iOS 17.5 released, sideloading is finally here!

Early this morning, Apple pushed the first beta system of iOS 17.5, with version number 21F5048f. Let’s take a look at the changes brought by this update.

Users who have already upgraded to the iOS 17 beta version can upgrade to the latest version in the software update. If other users want to try it out, they can send "17" in the background of this official account to get the upgrade tutorial.

Added web sideloading feature

This update mainly brings a major change, that is, users in the EU can download apps directly from the website. Yes, just like Android, you can download and install apps freely.

Apple said that apps downloaded in this way can be backed up, restored, updated, and the experience is basically the same as downloading from the App Store.

However, this feature is only available in the EU and only for iPhone devices, not iPads. And there is currently no way to bypass this restriction. Users do not need to pay Apple a commission when downloading apps through the website, but they must pay a core technology fee of 0.5 euros.

In addition, if you want to provide the function of downloading apps on the website, developers need to meet two specific conditions. The first is that they need to be a member of the Apple Developer Program for more than two consecutive years, and the second is that they have more than one million new user downloads in the EU in the past year.

Podcast Optimization

After upgrading to iOS 17.5 beta 1, domestic users can see translated subtitles on the main interface when using the Apple Podcast function, just like listening to songs.

In addition, after adding a blog widget to the home screen, the background color of the widget can also change with the color of the wallpaper.

The above are the main changes in iOS 17.5 Beta 1. The main purpose of Apple’s update this time is to allow EU users to freely download and install third-party applications in web browsers.

Moreover, there are still two months until the release of iOS 18, and the update of iOS 17 is also entering the final stage, so no one needs to expect a major update.

Users who have upgraded to iOS 17.5 Beta 1 can also share any problems they encounter during use in the comment section.