Apple’s finally put iOS 17.6 into beta testing which means iPhone owners, particularly those dealing with problems, want to know when it will be released. Here’s what we know.
On the heels of WWDC 2024 and iOS 18’s arrival, Apple’s started testing a new version of iOS 17 for iPhone.
iOS 17.6 is a milestone upgrade though it will likely be a small upgrade as Apple’s finished deploying features it promised for iOS 17.
Apple hasn’t confirmed the iOS 17.6 release date for iPhone and we may not get a date ahead of time. Apple rarely confirms specific dates.
That being said, Apple typically sticks to predictable release patterns when it comes to milestone iOS upgrades and that means we can provide you with a look at what to expect.
As of right now, we expect iOS 17.6 to arrive sometime in July. Here’s why.
Historically, iOS x.6 updates have arrived in July:
- Last year, iOS 16.6 landed on July 24th.
- Back in 2022, iOS 15.6 dropped on July 20th.
- While the version number was different, Apple pushed iOS 14.7 on July 19th in 2021.
The iOS 17.6 beta arrived much later than betas for previous x.6 upgrades, but given that the software doesn’t have much on board, we may see Apple use a similar window for its release.
So the company has a track record of pushing milestone software in late July and there’s no reason to believe it won’t follow a similar protocol this year.
Apple could deviate of course, but expect iOS 17.6 to stay in testing through June.
After that, iPhone users can turn their attention to iOS 18. It should arrive in September and the upgrade will be available for all iOS 17-powered iPhone models.