iOS 17 release date today: what time can you download Apple's best iPhone upgrade yet?

Rik Henderson
·3 min read
1
IOS 17.
IOS 17.

Apple held its "Wonderlust" event last week, launching a swathe of new products in the process.

We got to see the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus with their new dynamic island, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max with camera boosts and new titanium casing, plus the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. We even got new AirPods Pro with USB-C.

They are all available for pre-order now, with the majority being shipped from this Friday, 22 September.

However, the company didn't really mention the software much at the time – just sprinkling a few feature details here and there when discussing the devices themselves.

But, after it finished, T3 was sent some press details revealing the dates Apple will make its latest operating systems available to existing iPhone and other device owners. And, the good news is that you won't have to wait long. In fact, it's only a matter of hours away now.

Apple will release iOS 17 today, Monday 18 September 2023. We expect it'll be available around 10am PT / 6pm BST, if previous years are to go by.

Here are the potential times for your region:

  • US West Coast: 10:00 PT

  • US East Coast: 13:00 ET

  • UK: 18:00 BST

  • Central Europe: 19:00 CEST

  • India (New Delhi): 22:30 IST

  • China (Beijing): 01:00 CST (19 September)

  • Japan (Tokyo): 02:00 JST (19 September)

  • South Korea (Seoul): 02:00 KST (19 September)

  • Australia (Sydney): 03:00 AEST (19 September)

iOS 17 montage
iOS 17 montage

Will my iPhone run iOS 17?

Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to install the new software on their iPhones. Apple has published a compatibility list that starts with the iPhone Xs, so owners of the revolutionary iPhone X will not be able to run iOS 17.

Here's the entire compatibility list in full:

  • iPhone 15

  • iPhone 15 Plus

  • iPhone 15 Pro

  • iPhone 15 Pro Max

  • iPhone 14

  • iPhone 14 Plus

  • iPhone 14 Pro

  • iPhone 14 Pro Max

  • iPhone 13

  • iPhone 13 mini

  • iPhone 13 Pro

  • iPhone 13 Pro Max

  • iPhone 12

  • iPhone 12 mini

  • iPhone 12 Pro

  • iPhone 12 Pro Max

  • iPhone 11

  • iPhone 11 Pro

  • iPhone 11 Pro Max

  • iPhone XS

  • iPhone XS Max

  • iPhone XR

  • iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)

When will iPadOS 17 be available?

Apple will also release iPadOS 17 at the same time. That means anyone with a 6th Gen iPad or better will be able to download and run the latest software today, 18 September, too.

Here is the iPadOS 17 compatibility list:

  • 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)

  • iPad mini (5th generation and later)

It's worth also noting that WatchOS 10 will also release at the same time, as well as tvOS 17.

However, macOS Sonoma will follow a week later and will be available from 26 September 2023.

Apple iOS 17 features

Apple's iOS 17 is one of the most eagerly anticipated software releases in years. It promises a smorgasbord of new features and design tweaks that should improve every compatible iPhone.

Among them include Contact Posters that enable you to choose how you appear to contacts when you call them, Live Voicemail that transcribes voice messages in real-time, and Check In, which automatically notifies loved ones when you arrive at a destination.

NameDrop will share contact information between iPhones wireless, just by tapping them together, and there will be plenty of Interactive Widgets available on the Home and Lock Screens to perform different actions without even needing to fully unlock the iPhone.

There are plenty more besides, and you'll be able to check them out for yourself very soon.