Apple has just rolled out two new versions of iOS – the iOS 18.1 developer beta, which includes some highly anticipated Apple Intelligence features, and iOS 17.6.
The latter is what we’ll look at here, and while it’s the less exciting of the two software updates, it’s also by far the safest one to download, since it’s not a beta.
In fact, iOS 17.6 includes bug fixes and security updates, so if anything, it should make your phone more stable and secure.
Those bug fixes and security updates are arguably the most important part of this update, and the main reason you should download it. But iOS 17.6 does also contain a neat new feature in the form of ‘Catch Up’.
Late to the game
Catch Up – as spotted by 9to5Mac – allows viewers of sports games on Apple TV to catch up on anything they missed if they start watching part way through. It does this by showing a series of clips of highlights from the game so far.
Of course, it's optional whether you watch these, but you’ll be given the opportunity to do so when joining an in-progress game, or you can pull these highlights up at any time from the video player controls menu.
Currently, Catch Up appears to only be available as part of the Major League Soccer season pass, but there’s every chance that the new feature will be offered for other sports in the future, too.
To download iOS 17.6 on your iPhone, head to Settings > General > Software Update. A similar update, iPadOS 17.6, is also now available for iPad owners. If your device currently runs any version of iOS 17 or iPadOS 17, then you’ll be eligible for these new updates.
In any case, iOS 17.6 is worth grabbing even if you don’t care about Catch Up, principally for the aforementioned bug and security patches, but if you’re hoping for more new features, then you might have to wait for iOS 18, which is likely to exit beta in or around September.
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