You Can Download iOS 17 RC & iPadOS 17 RC Now
Apple has issued a release candidate build for iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The iOS 17 RC and iPadOS 17 RC builds are available to download now for users enrolled in either the public beta or developer beta programs.
RC (Release Candidate) builds are often the final beta build of a beta testing cycle, unless some critical bug or issue is found. Given that Apple has said that iOS 17 will be released on September 18, this particular build is likely to match the final build.
Separately Apple has also issued RC builds for tvOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS Sonoma RC.
How to Download iOS 17 RC & iPadOS 17 RC
Downloading the release candidate build of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 is easily done through Software Update, assuming you’re already running an earlier beta.
- Open the “Settings” app on the iPhone or iPad
- Select “General”
- Select “Software Update”
- Choose to “Download and Install” for iOS 17 / iPadOS 17
You will note there are no mentions of ‘release candidate’ in the name, which is typical of RC builds.
Installing iOS 17 or ipadOS 17 requires the iPhone or iPad to restart.
If you’re interested in running the RC build and you haven’t yet installed iOS 17 beta on your iPhone and you have an iPhone compatible with iOS 17, or, you’d like to install iPadOS 17 beta onto a iPadOS 17 compatible iPad, then you could install the beta now, which would give you access to the RC build on your device.
Anecdotally, the iOS 17 RC runs notably faster on an iPhone 11 than prior iOS 17 beta builds, which felt sluggish, perhaps due to the logging, data gathering, and analytics related to running beta software.
iOS 17 Release Notes
Release notes accompanying the download of iOS 17 for iPhone are as follows:
iOS 17 brings big updates to Phone, Messages, and FaceTime that give you new ways to express yourself as you communicate. StandBy delivers a new full-screen experience with glanceable information designed to view from a distance when you turn iPhone on its side while charging. AirDrop makes it easier to share and connect with those around you and adds NameDrop for contact sharing. Enhancements to the keyboard make entering text faster and easier than ever before. iOS 17 also includes updates to Widgets, Safari, Music, AirPlay, and more.
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222 (https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222)
iOS 17 Features
The latest iPhone operating system, iOS 17, introduces a range of exciting features, including interactive widgets on the Home Screen, FaceTime Video Voicemail support, Live Voicemail, personalized Contact Posters, convenient NameDrop contact sharing, Safari Profiles, a Standby mode that transforms your iPhone into a horizontal charging clock, and much more.
iPadOS 17 Features
iPadOS 17 brings a host of fresh capabilities to your iPad, such as the ability to personalize your lock screen, support for FaceTime Video Voicemail, the convenient Namedrop feature, interactive Home Screen widgets, enhanced Safari Profiles, improvements to the Stage Manager, and much more.
iOS 17 Release Date – what time will iOS 17 be released?
Apple has announced that iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 will be available to the general public on September 18. Typically Apple rolls out software updates around 10 AM PDT, though they sometimes release updates at other times as well.
iOS 17 RC IPSW Download Links
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
iPadOS 17 RC IPSW Download Links
- 11-in. iPad Pro (4th generation), 12.9-in. iPad Pro (6th generation)
- 10.2-in. iPad (10th generation)
- iPad Air (5th Generation)
- iPad mini (6th generation)
- 10.2-in. iPad (9th generation)
- 11-in. iPad Pro (3rd generation), 12.9-in. iPad Pro (5th generation)
- iPad Air (4th generation)
- 10.2-in. iPad (8th generation)
- 11-in. iPad Pro (1st and 2nd generations), 12.9-in. iPad Pro (3rd and 4th generations)
- 10.5-in. iPad Pro (1st generation), 12.9-in. iPad Pro (2nd generation)
- iPad (6th generation)
- iPad mini (5th generation), iPad Air (3rd generation)
- 10.2-in. iPad (7th generation)
