A new update is now available for the iPhone operating system. Apple has released iOS 17.5a version that includes some aesthetic new features, as well as corrections and security patches, something that we usually expect with each new version of iOS available.
But perhaps the most important feature debuting in this update is the system’s ability to alert us if we are being tracked by a device similar to the AirTag. The update is now available to all users, and Apple has also released iPadOS 17.5 for its tablets.
More security with the update to iOS 17.5
AirTags are devices that allow us know the location of our things at all times. We can add an AirTag to our car keys, to our luggage when we travel, or even to our pets’ collars. It’s a really useful device, but it has a dark side: some malicious people have used them to spy on and track other people.
Apple enabled a system that alerts iPhone users if an AirTag that is not associated with their account (that is, a foreign AirTag) is tracking them. However, there was another problem to solve: devices that work like the AirTag, but are not AirTags; that is, similar devices created by other manufacturers.
One of the most important new features of iOS 17.5 is that starting with this version iPhones can notify their owners if an unauthorized Bluetooth device is following them, it doesn’t matter if it is an AirTag or any other similar device. If the iPhone detects it, it will display a notice on the screen “An object has been detected moving with you.” This is the result of a alliance between Apple and Google to avoid this type of tracking using Bluetooth devices.
Apple explains in its statement that the user will be able to make the device play a sound to find it, and thus be able to follow the necessary steps to deactivate it. This is an important novelty to protect our security.
In order to have this security feature, we just have to update the iPhone to iOS 17.5:
- We go to the iOS Settings menu and then access the “General” section
- Next, we select “Software update“
- The iPhone will find the new version of the operating system available and we can choose between updating immediately or updating overnight
As always, we recommend having at least 50% battery before updating, or connecting the iPhone to the charger.
What other new features does iOS 17.5 include?
The new update to the iPhone operating system also includes wallpapers for the celebration of “Pride 2024”, a new widget for Apple Podcast, the possibility of mass blocking all participants in a FaceTime call with a single button, and of course, various system improvements and corrections.
Cover photo | Amparo Babiloni for Xataka
Via | Applesphere