iOS 17 is now available — how to download the newest iPhone software

(Image credit: Apple)

iOS 17 is here! You can install the latest major software update for your iPhone right now.

It's that time of year again when Apple releases new iPhones and new operating systems — the best time to be an Apple user. iOS 17 is proving to be a huge hit with the addition of StandBy, interactive widgets, and new customization features for your Phone and Messages app.

iOS 17 is one of the best software updates for iPhone in recent years, here's how to download and install it.

iOS 17 is here and you can install it now

iOS 17 brings amazing new additions to your iPhone without purchasing an iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro. These features include the likes of StandBy, a dedicated widget hub when you place your device on charge, interactive widgets, which allow you to interact with widgets without opening apps, and Contact Posters, the ability to customize your own personal caller ID.

How to download and install iOS 17

Installing iOS 17 on your iPhone is incredibly simple. So simple in fact that you can do it in three easy steps.

A grid of iPhones running iOS 17 — (Image credit: Apple)

Open Settings
Tap General, then Software Update
Select iOS 17

That's all there is to it. Your iPhone will now update to the latest operating system. The process may take a little while to download and install, but you can keep going about your day until the installation process begins.

The wonders of iOS 17 await

Now that you've installed iOS 17, there's a lot to get your teeth into. The best place to start is by creating your Contact Poster so anyone who calls you gets a customized experience.

Be sure to give StandBy a try as well. It's a fantastic widget hub that adds a whole new dimension to using your iPhone.

My personal favorite feature so far has been the inclusion of Find My across Maps and widgets, and it has made the feature far more useful than ever before.

What's your favorite iOS 17 feature? Let us know on the iMore forums, and leave a comment below

John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself.

Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings.

John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019.

John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.

In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit.