Apple released iOS 17.3 with Stolen Device Protection, new Unity wallpaper, and more

Apple has released iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 to all users with Stolen Device Protection, new Unity wallpaper, updates to Music app, and more.

The first beta was released just a day after iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 were launched with Journal app, new widgets, app updates, and more.

iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 – What’s new?

Final Release

January 22 – Apple has released the final version for all users. Here is the changelog from Apple:

Stolen Device Protection
– Stolen Device Protection increases security of iPhone and Apple ID by requiring Face ID or Touch ID with no passcode fallback to perform certain actions
– Security Delay requires Face ID or Touch ID, an hour wait, and then an additional successful biometric authentication before sensitive operations like changing device passcode or Apple ID password can be performed

Lock Screen
– New Unity wallpaper honors Black history and culture in celebration of Black History Month

Music
– Collaborate on playlists allows you to invite friends to join your playlist and everyone can add, reorder, and remove songs
– Emoji reactions can be added to any track in a collaborative playlist

This update also includes the following improvements:
– AirPlay hotel support lets you stream content directly to the TV in your room in select hotels
– AppleCare & Warranty in Settings shows your coverage for all devices signed in with your Apple ID
– Crash detection optimizations (all iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models)

Release Candidate

January 17 – Apple has seeded the release candidate to developers

Beta 3

January 9 – Apple has released the third beta to developers. We will update this post if there are any new noticeable changes.

Beta 2

January 3 – Apple has released the second beta to developers. We will update this post as we find any new features.

Beta 1

December 12 – Apple has released the first beta builds. These updates feature the following updates:

Stolen Device Protection which adds another layer of security when iPhone is away from familiar locations such as home and work. Face ID is required to access certain data and a delay prevents quick changes to security settings.
Return of collaborative Apple Music Playlists.

We will update this post as we find any new noticeable changes.

iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 compatible iPhone and iPad models?

If you already have any release of iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 installed on your device, this means that it is compatible with the new beta release.

For those on older devices, here is the list of compatible devices:

iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone SE (2nd generation)
iPhone SE (3rd generation)
12.9-inch iPad Pro (6th-gen, 5th-gen, 4th-gen, 3rd-gen, 2nd-gen)
11-inch iPad Pro (4th-gen, 3rd-gen, 2nd-gen, 1st-gen)
10.5-inch iPad Pro
9.7-inch iPad Pro
iPad (6th-gen, 7th-gen, 8th-gen, 9th-gen, 10th-gen)
iPad Air (3rd-gen, 4th-gen, 5th-gen)
iPad mini (5th-gen, 6th-gen)

Install iOS 17.3 on iPhone/install iPadOS 17.3 on iPad

To install the developer beta update, you will need an Apple Developer Account which usually costs $99/year. If you sign in with the same account on your iPhone or iPad, you should see the option to switch to the developer beta when you go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates.

Alternatively, you can wait for the public beta, which is available for free.

No matter which beta you want to install, here are the steps you should follow:

Make sure your device is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network.
Do a complete iCloud backup of your device.
Charge your device to at least 50% battery capacity.
Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
Tap Download and Install.
Enter your passcode or use Face ID or Touch ID to authenticate.
Your device will download and install the update. This may take some time.
Once the update is complete, your device will restart.