iOS 17.4.1 is the first update for the iPhone, after more than two weeks after the launch of the iOS 17.4 version that has made major changes.
While it appears to be a fairly substantial update with over 6GB for both iOS and iPadOS, Apple has not provided details on what changes or new features are included in this release. However, we can sense that there is still a lot of work to be done after the major update iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4, with which users in European Union countries can install apps and games both from third-party app stores and from the websites of developers.
What's new in iOS 17.4.1 / iOS 17.4 for EU users
Alternative (third-party) app stores. iPhone owners in the EU can choose to download apps from outside the App Store. These apps will be pre-approved by Apple.
Options to choose your default browser. EU users can choose a different default browser from a list of the most downloaded browsers on iPad or iPhone after updating to iOS 17.4 / iPadOS 17.4.
Third-party access to NFC. That means banks and other payment processing services can have their own e-wallets that work similarly to Apple Pay.
Related: How do you add a card to iPhone in Wallet for Apple Pay
Among the iOS 17.4 news that applies to iPhone and iPad devices worldwide, the most important are: GeForce NOW for games, Siri with support for reading messages in multiple languages (Spanish, Portuguese, French and German), iMessage with a new encryption protocol, and extended life up to 1,000 cycles for the iPhone 15 battery.
