New changes let some iPhone owners sideload apps and use alternative browsers but there are other major upgrades for everyone
By Henry Burrell, Deputy Technology Editor covers the latest consumer tech news that affects you, from broadband to software, and reviews new gadgets to recommend the best buys
iOS 17.4 introduces game-changing updates to your iPhone today (Image: Apple/Getty)
Applehas pushed out its latest free update for iPhones around the world, and for some it will be the biggest and most important update in years. iOS 17.4 now gives third-party developers the chance to offer alternative app stores to Apple’s own App Store, the first time this has ever happened on the iPhone.
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The huge change to how iOS works applies only to countries in the EU, so the UK is not included. Apple has been somewhat forced into the move so that it complies with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, a new law that aims to bring fair choices to consumers about which digital services they use.
Though there aren’t any alternative app stores today, it’s expected that Epic Games will be one of the first to launch one to get around its global smash hit game Fortnite being banned from the iOS App Store - and several other app stores are expected to follow.
It will make iPhones operate a little more like Android, where users are able to ‘sideload’ apps not on the Google Play Store.
After updating to iOS 17.4, iPhone owners in the EU will also be able to download alternative browser engines. It’s not as big a change - you can currently download and use GoogleChrome and other browser apps on iPhones - but they are all currently based on Apple’s own WebKit tech. Under the EU changes, Google and other companies will be able to release browsers for iPhone that run on their own tech, which should allow for more features to work such as Google Chrome extensions that you can use on desktop browsers.
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While these changes could come to the UK soon thanks to the Digital Markets Bill, right now iOS 17.4 will bring British iPhone owners fewer new things - but new things all the same. If you download it today you’ll be rewarded with a whopping 118 new emojis including a lime, a phoenix, a mushroom, broken chain, and many gender-neutral family options.
Apple Podcasts now has a transcription feature that means you can read along to any podcast on the platform.
“With transcripts, users can read the full text of an episode, search the episode for a specific word or phrase, and tap on the text to play the podcast from that point in the episode,” Apple said in a press release. “As an episode plays, each word is highlighted, making it easy to follow along.”
Battery Health stats have also got a major upgrade, with the option in settings now showing a Cycle Count so you can see how many times your iPhone has fully charged and discharged - it might be lower than you think (in a good way).
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The iPhone models compatible with iOS 17.4 are the iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11, iPhone XR, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS, iPhone SE (2nd generation) and iPhone SE (3rd generation).
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