Apple has just seeded the first beta of iOS 17.5 to developers for testing, nearly a month after the public release of iOS 17.4 in early March. The iOS 17.4 update introduced over 100 new emoji characters, including a shaking head smiley, phoenix, lime, and broken chain. However, based on early reports from developers with access to iOS 17.5 beta 1, this upcoming version does not appear to include any additional emoji.
What’s New in iOS 17.5?
While iOS 17.5 may not bring new ways to express yourself with tiny pictures, it does continue to evolve the iPhone experience in other areas:
- Podcasts widget enhancements: The Podcasts widget will now dynamically change color based on the podcast artwork of the episode currently playing. This creates a more visually engaging experience.
- Unwanted tracking improvements: Code discovered by 9to5Mac suggests Apple is working on a system to disable unwanted tracking accessories like AirTags. This anti-stalking feature is not yet enabled in the first beta.
- Sideloading for EU users: To comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, iOS 17.5 will likely allow users in Europe to install apps from third-party sources, not just Apple’s App Store. Apple has said this will roll out sometime in spring 2024.
iOS 17.5 is also expected to include the usual round of bug fixes, security updates, and under-the-hood performance improvements. iOS 17.5 beta 1 has a build number of 21F5048f.
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The Wait for New Emoji Continues
The lack of fresh emoji in iOS 17.5 is not surprising. Major emoji updates typically happen once per year, coinciding with the release of new Unicode standards.
The most recent batch, Emoji 15.1, was finalized in September 2023 and added 118 new emoji with iOS 17.4. In addition to the headlining characters mentioned earlier, it also brought new family combinations, mushrooms, and directional people like a person running to the right.
Looking ahead, Emoji 16.0 is on track for release in September 2024. While the final list is still being determined, some draft candidates include a moose, goose, jellyfish, and ginger root. As always, it will take a few months after the standard is official before the new emoji make their way into a subsequent iOS update.
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Release Date and Compatibility
If history is any guide, iOS 17.5 will likely be released to the public in late April or early May, after several weeks of beta testing to iron out any issues.
It will be a free update for all iPhones that support iOS 17, which includes the iPhone 15 series, iPhone 14 series, iPhone 13 series, iPhone 12 series, iPhone 11 series, iPhone XS series, iPhone XR, and iPhone SE (2nd generation and later).
While iOS 17.5 may not bring new emoji to play with, it continues Apple’s commitment to refining the iPhone experience with handy new features and enhancements. And with iOS 18 on the horizon, the future looks bright for emoji lovers and iPhone fans alike.