Beta 1 of iOS 17.3, iPadOS 17.3, macOS Sonoma 14.3 Available for Testing
Apple has issued the first beta versions of iOS 17.3 for iPhone, ipadOS 17.3 for iPad, and macOS Sonoma 14.3 for Mac. The beta builds are available now to users enrolled in the beta testing programs on their compatible devices.
iOS 17.3 will introduce a new feature called Stolen Device Protection which aims to help limit access to your device in the even that it is stolen, and that someone knows your password. There are measures to require the addition of Face ID and/or Touch ID in addition to the passcode before a user can do things like turn off Lost Mode / Find My, make purchases, or access saved passwords. This feature is currently in beta so it may change by the time the final version comes out.
macOS Sonoma 14.3 does not have any obvious new features or changes, so will likely focus on bug fixes and performance enhancements as usual.
Beta testers with iPhone and iPad can find the iOS 17.3 beta 1 and iPadOS 17.3 beta 1 update through Settings > General > Software Update
Mac beta testers can find macOS Sonoma 14.3 beta 1 through > System Settings > General > Software Update
Beta system software goes through multiple iterations before a final version is released, suggesting the final releases of iOS 17.3, ipadoS 17.3, and macOS Sonoma 14.3 are not due until sometime early next year, perhaps in January or February.
The most recently available stable versions of system software are the freshly released iOS 17.2 for iPhone, iPadOS 17.2 for iPad, and macOS Sonoma 14.2 for Mac.
