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The iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1 updates are now available. As previously announced by Apple, iOS 17.1 allows you to complete an AirDrop file transfer after losing your Wi-Fi connection or walking outside of AirDrop's typical range. Several bug fixes and small changes are also included in the iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1 updates. Note that these updates initially rolled out to beta testers on September 27th.

Improved AirDrop functionality was announced at WWDC 2023—it was supposed to be included in the original iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 releases, but Apple missed its mark. That's why we're getting the feature today. Anyway, AirDrop file transfers will now continue over a cellular connection when Wi-Fi isn't available. This should provide a more reliable transfer experience when dealing with large files, but more importantly, it can be a huge time saver. Instead of waiting around at a birthday party while you AirDrop photos and videos, you can kick off the AirDrop transfer, hop in your car, and leave. To disable this feature, enter your AirDrop settings and toggle "use cellular connection."

The iOS 17.1 release notes on an iPhone.
Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek

Apple Music users get several cool new features in iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1. You can now add songs, albums, and playlists to your Favorites, and new filtering options allow you to display Favorites in Apple Music library. A new color-changing cover art collection may now grace your playlists, and you'll now see song suggestions at the bottom of playlists—a feature that Spotify popularized several years ago.

The iOS 17.1 update also provides more display controls for Apple's new StandBy mode. Some users dislike that StandBy mode dims the screen after 20 seconds on Always-On Display-enabled iPhones (specifically the Pro and Pro Max versions of iPhone 14 and 15). So, you now have the option to choose when the display turns off, but only on the aforementioned iPhone models.

There's also a bunch of small changes and bug fixes. You can now link the Photo Shuffle lock screen widget to a specific photo album—long overdue, but much appreciated. A bug that prevented custom ringtones from working is patched, and the names of incoming callers will actually appear onscreen when you're in another call (evidently, Apple forgot to implement this behavior in the iOS 17 call screen redesign). Apple also says that your Screen Time settings should sync across devices more reliably.

To update your iPhone or iPad, enter Settings, go to "General," and select "Software Update." The iOS 17.1 or iPadOS 17.1 update should appear onscreen along with some release notes. If your device doesn't offer the update, wait a day and try again, as these things can take some time to roll out.

Source: Apple