There are a lot of different versions of iOS on the market right now. You could install the iOS 18 beta, which sports upcoming features like total Home Screen customization and message scheduling. You can even try iOS 18.1 on your iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, and test out Apple Intelligence features before they officially drop this fall. But if you’re not one for testing beta software on your iPhone, you should install Apple’s latest official update, iOS 17.6, as soon as possible. You might be putting yourself at risk without it.
iOS 17.6’s many security patches
Apple dropped iOS 17.6 on Monday, for all compatible iPhones, but because of the news surrounding iOS 18.1, it didn’t make much of a splash. It doesn’t help that Apple includes no new features in 17.6’s release notes: The update screen simply says: “This update provides important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.”
Apple isn’t lying: The update does contain important bug fixes and security patches—30 of them, to be precise. While the company doesn’t share these patches in the release notes, it does provide a link to a site containing the security notes for all updates, where you click on the notes for iOS 17.6.
There are a lot of patches here, for bugs affecting many different parts of iOS. Luckily, Apple doesn’t report that any of these bugs have had exploits in the wild, which means, to Apple’s knowledge, bad actors haven’t discovered how to use them against users—yet.
Still, that doesn’t mean you should delay installing the update. Now that these vulnerabilities are out there, it’s only a matter of time before bad actors figure out how to exploit them. They might figure out how to use Siri to access sensitive data, or use VoiceOver to view restricted content from your Lock Screen. They might discover how to view your Private Browsing tabs in Safari or your Hidden Photos Album without authentication.
But it might be the kernel vulnerabilities that are the most important to patch. Kernel is the core of a computer’s OS, so security vulnerabilities affecting it are particularly dangerous. Apple highlights two kernel patches in its security notes, one that blocks bad actors from determining kernel memory layout, and another that prevents a malware file from causing “unexpected app termination.” As Forbes reports, these flaws are serious enough to get this update on the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency’s (CISA) watchlist. The organization is encouraging users and admins to update as soon as possible.
Even if your iPhone does not support iOS 17, you likely have an update to patch many of these flaws. Apple also released iOS 16.7.9 and iOS 15.8.3 for older iPhones. The former fixes 20 flaws, while Apple has not disclosed what 15.8.3 patches. Either way, you should also update to whichever version your iPhone support ASAP.
iOS 17.6 does add one new feature
While Apple didn’t highlight it, this latest update does include a new feature: Catch Up. As 9to5Mac explains, Catch Up is a sports feature that kicks in when you join a game’s livestream midway through. It shows you a series of highlights from the parts of the game you missed, so you can “catch up” as you tune in.
Right now, this feature is only part of Apple’s MLS Season Pass subscription, but 9to5Mac believes it will expand to other sports beyond soccer.
How to update to iOS 17.6 and patch these security flaws
To update your iPhone, head to Settings > General > Software Update. Let this page load a moment, then look for iOS 17.6, or the latest update available. Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the update.
