Apple releases iOS 17.1 with improvements to AirDrop and StandBy, and a fix for image retention

Some goodies for compatible iPhone models are now here as Apple has released iOS 17.1. At the same time, iPadOS 17.1 was also dropped today. The iOS 17.1 update is available for the iPhone XS and later. The iPadOS 17.1 update is available for the iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2nd generation and later, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 6th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later.

For iPhone users, the update adds a feature allowing an AirDrop transfer to continue over the internet when the iPhone users move out of AirDrop range (30 feet). Another new feature will allow those using StandBy with an always-on display (iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max) to set StandBy to automatically turn off after 20 seconds or to stay on.

• Favorites expanded to include songs, albums, and playlists, and you can filter to display your favorites in the library.
• New cover art collection offers designs that change colors to reflect the music in your playlist.
• Song suggestions appear at the bottom of every playlist, making it easy to add music that matches the vibe of your playlist.

There are several security patches (18 that we’ve counted) that fix vulnerabilities in Siri, the WebKit browser engine, the Weather app, the Status Bar, the Contacts app, the Find My app, the Kernel, and more. Exploiting these flaws could have resulted in an app accessing sensitive data, an app causing denial-of-service issues, and an app reading sensitive location information. One vulnerability could have led an attacker to use the Weather app to access sensitive user data while another flaw might have allowed someone in possession of your phone to use Siri to access sensitive user data.

To update your phone go to Settings > General > Software Update and follow the onscreen directions.