Apple has released iOS 17.4 for iPhone. The operating system brings the long-awaited changes to free up sideloading and alternative app stores, but this only applies to users in the European Union. Among the global news, we have support for game streaming apps, new emojis, clearer battery information, and more.
Generally, iOS distribution is automatic: a notification should appear on your smartphone, notifying you that the update will be installed. If it doesn’t, you can go to Settings, General, Software Update to check if the new version is available.
Apple usually releases the system gradually, so it may take a few hours for iOS 17.4 to appear on your device.
Apple will allow sideloading, but only in Europe
iOS 17.4 has become highly anticipated as it is the first update that brings the legal requirements of the European Union. For those who live in the countries of the bloc, the iPhones will have:
Support for browsers that use other rendering engines — previously, everyone had to use Safari’s WebKit.
Support for alternative payment methods in in-app transactions.
Option to use NFC for digital wallets other than Apple Pay.
Sideloading: direct installation of apps, without the need for a store, similar to Android APKs.
Option to use alternative app stores to the App Store.
All this will only be valid in the countries of the bloc. The rest of the world, including here in Brazil, continues to be restricted to the App Store, Apple Pay and WebKit.
Game streaming is free
On the other hand, an old developer feud with Apple has come to an end: the iPhone will finally support cloud gaming apps. Previously, the company prohibited this type of store because it considered that it was necessary to release each game individually.
With the move, services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia Geforce Now will finally be able to have native apps on iOS — as long as they’re interested, obviously. Before, they could only work inside Safari.
6 new emojis
iOS updates often bring new emojis. In iOS 17.4, there are six new symbols:
-head swinging horizontally (like a “no”);
-head bobbing vertically (like a “yes”);
-phoenix;
-sliced lime;
-brown mushroom;
-Broken chain.
Recharge cycles and more information about the battery
iOS 17.4 will have a change to the “Battery” section of the Settings app. Now, the system will clearly tell you when the battery is still in normal condition. If the component’s health is above 80%, the “Battery Health” field will display the text “Normal”. Before, this didn’t appear.
Another change is exclusive to the iPhone 15. In it, iOS will now indicate the number of recharge cycles. Apple says the model’s battery is capable of going through 1,000 cycles and, under ideal conditions, maintaining 80% of its original capacity.
Other Changes
iOS 17.4 is a mid-cycle update, so there are a lot of small new features. Some of them:
Apple Podcasts will now have transcripts of episodes.
The Listen Now tab in the Podcasts and Music apps is now called Home.
CarPlay now supports car dashboards with two screens.
The welcome screen now shows a profile picture of the user.
Siri can now read messages in different languages, not just the one selected in Settings.
Stolen Device Protection lets you choose whether you want extra protection everywhere or only when you’re out of known locations. Previously, only this second option was possible.
