Apple Releases iOS 11.2.5 With Support for HomePod and Siri Audio News

[MacRumors]

Apple today released iOS 11.2.5, the tenth official update to the iOS 11 operating system that first came out in September of 2017. iOS 11.2.5 comes two weeks after the release of iOS 11.2.2, an update that introduced Safari mitigations for the "Spectre" vulnerability impacting Apple's iOS devices.

The iOS 11.2.5 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings --> General --> Software Update.

According to Apple's release notes, the iOS 11.2.5 update introduces support for the HomePod, which will be released on Friday, February 9, and it brings fixes for several bugs in CarPlay, Messages, and Mail. The update also includes audio-based podcast news delivered via Siri, which was also officially unveiled in iOS 11.2.2 last week. With the podcast news feature, you can ask Siri to play generic news sourced from NPR, Fox News, The Washington Post, or CNN, but you can also ask for news specific to topics like Sports, Music, and Business.

In Control Center, the iOS 11.2.5 update brings a new layout for audio controls. When accessing the music widget on an iPhone or iPad, when you 3D Touch or press on the icon in the upper right hand side, all available audio playback sources are now listed as separate tiles.

Tapping on one of the audio sources, such as an Apple TV, allows audio to be played on the device and controlled separately from the iPhone. Using this feature, you can listen to music on one device, like the Apple TV, without interfering with audio playing on the iPhone.

iOS 11.2.5 appears to address a bug that allowed a malicious link to freeze the Messages app on iOS devices. As of the sixth beta, the link in question no longer affects the Messages app.

Full release notes for the iOS 11.2.5 update are below:

HomePod support

- Setup and automatically transfer your Apple ID, Apple Music, Siri and Wi-Fi settings to HomePod.

Siri News

- Siri can now read the news, just ask, "Hey Siri, play the news". You can also ask for specific news categories including Sports, Business or Music.

Other improvements and fixes

- Addresses an issue that could cause the Phone app to display incomplete information in the call list
- Fixes an issue that caused Mail notifications from some Exchange accounts to disappear from the Lock screen when unlocking iPhone X with Face ID
- Addresses an issue that could cause Messages conversations to temporarily be listed out of order
- Fixes an issue in CarPlay where Now Playing controls become unresponsive after multiple track changes
- Adds ability for VoiceOver to announce playback destinations and AirPod battery level

Apple is supposed to be releasing an iCloud Messages feature that was pulled ahead of the iOS 11 release, and which many people are eagerly awaiting, but there is no sign of the feature in iOS 11.2.5.

Apple has also promised that new, more extensive details about battery life will be coming in early 2018, but those new tools are also missing from iOS 11.2.5, so we may instead see them in the next iOS update.

Article Link: Apple Releases iOS 11.2.5 With Support for HomePod and Siri Audio News

 

[gsmornot]

Looks like the final beta was the final version.

 

[Xavier]

Who's going to risk it for us?

 

[Enjoylife1788]

Is it same as the GM?

 

[chrfr]

Release notes:
iOS 11.2.5 includes support for HomePod and introduces the ability for Siri to read the news (US, UK and Australia only). This update also includes bug fixes and improvements.


HomePod support

• • Setup and automatically transfer your Apple ID, Apple Music, Siri and Wi-Fi settings to HomePod.

Siri News

• • Siri can now read the news, just ask, "Hey Siri, play the news". You can also ask for specific news categories including Sports, Business or Music.

Other improvements and fixes

• • Addresses an issue that could cause the Phone app to display incomplete information in the call list
• • Fixes an issue that caused Mail notifications from some Exchange accounts to disappear from the Lock screen when unlocking iPhone X with Face ID
• • Addresses an issue that could cause Messages conversations to temporarily be listed out of order
• • Fixes an issue in CarPlay where Now Playing controls become unresponsive after multiple track changes
• • Adds ability for VoiceOver to announce playback destinations and AirPod battery level

 

[bgro]

where's Airplay 2? imessages in the cloud? pffftt

 

[sorgo †]

Is it same as the GM?

Yes, apparently.

 

[ChazSch]

i will again try it to see if it fixes the Mail app slowness....

 

[C DM]

where's Airplay 2? imessages in the cloud? pffftt

Those weren't really expected with this release.

 

[maxsquared]

Can't see it

 

[Gyroworld]

Still don't see anything. iPhone 7 in NYC.

 

[BSben]

Can’t see it in the UK for iPhone X, will try again later

 

[abi12a]

No update via OTA yet...

 

[ipooed]

Who's going to risk it for us?

Updating now DFU restore via itunes

Update: install went fine ip7+

 

[viperGTS]

Those weren't really expected with this release.

The joke is that these features have been delayed since iOS 11's release.

 

[Jesse Waugh]

Does this fix #Throttlegate ?

 

[Scotty2Hotty]

What ever happened to 11.2.3 or 11.2.4?

 

[lobbyist]

Hasn't yet propagated over here.

 

[trauma62]

Apple today released iOS 11.2.5, the tenth official update to the iOS 11 operating system that first came out in September of 2017. iOS 11.2.5 comes two weeks after the release of iOS 11.2.2, an update that introduced Safari mitigations for the "Spectre" vulnerability impacting Apple's iOS devices.

The iOS 11.2.5 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings --> General --> Software Update.

​

​

My iPhone X says no update for you buddy iOS 11.2.2

 

[mgollaher92]

Hopefully this gets rid of that damn white line issue when sending a picture. Have had that since iOS 11 launch day.

 

[C DM]

The joke is that these features have been delayed since iOS 11's release.

As I recall they have been mentioned to be soemtbing that would be available in iOS 11, which is still a version that is getting updates with new features in it, so they can very well still come in iOS 11. That said, it's possible that something came up with those and caused a delay and/or a change of some sort.

 

[bluespider]

11.2.5 iPhone 6s is only 163MB???

 

[lobbyist]

Hasn't yet propagated over here.

Just did now

 

[Ds6778]

Those weren't really expected with this release.

You’re right. They were expected last year with iOS 11.

 

[C DM]

Does this fix #Throttlegate ?

That's not something that would be in this update, but should be something in the next 11.x update most likely.
[doublepost=1516731521][/doublepost]

You’re right. They were expected last year with iOS 11.

Not really expected per se, but certainly people hoped they would be there from the beginning of iOS 11.