Apple has released iOS 17 for all iPhone models that support Apple's latest update. The company has implemented various changes throughout the operating system, which include front-facing features and visual upgrades. When Apple announced iOS 17 at its WWDC 2023 event in June, it introduced some pretty major features that will be reserved for future iOS updates. Check out the full changelog if you want to learn what Apple has introduced with the initial iOS 17 build.
Check out the full set of features that Apple introduced in the iOS 17 changelog - List
Apple introduced iOS 17 with interactive widgets, a brand-new StandBy Mode for all iPhone models with an Always-On display, NameDrop, and much more. Moreover, the company improved the entire platform in all aspects, which is evident in the iOS 17 changelog. For your ease, we have embedded the changelog below for more details.
- Phone
Contact Posters let you customise how you appear on other people’s devices when you call them with a customised poster - Messages
Stickers iMessage app brings all your stickers into one place including Live Stickers, Memoji, Animoji, emoji stickers, and your third-party sticker packs
Live Stickers can be created by lifting the subject from photos or videos and stylising them with effects like Shiny, Puffy, Comic, and Outline
Check In automatically notifies a family member or friend when you arrive at a destination safely and can share helpful information with them in case of a delay
Audio message transcription is available for audio messages you receive so you can read them in the moment and listen later
Search improvements help you find messages faster by allowing you to combine search filters such as people, keywords, and content types like photos or links to find exactly what you are looking for
Swipe to reply to a message inline by swiping to the right on any bubble
Single-use verification code cleanup automatically deletes verification codes from the Messages app after using them with AutoFill in other apps - FaceTime
Leave a video or audio message to capture exactly what you want to say when someone does not pick up your FaceTime call
Enjoy FaceTime calls on Apple TV by using your iPhone as a camera (Apple TV 4K 2nd generation and later)
Reactions layer 3D effects like hearts, balloons, confetti, and more around you in video calls and can be triggered with gestures
Video effects allow you to adjust the intensity of Studio Lighting and Portrait mode - StandBy
Full-screen experience with glanceable information like clocks, photos, and widgets designed to be viewed from a distance when the iPhone is on its side and charging in places such as your bedside table, kitchen counter, or desk
Clocks are available in a variety of styles, including Digital, Analogue, Solar, Float, and World Clock, with elements you can personalise like the accent colour
Photos automatically shuffle through your best shots or showcase a specific album you choose
Widgets give you access to information from a distance and appear in Smart Stacks that deliver the right information at the right time
Night Mode lets clocks, photos, and widgets take on a red tone in low light
Preferred view per MagSafe charger remembers your preference for each place you charge with MagSafe, whether that’s a clock, photos, or widgets - Widgets
Interactive widgets let you perform actions, like marking a reminder as complete, directly from the widget by tapping it on the Home Screen, Lock Screen, or in StandBy
iPhone widgets on Mac enable you to add widgets from your iPhone to your Mac desktop - AirDrop
NameDrop lets you exchange contact information with someone new by bringing your iPhones close together
New way to initiate AirDrop allows you to share content or start a SharePlay session over AirDrop by bringing your iPhones close together - Keyboard
Improved autocorrect accuracy makes typing even easier by leveraging a powerful transformer-based language model (iPhone 12 and later)
Easier autocorrect editing temporarily underlines corrected words and lets you revert back to what you originally typed with just a tap
Enhanced sentence corrections can correct more types of grammatical mistakes when you finish sentences (iPhone 12 and later)
Inline predictive text shows single and multi-word predictions as you type that can be added by tapping the space bar (iPhone 12 and later) - Safari and Passwords
Profiles keep your browsing separate for topics like work and personal, separating your history, cookies, extensions, Tab Groups, and favourites
Private Browsing enhancements include locking your private browsing windows when you’re not using them, blocking known trackers from loading, and removing identifying tracking from URLs
Password and passkey sharing lets you create a group of passwords to share with trusted contacts that stays up to date as members of the group make changes
Single-use verification code AutoFill from Mail autofill in Safari so you can log in without leaving the browser - Music
SharePlay makes it easy for everyone to control and play Apple Music in the car
Crossfade smoothly transitions between songs by fading out the currently playing song while fading in the next so the music never stops - AirPlay
Intelligent AirPlay device list makes finding the right AirPlay-compatible TV or speaker even easier by showing your devices in order of relevance, based on your preferences
Suggested AirPlay device connections are proactively shown to you as a notification to make it even more seamless to connect to your preferred AirPlay devices
Automatic AirPlay device connections are made between your iPhone and the most relevant AirPlay-compatible device, so all you have to do is tap Play to begin enjoying your content - AirPods
Adaptive Audio delivers a new listening mode that dynamically blends Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency to tailor the noise control experience based on the conditions of your environment (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)
Personalised Volume adjusts the volume of your media in response to your environment and listening preferences over time (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)
