Apple released iOS 17.3 beta 1 to public beta testers on Thursday, two days after the iPhone-maker released the developer beta and three days after the release of iOS 17.2. The update brings a few new features and bug fixes to the iPhones of beta testers and developers.
We recommend downloading a beta only on something other than your primary device. Since this isn’t the final version of iOS 17.3, these features might be buggy and battery life may be short, and it’s best to keep those troubles on a secondary device.
If you’re a developer or public beta tester, here are some of the new features you can find in iOS 17.3 beta 1. Note that the beta is not the final version of iOS 17.3, so these might not be the only new features to land on your iPhone when iOS 17.3 is released. There’s no word on the public release for iOS 17.3 just yet.
Stolen Device Protection
Apple introduced Stolen Device Protection in iOS 17.3 beta 1, and it aims to help protect you and the data on your iPhone. Here’s what Apple writes about the new feature:
Testing is now available for Stolen Device Protection. This new feature adds an additional layer of security in the unlikely case that someone has stolen your phone and also obtained your passcode.
Accessing your saved passwords requires Face ID to be sure it’s you.
Changing sensitive settings like your Apple ID password is protected by a security delay.
No delay is required when iPhone is at familiar locations such as work and home.
According to CNET’s David Lumb, Stolen Device Protection requires you to enter your biometric authentication, like Face ID and Touch ID, multiple times in order to access some of your sensitive settings and information. This is an optional security feature, but Apple recommends everyone turn it on.
Once you’ve updated your iPhone it should prompt you to enable Stolen Device Protection. But if you didn’t see a prompt or you skipped it for later, you can turn the feature on by going to Settings > Face ID and Passcode and tapping Turn On Protection under Stolen Device Protection.
Read more: Apple’s New iOS 17 Security Feature Blocks Opportunistic iPhone Thieves
The return of Apple Music collaborative playlists
You can create and react to shared playlists with Collaborative Playlists in Apple Music.
Apple announced collaborative playlists in Apple Music at WWDC 2023 in June, and the feature was included in some beta versions of iOS 17.2. However, Apple removed this feature from the final version of iOS 17.2. With iOS 17.3 beta 1, Apple brings collaborative playlists back, allowing multiple people to edit and control shared playlists in Apple Music.
Those are some of the new features developers and beta testers will see in the first iOS 17.3 beta. That doesn’t mean these are the only features coming to the next iOS update, or that these changes will stick when iOS 17.3 is released to the public.
For more on iOS 17, check out what was included in iOS 17.2 and iOS 17.1. You can also check out our iOS 17 cheat sheet.
