.
