Skip to main content

iOS 17.5 just launched with a huge security feature for your iPhone

Apple iPhone 15 Plus and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max seen from the back.
Apple iPhone 15 Plus (left) and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Apple has just released the iOS 17.5 update for iPhones, which brings a host of new features. For European Union residents, it enables Web Distribution, which means you can sideload apps from the internet and won’t be limited to the App Store.

Another notable addition is Repair State, which allows users to keep the Find My tracking system enabled when sending in a device for repairs. For iPhone users across the world, the latest update brings an offline mode to the Apple News+ app, allowing users access to the News+ tab and the Today feed even when they are not connected to the internet.

Recommended Videos

But the most notable addition is support for Cross-Platform Tracking Detection notifications. This crucial safety feature automatically detects if an unknown tracker is traveling with you, nearby.

An AirTag sitting next to an iPhone.
Apple

So far, Apple has only enabled this system for AirTags, following reports of stalking that employed hidden AirTags. In some scenarios, Apple’s object tracker was also used for car thefts, among other criminal behavior.

“Cross-Platform Tracking Detection delivers notifications to users if a compatible Bluetooth tracker they do not own is moving with them, regardless of what operating system the device is paired with,” according to the iOS 17.5 release note.

This safety feature is part of a collaborative effort between Google and Apple. In 2023, the two companies released a draft specification on a detection protocol for Bluetooth-based trackers to prevent abusive use.

An AirTag attached on a keyring
Digital Trends

Dubbed the Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers, the proposals put the Bluetooth protocol at the center for altering users about unknown Bluetooth-based devices moving with them. Thanks to the unified approach, iPhones will be able to detect AirTags as well as trackers from other brands, such as Samsung and Tile, to name a few.

The protocol is not limited to Bluetooth-based trackers only. Instead, it also leaves the doors open for GPS-based devices and those harnessing other media like Wi-Fi and cellular lines, among others.

In the wake of widespread concerns, Apple made some tweaks to the alert system for AirTags, but it wasn’t a fool-proof method. With iOS 17.5 bringing support for a standardized Bluetooth tracker protocol, iPhone users no longer have to worry about hidden trackers from an obscure brand.

To download iOS 17.5 on your iPhone now, open the Settings app, tap General, and then tap Software Update. Wait a couple of seconds, and the iOS 17.5 update should be there waiting for you.

Nadeem Sarwar
Nadeem is a tech journalist who started reading about cool smartphone tech out of curiosity and soon started writing…
Apple Intelligence features are finally available for everyone
Apple Intelligence & Siri screen on an iPhone 16 Pro

Apple has begun rolling out Apple Intelligence to those with eligible iPhones through the latest iOS 18.1 update. Apple Intelligence was originally shown off during WWDC 2024 in June and has been available to those on the developer and public betas. However, as of today, iOS 18.1 is available to everyone, though Apple Intelligence is only available for the iPhone 15 Pro models and the entire iPhone 16 lineup.

With iOS 18.1, those users can now access several Apple Intelligence features, including Writing Tools, a more natural and capable Siri, summarize notifications, a smarter Photos app, and priority messages in Mail. Be aware that these are just a fraction of Apple Intelligence features — there are even more AI tools coming in iOS 18.2, which is currently in beta.

Read more
I was wrong about the iPhone 16
An iPhone 16 laying on a shelf with its screen on.

The iPhone 16 is a little over a month old, and I've been using it almost nonstop since it was announced last month. I reviewed the phone for Digital Trends and bought one with my own money as my personal phone of choice.

Not long after its unveiling, I wrote an op-ed complaining about the iPhone 16's lack of a 120Hz display. I said it was the "one thing holding back the iPhone 16" and that its 60Hz screen was "an unreasonable spec." I'd still like to see the refresh rate addressed with the iPhone 17, but after living with the iPhone 16 for over a month now, I've found that it's not nearly as big of an issue as I believed it would be.
A 60Hz screen matters, until it doesn't

Read more
Android 16 might give its own spin to iPhone’s Dynamic Island alerts
The DynamicSpot Dynamic Island at the top of the Pixel 7 Pro.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve come across some interesting details about the next major build of Android. Currently in development under the apparent codename of Baklava, Android 16 will reportedly bring a cool new feature called Priority modes for notifications.

If that sounds familiar, that’s because Apple already offers a bunch of focus modes toward the same goal and bolsters the system with AI-assisted priority notifications in iOS 18. It seems Google doesn’t want to be left behind, and in doing so, could very well lift from a popular iPhone trick.

Read more