iOS 17.3 With Stolen Device Protection, Apple Music Collaborative Playlists Released Alongside macOS 14.3

iOS 17.3 was released by Apple on Monday alongside macOS 14.3 Sonoma for eligible smartphones and Mac computers. The latest iOS software update comes with a new feature designed to protect your account from thieves. Apple Music has also been updated with support for Collaborative Playlists. Meanwhile, customers will now be able to see warranty details for all their devices in the Settings app. Apple has also included several security fixes as part of the latest iOS 17.3 and macOS 14.3 updates.

Apple's release notes for the iOS 17.3 update reveal that Stolen Device Protection will be available to users after updating to the latest version. This optional security feature is designed to thwart attempts from thieves to steal your phone in public after observing the passcode to unlock the handset, allowing them to change your account password, phone passcode, and access other sensitive information. Instead, iOS will now require Face ID and add a waiting period before certain settings can be changed.

iOS 17.3 (alongside iPadOS 17.3) and macOS 14.3 Sonoma come with fixes for 15 and 16 security flaws, respectively. These patches fix vulnerabilities related to Safari's WebKit engine, Shortcuts, Spell Checker, Apple's Neural Engine — the company's on-device machine learning NPU — and the mail search service. The company also fixed a bug that caused the system's time zone management service to expose a user's phone number to third-party apps via the system log.

iOS 17.3 includes fixes for a range of security vulnerabilities
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ Gadgets 360

In order to install these updates, you can open the Settings app on iOS, iPadOS, or macOS and tap on General > Software Update. If you have an older iPhone, you can also check to see if iOS 16.7.5 and iOS 15.8.1 are available to download using the same method — these updates don't bring new features, but they include security fixes for older devices.

Aside from these noteworthy fixes and improvements, Apple has finally rolled out Collaborative Playlists on Apple Music, a feature that was shown off last year and appeared briefly on the iOS 17.2 beta. Apple Music subscribers can now contribute to playlists together and react with emoji within these playlists.

Meanwhile, iOS 17.3 users can also use AirPlay for hotel TVs, a feature that will allow them to scan a QR code — on supported TVs in select hotels — to instantly pair with the TV in their room. IHG Hotels & Resorts has already worked with the company to enable AirPlay for hotel TV support on supported TV models, according to Apple.