The constant grind of software updates to iOS, macOS and the rest of the Apple software family continues, with Apple overnight making updates available for its mobile, wearable, desktop and TV-based operating systems.
Unlike the most recent update (to iOS 17.1.2 and so on), this isn’t a minor point update, but instead a major one, which means alongside the usual – but still needed – bugfixes and security updates – there’s also a slew of new features to take on board.
Which devices can get the iOS and macOS Sonoma updates?
Apple lists the following devices as being capable of taking the iOS/iPadOS 17.2 update:
- iPhone XS and later
- 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
For the macOS Sonoma 14.2 update, that’s any Mac that can run macOS Sonoma, which is as follows:
- iMac 2019 and later
- Mac Pro 2019 and later
- iMac Pro 2017
- Mac Studio 2022 and later
- MacBook Air 2018 and later
- Mac mini 2018 and later
- MacBook Pro 2018 and later
If you’re after watchOS, which today was updated to watchOS 10.2, that covers the following models (as well as an iPhone XS or later running iOS 17:
- Apple Watch Series 4
- Apple Watch Series 5
- Apple Watch SE
- Apple Watch Series 6
- Apple Watch Series 7
- Apple Watch Series 8
- Apple Watch Series 9
- Apple Watch Ultra
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
As for the Apple TV, that’s been updated to tvOS 17.2, for the following models:
- Apple TV HD
- Apple TV 4K (all models)
How to update your iPhone or iPad to iOS/iPadOS 17.2
Generally you don’t have to do much at all if you don’t want to. If Automatic Updates are enabled on your iPhone or iPad, it will typically try to run iOS updates overnight for most users.
If you do have them disabled, you may find that the update hasn’t been applied yet. Force updating is quite easy.
Open up Settings, open up General and tap on Software Update. Your iPhone or iPad will then ping Apple’s servers to see if there’s an available update, and advise you if it’s available.
Bear in mind that the upgrade will take some time depending on your network connection and whether Apple’s servers are being hammered at that time. With a full update like this, it’s likely that they will be.
It’s also a good idea to keep your device plugged in so it doesn’t go flat while it’s waiting, and remember that the reboot period will involve a non-responsive device – so don’t start the process just before that vital phone call you need to make!
It’s broadly the same story on the macOS Sonoma side of the fence. Open up Settings, then General and then Software Update.
Often you won’t even need to do this step, as macOS is a little more pushy in terms of notifications about needed updates. You may see a message in Settings or if you click on the Apple icon at the top left letting you know there’s an update to be applied. Again, this will involve a reboot and offline period while it updates. While issues are rare, it’s a good idea on a Mac to ensure that your backups are up-to-date before updating, just in case.
What’s new in iOS 17.2?
Aside from the expected bugfixes and security patches, there’s a few new software apps and features on call if you upgrade to iOS 17.2. Here’s some highlights:
- Journal App: An interactive journaling app to record the key moments in your life
- New Weather and Clock widgets
- Catch-Up arrow in Messages to skip to the first unread message in a conversation
- Spatial video capture for the Apple Vision Pro
- Enhanced Autofill for PDFs
What’s new in iPadOS 17.2?
Again, expect bugfixes and security updates, as well as a number of features also found in iOS 17.2, though curiously the journal app isn’t one of them; if you want that, for now, it’s an iOS-only feature.
What’s new in macOS Sonoma 14.2?
Along with (say it with me!) bugfixes and security updates, macOS Sonoma nabs the enhanced autofill feature for PDFs that’s also on iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2, new weather and clock widgets and features and enhancements to Apple Music including a favourites song playlist, faster automatic Shazam music recognition and new keyboard layouts for Sámi languages, for those of you planning Nordic treks with your MacBook any time soon.
What’s new in watchOS 10.2?
No sign of the Journal app here (though that’s hardly surprising) but you do get Siri integration for a bunch of health features, so you can add data through Siri, or use Apple’s digital assistant to ask it how you slept last night, viewing the now playing list if you’re near a HomePod or use swipes to change Apple Watch faces.
What’s new in tvOS 17.2?
The changes to tvOS are more structural than massively focused around new features; notably Apple’s removed the ability to purchase content through the standalone iTunes TV Shows and iTunes Movies apps. Instead it’s pushing that sales ability purely through the Apple TV app on the Apple TV set top box (yes, that’s a confusing sentence to write, let alone read) in order to provide a one-stop shop for purchasing digital content through Apple.