Apple today seeded the first beta of its upcoming iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 updates to developers for testing. The new betas come one day after the release of iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 to the public.
The developer beta builds of iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 are available to developers who opt into the betas by going to “Settings” -> “Software Update,” then tapping on the “Beta Updates” option and turning on the iOS 17 Developer Beta. An Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.
At this point, the only new feature we’re sure of in iOS 17.3 is a Stolen Device Protection feature that limits access to your private information in case someone obtains both your iPhone and your passcode. When the feature is activated, it requires using Touch ID or Face ID biometric verification to change an Apple ID password, or an iPhone passcode, disabling Find My or turning off Face ID or Touch ID.
As usual, MacTrast and Apple both warn users to not install any betas on their daily driver iPhone or iPad. Instead, only install betas on a device set aside for testing purposes.
