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iOS 17.2.1: What You Need to Know About Apple's iPhone Update

Apple recommends everyone download the recent update now.

Zachary McAuliffe Staff writer
Zach began writing for CNET in November, 2021 after writing for a broadcast news station in his hometown, Cincinnati, for five years. You can usually find him reading and drinking coffee or watching a TV series with his wife and their dog.
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Zachary McAuliffe
A smartphone in front of a background which has the number 17 and the Apple logo
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Apple released iOS 17.2.1 on Dec. 19, about a week after rolling out iOS 17.2. While the previous update included new features, like the Journal app and Contact Key Verification, iOS 17.2.1 seems to be an incremental update focused on bug fixes and patches. 

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To download the update, go to Settings > General > Software Update, tap Install Now and follow the onscreen prompts. 

"This update provides important bug fixes and is recommended for all users," Apple writes in the update's description on your iPhone. However, Apple hasn't posted detailed release notes online for the update, so it's unclear what bug fixes iOS 17.2.1 addresses.

Apple normally posts an update's release notes online when the download becomes available. But there have been some instances where Apple hasn't posted these notes, like with the release of iOS 17.1.1 and iOS 17.0.2.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

For more on iOS 17, check out all the new features in iOS 17.2, what was included in iOS 17.1, and our iOS 17 cheat sheet.

Watch this: The Big Vision Behind These iOS, WatchOS Updates

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