Technologies
Updating Your iPhone to iOS 17 Today? Here’s Why You Want to Hold Off
It may not be the best move to update to iOS 17 right now.
Not everyone needs to download the latest iOS update on their iPhone right when Apple makes it available.
Apple announced the release date for iOS 17 during its Wonderlust event last week, alongside the iPhone 15 series, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra. iOS 17 will be available to everyone with a compatible iPhone today, Sept. 18. But just because it’s released, does that mean you should install it on your phone?
In this story, I’ll look at a few reasons why you may not want to update to iOS 17 just yet and instead let others take it for a spin.
If you know you want iOS 17, check out how to download iOS 17, as well as all the cool hidden iOS 17 settings and features you can expect to find.
Your iPhone battery might drain faster than usual
One reason to hit pause on the download? There really isn’t a single general reason why battery drain occurs right after a major software update like iOS 17, but it happens to some people pretty much every year.
If your battery health level is already in bad shape (Settings > Battery > Battery Health), you might want to refrain from updating to iOS 17 for a bit.
Here are a couple of reasons why iOS 17 might be draining your battery:
- Your phone is working overtime in the background. New features, such as the improved search feature in Messages or Live Stickers for your photos, may need to index your files to work properly.
- Your apps don’t support iOS 17. Developers are given plenty of time to update their apps to the latest iPhone software, but if they don’t, the apps could drain more battery because they’re outdated.
And of course, there’s always the slight chance of software bugs that could be eating up your battery life in the background.

Even if you wait for future iOS 17 updates, you may still encounter some battery drain for the first few days, but that generally disappears once your iPhone gets settled with the software update.
Your older iPhone might get really slow
Just because your iPhone supports iOS 17 doesn’t necessarily mean the new OS will run smoothly on your device. An older iPhone model, like the iPhone XS or iPhone 11 Pro might struggle to keep up with iOS 17’s demands, due to little storage, low RAM or an older chipset.
Don’t miss: Apple’s iOS 17 Won’t Work on Every iPhone. These Models Get the Boot
Take a Look at Apple’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: New Colors, Prices and More
You might encounter bugs that can cause issues on your iPhone
No matter how polished a software update may seem, a few bugs are bound to slip through the cracks. It’s why Apple sometimes releases a «point update» shortly after a major update, to fix issues like:
- Battery drain.
- Lag.
- Apps force-closing.
- Phone restarting.
- Unusable features.
If you’re concerned about possibly facing issues such as these, you may want to wait until any possible major bugs are squashed in subsequent iOS 17 updates.
You might not get all the new iOS 17 features you want anyway
Not every iPhone running iOS 17 will get all the new features, especially older models like the iPhone XR and iPhone 11. Below you’ll find some of the features that aren’t supported on all devices running iOS 17:
- Hand reactions in FaceTime: iPhone 12 and later.
- FaceTime on Apple TV: iPhone XS/XR and later.
- Improved autocorrect: iPhone 12 and later.
- Predictions inline as you type: iPhone 12 and later.
If you were looking forward to any of these features but can’t get them because of your older iPhone, you might want to skip out on iOS 17.

For the most part, you should probably update to iOS 17
Regardless of any hesitations you might have, if you do want to jump in, there are plenty of reasons to just go ahead and update to iOS 17. Aside from all the new features you may benefit from, Apple’s major software updates may fix bugs and other issues in previous iterations.
However, major updates don’t just fix issues, they also bring new privacy and security settings that improve your safety and better protect your personal information.
On iOS 17, you have a few major privacy and security features to look forward to:
- Sensitive content warning: You can toggle on a setting to blur sensitive photos and videos sent to you. This feature works in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters, FaceTime messages and third‑party applications.
- Improved permissions: Applications let you choose which photos you want to share in-app, while the rest of them are kept private. Also, an application can add an event to your calendar without being able to see your other events.
- Expanded Lockdown Mode: The new and improved Lockdown Mode increases security to help protect you against more-sophisticated cyberattacks. It even works on your Apple Watch now.

And then there are all the new accessibility features, which can be incredibly beneficial to those with disabilities:
- Personal Voice: An AI feature that allows you to clone your voice and use it via type-to-speak to communicate with others.
- Assistive Access: Simplifies everything on your phone, making it easier to use.
For more, check out what the iPhone 15 might tell us about future phones and how the Apple Watch Series 9 compares to older models.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, Jan. 25
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 25.
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It might help to be a Scrabble player. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Some breakfast drinks, for short
Answer: OJS
4A clue: Ready for business
Answer: OPEN
5A clue: Information gathered by a spy
Answer: INTEL
6A clue: Highest-scoring Scrabble word with four tiles (22)
Answer: QUIZ
7A clue: Nine-digit ID
Answer: SSN
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Agree to receive promotional emails, say
Answer: OPTIN
2D clue: Second-highest-scoring Scrabble word with four tiles (20)
Answer: JEEZ
3D clue: Sketch comedy show since ’75
Answer: SNL
4D clue: Burden
Answer: ONUS
5D clue: Geniuses have high ones
Answer: IQS
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Jan. 25, #489
Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 25, No. 489.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition grid started with a funny message: SUPER BOWL ORR BUST. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Bummer!
Green group hint: Add three letters.
Blue group hint: Noted hockey players.
Purple group hint: Not the moon, but …
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Disappointment.
Green group: Sports, with «-ing.»
Blue group: Hall of Fame NHL defensemen.
Purple group: ____ star(s)
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is disappointment. The four answers are bust, dud, failure and flop.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is sports, with «-ing.» The four answers are bowl, box, curl and surf.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is Hall of Fame NHL defensemen. The four answers are Bourque, Coffey, Leetch and Orr.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is ____ star(s). The four answers are all, Chicago, Dallas and super.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 25 #959
Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Jan. 25, No. 959
Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Really, New York Times? The paper noted for being rather sedate actually put the words SUB and DOM next to each other in today’s NYT Connections puzzle. Of course, they didn’t mean what they could have meant, and they did not end up in the same category, but still. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Like an understudy.
Green group hint: Delete is another one.
Blue group hint: Like penne.
Purple group hint: At the end of words.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Act as a backup.
Green group: PC keyboard keys.
Blue group: Pasta shapes.
Purple group: Suffixes.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is act as a backup. The four answers are cover, fill in, sub and temp.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is PC keyboard keys. The four answers are alt, enter, menu and windows.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is pasta shapes. The four answers are bowtie, ribbon, shell and tube.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is suffixes. The four answers are ate, dom, hood and ship.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
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