Conversation Awareness lowers your media volume and enhances the voices of the people in front of the user, all while reducing background noise (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)
Press to mute and unmute your microphone by pressing the AirPods stem or the Digital Crown on AirPods Max when on a call (AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation) or AirPods Max with firmware version 6A300 or later) - Maps
Offline Maps allow you to select an area you want to access and search and explore rich information for places to download for use when your iPhone doesn’t have a Wi-Fi or mobile signal
EV routing improvements give you routes based on real-time EV charger availability for supported chargers - Siri
Option to say “Siri” in addition to “Hey Siri” for an even more natural way to make requests
Back-to-back requests can be issued without needing to reactivate Siri in between commands (iPhone 11 and later) - Visual Look Up
Expanded domains in Visual Look Up help you discover similar recipes from photos of food, Maps information from photos of shopfronts, and the meaning of signs and symbols on things like laundry tags
Multiple or single subjects can be lifted from the background of photos and videos and placed into apps like Messages
Visual Look Up in Video helps you learn about objects that appear in paused video frames
Visual Look Up for subjects in photos enables you to look up information about objects you lift from photos directly from the callout bar - Health
State of Mind reflection allows you to log your momentary emotions and daily mood, choose what factors are having the biggest impact on you, and describe your feelings
Interactive charts give you insights into your state of mind, how it has changed over time, and what factors may have an influence, such as exercise, sleep, and mindful minutes
Mental health assessments help you understand your current risk of depression and anxiety and if you might benefit from getting support
Screen Distance leverages the TrueDepth camera that powers Face ID to encourage you to increase the distance you view your device to reduce digital eye strain and can help reduce the risk of myopia in children - Privacy
Sensitive Content Warnings can be enabled to prevent users from unexpectedly being shown images containing nudity in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, and FaceTime messages
Expanded Communication Safety protections for children now detect videos containing nudity in addition to photos that children may receive or attempt to send in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, FaceTime messages, and the system Photo picker
Improved sharing permissions give you even more control over what you share with apps, with an embedded photo picker and an add-only Calendar permission
Link tracking protection removes extra information from links shared in Messages, Mail, and Safari Private Browsing that some websites use in their URLs to track you across other websites, and links still work as expected - Accessibility
Assistive Access distills apps and experiences to their essential features in Phone and FaceTime, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Music, including large text, visual alternatives, and focused choices to lighten the cognitive load
Live Speech lets you type what you want to say and have it be spoken out loud in phone calls, FaceTime calls and for in-person conversations
Personal Voice enables users who are at risk of losing their voice to privately and securely create a voice that sounds like them on an iPhone and use it with Live Speech in phone and FaceTime calls
Point and Speak in Magnifier Detection Mode uses an iPhone to read text out loud on physical objects with small text labels, such as keypads on doors and buttons on appliances
This release also includes other features and improvements:
- Pets in the People album in Photos surfaces individual pets in the album, just like friends or family members
- Photos Album widget lets you select a specific album from the Photos app to appear in the widget
- Item sharing in Find My allows you to share an AirTag or Find My network accessory with up to five other people
- Activity History in Home displays a recent history of events for door locks, garage doors, security systems, and contact sensors
- Shopping Lists in Reminders automatically group related items into sections as you add them
- Inline PDFs and document scans in Notes are presented full-width, making them easy to view and mark up
- New Memoji stickers in Keyboard include Halo, Smirk, and Peekaboo
- App Shortcuts in Spotlight Top Hit offer you app shortcuts to your next action when you search for an app
- Redesigned Sharing tab in Fitness provides highlights of your friends’ activities, like workout streaks and awards
- Email or phone number sign-in lets you sign in to your iPhone with any email address or phone number listed in your Apple ID account
- New drawing tools in Freeform include a fountain pen, watercolour brush, ruler, and more to create expressive boards
- Crash Detection optimisations (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max)
Some features may not be available in all regions or on all Apple devices. For more information, please visit this website:
https://www.apple.com/uk/ios/
Some features may not be available in all regions or on all iPhone models. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/
This is all there is to it, folks. As you can see in the iOS 17 changelog, Apple has implemented changes in almost all aspects of the operating system. You can check out each feature for yourself as well. We will be covering follow-up guides and tutorials extensively, so be sure to stick around.
- Apple releases iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 - Download
- Clean Install iOS 17 on your iPhone using IPSW files
- How to prepare your iPhone for iOS 17
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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