iOS 17.3, iPadOS 17.3 land with Stolen Device Protection & more

iOS 17

The third main update to iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 following after iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 were introduced on December 11, Apple has made iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 available to download to iPhone and iPad.

There were relatively few changes to iOS in the beta cycle, but aside from the return of collaborative playlists for Apple Music, Apple's main inclusion is Stolen Device Protection.

Stolen Device Protection is a feature intended to help protect user data if both their iPhone and passcode, or an unlocked iPhone, is taken from them. An optional security delay to alter critical information can be implemented outside of trusted locations, like home or work, preventing alterations to an Apple ID or device settings.

iOS and iPadOS 17.3 have build number 21D50, replacing the previous builds, 21C66 for iOS 17.2.1, and 21C62 for iPadOS 17.2.

Alongside iOS 17.3, there are also releases of iOS and iPadOS 15.8.1, plus iOS and iPadOS 16.7.5.

To update devices to iOS 17.3 manually, users must open the Settings app then select General, then Software Update. If the update is available for the device, tap it and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.