The updates fix two WebKit vulnerabilities that “may have been exploited against versions of iOS before iOS 16.7.1,” according to an Apple support page. macOS Sonoma 14.1.2 is out, too, with fixes for the same vulnerabilities.
[Apple Support]
Apple iOS 17.2 beta 4 update adds a feature that will finally allow you to change the default notification sound on your iPhone, as reported by MacRumors. The update includes a new “Default Alerts” option under Sounds and Haptics, meaning that app sounds that aren’t ringtones, text messages, voicemails, emails, calendars, reminders, or otherwise pre-assigned can be changed.
And for the silent phone fans, you can change the default haptic feedback for notifications, too.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote for Power On newsletter subscribers today that “highly controlled” iOS sideloading is coming “in the first half of next year.”
Europe requires that “gatekeepers” like Apple make such changes by March 2024. It’ll be interesting to see what “highly controlled” means. I wouldn’t be surprised if sideloading is no walk in the park.
Gurman also mentions changes are coming to Messages, but it’s important to keep in mind that Messages the app and iMessage the service are different things. The EU is currently investigating whether iMessage counts as a “core platform service” under the regulation.
If you ever wondered what those symbols mean — and, like me, never bothered to look them up — now you can get that info right from your iPhone. (Thanks to 9to5Mac’s Fernando Silva for alerting me of the feature)
