Collaborative playlists and more features could land on your iPhone soon.
Apple released iOS 17.3 beta 1 to public beta testers on Dec. 15, two days after the iPhone maker released the developer beta and three days after the release of iOS 17.2. The update brings a few new features, like Stolen Device Protection, and bug fixes to the iPhones of beta testers and developers.
We recommend downloading a beta only on something other than your primary device. Since this isn’t the final version of iOS 17.3, these features might be buggy and battery life may be short, and it’s best to keep those troubles on a secondary device.
If you’re a developer or public beta tester, here are some of the new features you can find in iOS 17.3 beta 1. Note that the beta is not the final version of iOS 17.3, so these might not be the only new features to land on your iPhone when iOS 17.3 is released. There’s no word on the public release for iOS 17.3 just yet.
Stolen Device Protection
Apple introduced Stolen Device Protection in iOS 17.3 beta 1, and it aims to help protect you and the data on your iPhone. Here’s what Apple writes about the new feature:
According to CNET’s David Lumb, Stolen Device Protection requires you to enter your biometric authentication, like Face ID and Touch ID, multiple times to access some of your sensitive settings and information. This is an optional security feature, but Apple recommends everyone turn it on.
