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WWDC23 took us by storm by uncovering the latest iOS 17 features. Once again, we've summarised these innovative updates, sharing everything you need to know about Apple's yearly event.
Like most software updates and latest iPhone releases, iOS 17 will be available for download sometime in the fall season.
The first developer beta of iOS 17 was released on June 6, 2023. Public betas will be released in July 2023 and the final version of iOS 17 is expected to be released in the fall of this year.
Here are the iPhones that will be supported by the iOS 17 update:
This means that the iOS 17 update will not be compatible with the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone 6s and 6s Plus and lastly the First generation iPhone SE (2016).
In this article:
One of the changes coming with iOS 17 is personalised contact posters. This new feature allows you to create a custom poster that will appear every time you call someone on the other person's phone. You also have the option to customise this poster using a photo or Memoji and this too will be part of your contact card.
iPhone users, do you ever avoid picking up a phone call and wait for it to stop ringing, only to realise that in order to listen to this message, you will need to sift through the mountain of forgotten voicemails sat in your mail box? Well, this update is for you! iOS 17 will transcribe your voicemails in real time, so you can read them instead of listening to them.
Source: Apple
Apple have integrated quite a clever new feature within iMessage where a 'catch-up' arrow lets you jump to the first message you haven't seen in a conversation. We've all been added to a family group chat where everyone loves to go crazy with their replies, so this will be perfect to keep up with the influx of new messages.
Good news, you can now use Search Filters to narrow down your results and find a specific message quicker. Filters available to use include:
Date - Search for a specific date or date range
Person - Search for messages from a person or group of people
Content - Search for messages that contain specific text or media
Type - Search for a specific type of message e.g. text messages, iMessages, or attachments.
The search filters feature is a powerful tool that can help you find a particular message without having to scroll through your phone for hours.
Source: Apple
Check-In allows Apple users to let a friend know when they arrived at their destination safely. When a user activates Check-In, their chosen contect will be notified as soon as they arrive. If the user does not arrive at their destination at a predetermined time, Check-In will send a notification to their contact with a current location, battery level and cellular service status.
This feature will seem pretty impressive to some Apple users. Audio Message Transcript uses Apple's advanced machine learning technology to transcribe audio messages in real time, enabling you to see this transcription instead of having to listen to the voicenote (only within the messages app). This will be particularly convenient for those who are in a noisy environment and cannot listen at that point in time or for people who just prefer to read rather than listen.
Source: Apple
Apple has also added a number of new features to stickers in iOS 17, including:
Create stickers from your own photos - Take a photo, select an object and tap the "sticker" button to create a sticker.
Add stickers to live photos - Your stickers can now move and animate, adding a new level of fun to your conversations.
Customise your stickers - You can also add different effects like comic style or add outlines to your stickers allowing you to be more creative.
Save your favourite stickers - A sticker draw will be available once iOS 17 goes live so that you can save your favourite stickers for easy access.
Leave a message - When you FaceTime someone and they miss your call, you can now leave them a message by recording a video or audio message.
Reaction with your hands - The new update will also allow you to react in FaceTime with simple hand gestures. This will fill the camera frame with 3D augmented reality effects like hearts or fireworks.
FaceTime on Apple TV - Use your iPhone as a camera and connect to your Apple TV directly from the FaceTime app.
These FaceTime features will seemingly make it easier for people to connect during their busy day-to-day, providing more options for the modern person.
Source: Apple
You've probably seen this new feature being spoken about and praised on social media as there's been a lot of excitement around it. StandBy mode allows your iPhone to function as a smart display when you place it in landscape mode and plug it in to charge. You will be able to see a display containing the date, time, weather and notifications along with photos from your camera roll. StandBy can also be used to control music playback, get directions and more.
Source: Apple
With the upcoming iOS 17 updates, you will be able to swap numbers with a new feature called NameDrop. Initiated by SharePlay, all you have to do is draw your iPhone closer to another iPhone or Apple Watch and voilà! the other persons contact details and face card will pop up on your screen, then you'll be able to save their information straight to your contact list.
