Apple has released iOS 17.4 Release Candidate for the iPhone and iPadOS 17.4 Release Candidate for the iPad, these new betas land a week after the fourth beta. Assuming that no issues are found in the Release Candidate versions, this should be the final version of iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 that will be released to everyone. Apple has also released some new public betas to public beta testers.
The iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 updates are set to introduce a suite of enhancements for both iPhone and iPad users, featuring significant updates specifically for the European market. With the European Digital Markets Act (DMA) coming into effect in March, these updates will, for the first time, permit the use of third-party app stores on both iPhone and iPad devices within Europe.
The introduction of these updates goes beyond merely allowing alternative app marketplaces; it extends to offering new payment options for consumers and enacting several updates to the terms and conditions for developers on the App Store.
Furthermore, iOS 17.4 is poised to broaden the accessibility of streaming gaming services worldwide. This means platforms such as Xbox Cloud Gaming can now launch their services via dedicated apps globally, moving beyond the previous limitation of only being accessible through web browsers.
Here are the official release notes:
Emoji
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New mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads emoji are now available in the emoji keyboard
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18 people and body emoji add the option to face them in either direction
Apple Podcasts
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Transcripts let you follow an episode with text that highlights in sync with the audio in English, Spanish, French and German
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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
This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:
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Music recognition lets you add songs you have identified to your Apple Music Playlists and Library, as well as Apple Music Classical
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Siri has a new option to announce messages you receive in any supported language
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Stolen Device Protection supports the option for increased security in all locations
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Battery Health in Settings shows battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models
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Call Identification displays Apple-verified business name, logo, and department name when available
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Business updates in Messages for Business provide trusted information for order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts or other transactions you opt into
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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
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Fixes an issue where contact pictures are blank in Find My
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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
Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
Apple is expected to release the final versions of IOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 next week, the new iOS 17.4 Release Candidate and iPadOS 17.4 Release Candidate are now available for developers to test out, you can find more information at the link below.
Source Apple
Image Credit: James Yarema
Filed Under: Apple, Apple iPhone
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