Apple today began releasing the release candidate for iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 to registered developers. The RC builds come one week after Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 alongside other beta releases.
The Release Candidate build seeded today will likely be the same build users worldwide will get their hands on once iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 launch to the public sometime in the next few days. Apple is strongly expected to release the update before Wednesday, March 6, a deadline imposed by the European Union for when the company is required to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Apple also released the following new betas across the board:
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- macOS Sonoma 14.4 beta 5
- watchOS 10.4 Release Candidate
- tvOS 17.4 beta 5
- visionOS 1.1 beta 4
With the iOS 17.4 update, Apple is introducing support for alternative app marketplaces in Europe, enabling users across most of the continent to download apps from outside the App Store. The changes will also span Apple’s billing system for app purchases, with developers now having the freedom to pursue third-party payment providers to process payments on their apps.
Apple is also opening up additional core components of the iPhone experience as part of DMA compliance. Users residing in the EU will have the option to choose a default third-party web browser other than Safari. Developers will also be given the freedom to develop custom non-WebKit browser engines for their web browser apps.
The DMA changes introduced in iOS 17.4 will also span the iPhone’s NFC chip. For the first time, Apple will allow European banks and other financial institutions to access the NFC chip on the iPhone, allowing them to develop their contactless payment solutions without relying on Apple Pay. Users will also get the chance to set up a default contactless payment solution besides Apple Pay and the Wallet app.
Beyond EU-specific changes, iOS 17.4 will introduce several features to users worldwide. The update will bring forward new emojis as part of support for the Unicode 15.1 standard. iMessage will receive a major security and encryption update with the gradual rollout of the PQ3 post-quantum cryptography protocol.
iOS 17.4 offers an additional layer of security with a new option for Stolen Device Protection. Users can now require a security delay even when their device is in trusted locations like home or work. This optional feature adds an extra hour of wait time before disabling Stolen Device Protection or changing security settings, even within trusted environments.
How to install iOS 17.4 Release Candidate
Last year, Apple introduced a new method to install betas. Now, devices enrolled with a linked Apple Developer Program account or those who signed up with their Apple ID will see a new menu under Settings -> General -> Software Update, that allows users to opt into receiving beta updates. Devices that aren’t enrolled and linked to an Apple Developer account won’t see the menu and therefore aren’t able to install any new beta.
We will keep this article updated with any additional changes that we find in the Release Candidate of the iOS 17.4 update.