Are you an avid journal user or love to record our adventures to look back on some amazing memories? Well, Apple have included a Journaling feature that uses machine learning to make suggestions to inspire journal entries. The app will analyse your recent activites from your photos, workouts, holidays, music you've listened to and interactions in order to generate prompts. You can also schedule notifications from the app in order to remind yourself to write and maintain a journaling routine. Features included in the journaling app als include:
Secure Storage - Entries are stored within your iPhone via the Cloud.
Privacy - Your entries are private and cannot be accessed by anyone else, not even Apple.
Source: Apple
The Apple Music app will be undegoing a much needed makeover, with new features including Collaborative Playlists, Crossfade and a New Music Player design.
Collaborative Playlists - Apple users will be able to create and share collaborative playlists with friends. This means that if your on a roadtrip or hosting a game night, you can each add your favourite songs onto the playlist and also share reactions.
Crossfade - Crossfade is designed to ensure the transition between each of your songs are smooth and seamless. This new feature will remove those annoying gaps between songs on your playlist and ultimately create a better listening experience.
New Music Player - The iOS 17 update includes a larger album art view, a new playback bar and new gesture controls.
With iOS 17, you will be able to organise your browsing activity in Safari using profiles. By having profiles, you're able to seperate your personal browsing from your work or school browsing, allowing you to differentiate between projects and interests.
Source: Apple
If you're an avid traveller and find yourself jumping from hotel to hotel, then Apple AirPlay allows you to easily stream content from your iPhone or iPad to the TV in your hotel room. This is perfect if you can't find anything to watch or you have small children that just insist on watching their favourite YouTube show.
Apple has also included Siri updates. You no longer have to say "Hey, Siri" in order to converse with it, the upcoming iOS 17 update means you can communicate more naturally. You can also give back-to-back requests, for example, you can ask Siri to text a friend to let them know you're on your way and straight after ask it to remind to do an important task when you get home.
Visual Lookup use machine learning to identify objects and scenes using the chosen images within your camera roll. For example, you take a picture of a painting at a famous art gallery and you want to know more, Visual Lookup will identify this artwork and provide you with information about it such as the name, where it originates and who painted it. A notable enhancement also includes its ability to find similar recipes based on a picture in your iPhones photo album.
Source: Apple
Some news that many of us will be extremely happy to hear! iOS 17 will finally support Multiple Timers. As Apple users will know, the current iOS has been limited to setting one timer at a time, causing inconvenience for tasks like cooking where you need to set multiple timers for different ingredients. You can also name each timer to make it easier to identify but also keep track of them and they will be able to view on your lock screen.
The Health App has also undergone a few new changes that reflect overall health and well-being themes. You can now take standardised assessments by answering a set of questions about how your feeling. The app will then provide you with a PDF of your results which will include your current risk of depression and anxiety as well as access to crisis resources and articles. This information can be shared with whomever you choose.
With the iOS 17 update, you will also be able to log your medication and receive reminders for when you need to take your vitamins or supplements, providing a report of how consistent you are.
You will soon be able to get insight on your quality of sleep. For those of you who wake up feeling groggy and quite frankly, exhausted, then this will be of use to you. Your Apple Watch will show you your 3 stages of sleep and highlight how long you are sleeping within the REM, Core and Deep stages.
Apple is using the same TrueDepth camera that powers FaceID to provide the new Screen Distance feature within the Screen Time app. This feature will tell you whether your screen is too close to your eyes and will be great for those who spend long hours on their iPhones and also for young children who often get a little too invested in their games or YouTube videos.
Source: Apple
iOS 17 certainly has features that we believe will be much appreciated by Apple users and we're excited to see just how seamlessly integrated they will be across their selected devices. Are you excited for these iOS 17 features to become available this autumn?
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