News: iOS 11.2.5 Beta 7 Released, Expect Public Version Early Next Week

Apple just pushed out iOS 11.2.5 beta 7 today for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch to both developers and public beta testers. On Wednesday, Jan. 17, beta 6 was released, and there were two betas the previous week. With Apple promising a patch for "ChaiOS" next week for everyone, it's like iOS 11.2.5 will be that update.

The ChaiOS vulnerability was already patched in beta 6, and from what we can tell, there aren't any significant changes in beta 7 besides Apple's generic "bug fixes and improvements" statement on the update page. If we see anything else, we'll update you on what we've found, but we're not expecting to find anything big that hasn't already been mentioned in other betas.

• Update: iOS 11.2.5 Released to Everyone on Jan. 23

To update your iPhone to iOS 11.2.5 beta 7, make sure you are a developer or public beta tester with a valid configuration profile. Then, open up the Settings app, hit "General," then "Software Update." Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install iOS 11.2.5 beta 7.

Since Apple promised a fix next week for all iOS devices pertaining to the ChaiOS threat, it's likely that iOS 11.2.5 will be the update everyone gets. However, it's not entirely clear if that is the case since Apple skipped updates for iOS 11.2.3 and 11.2.4. All things are pointing toward iOS 11.2.5, though, since beta 7 appears to be a Golden Master (GM) build. Rumors suggest that it could hit everyone's devices on Monday or Tuesday, and that the missing 11.2.4 and 11.2.4 versions will just disappear.

Historically, beta versions of non-major software updates have never gone above seven builds, which is another indication that iOS 11.2.5 is coming next week. iOS 11.2 had just 6 betas.

As a whole, there isn't much to brag about in iOS 11.2.5. Messages on iCloud and Apple's recently promised battery features will likely appear in iOS 11.3.

The only big change in iOS 11.2.5 for normal users seems to be in the Music app, which includes a the persistent "Now Playing" bar. There are some signs of AirPlay 2, but don't expect anything functional until HomePod is released. Apple has already pushed out updates for Meltdown in iOS 11.2 and Spectre in iOS 11.2.2.

When it comes to Messages on iCloud, the battery health features, and AirPlay 2, we'll have to wait for iOS 11.3. If iOS 11.2.5 is pushed out to everyone on Monday or Tuesday, we could see the iOS 11.3 beta 1 the same or following day. And hopefully, we won't have to wait for iOS 11.3.5 or 11.4 for these long-awaited features.

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