iOS 17. Image: Apple, Inc.
While Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote on Monday showcased the buzzworthy Vision Pro augmented actuality headset, the announcement of iOS 17 shouldn’t be missed. This replace to Apple’s newest cell working system presents iPhone customers nice new options that concentrate on enhancing communication, sharing content material and including clever enter options.
Let’s discover all the pieces you could find out about iOS 17 together with options, launch date and learn how to get the beta launch.
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What is iOS 17?
iOS 17 is the seventeenth iteration of the cell working system Apple releases for distribution on iPhone fashions. This new model of iOS contains options for enterprise customers, enterprise clients, builders and customers; examples embody the power to higher handle contacts, FaceTime options, AirPlay and content-sharing options, and privacy-related options.
iOS 17 was introduced on June 5, 2023, throughout the Apple WWDC keynote deal with.
SEE: Previous iterations of iOS in these TechRepublic cheat sheets: iOS 16, iOS 15, iOS 14, iOS 13.
What is the discharge date for iOS 17?
The precise launch date for iOS 17 is just not publicly recognized, although the complete launch is slated for Fall 2023. If custom holds, we must always anticipate iOS 17 to be launched in roughly September 2023, maybe coinciding with the discharge of latest iPhone {hardware}.
Is there an iOS 17 beta launch?
Apple launched a developer beta of iOS 17 for registered builders on June 5, 2023. Developers can register for the beta and obtain it from the Apple Developer web site.
A public beta of iOS 17 for non-developers shall be made out there by AppleSeed in July 2023 for set up on non-developer gadgets.
How do I obtain and set up iOS 17?
As of June 5, 2023, solely registered Apple builders might obtain and set up iOS 17 on their gadgets.
iOS 17 ought to solely be put in on development-specific {hardware} as a result of options might not be absolutely applied right now, and bugs are frequent in beta releases. Using this beta on manufacturing accounts and gadgets might lead to knowledge loss.
Registered builders ought to observe these steps to obtain and set up the iOS 17 beta on improvement gadgets. Note: Apple requires that any gadget the beta is put in on is a part of the Apple Developer Program.
Log into your Apple Developer account.
Select Downloads after which iOS 17.
Download the profile, and AirDrop it to your iPhone, or carry out steps one and two in your gadget.
Install the profile onto your iPhone, after which, restart when prompted.
After restarting, navigate to the Settings app | General | Software Update. You will get a immediate to obtain and set up the newest model of the iOS 17 beta.
What gadgets are appropriate with iOS 17?
iOS 17 shall be appropriate with the next iPhone fashions:
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone SE (2nd technology or later)
Devices not listed right here won’t obtain characteristic updates contained in iOS 17 and can solely obtain choose updates for safety for older iOS variations. Most notably, iOS 17 won’t be appropriate with the iPhone 8, which is a long-time enterprise-issued gadget.
What new options can be found in iOS 17?
Phone app
Since the inception of the iPhone’s Phone app, it has remained comparatively unchanged. In iOS 17, it contains a variety of new options, corresponding to the power to set a profile image and customise it for what exhibits up on different gadgets if you name them (Figure A).
Figure A
Phone app in iOS 17. Image: Apple, Inc.
In addition, you’ll be able to display screen callers with the Live Voicemail characteristic, permitting you to see on the display screen a dictation of what the caller says throughout the voicemail recording and letting you decide up and take the decision whereas the caller is recording their voicemail.
Messages
For many iPhone customers, Messages is probably the most used app on their gadget. New options on this app (Figure B) assist you to extra seamlessly use iMessage apps to combine with messages, search with filters that allow you to refine searches to a specific contact and context, or catch up extra successfully in a gaggle chat by leaping to the final unread message.
Figure B
Messages app in iOS 17. Image: Apple, Inc.
In addition, in the event you want to make use of voice messages within the iMessage characteristic, these voice messages will now be transcribed inline, permitting for higher searchability and the power to learn a voice message as an alternative of needing to hearken to it.
FaceTime
FaceTime is receiving a giant overhaul in iOS 17. In FaceTime, you’ll get the choice to depart a video voicemail for a person after they’re unavailable. Also, whereas on a FaceTime name, it is possible for you to to carry out hand gestures in addition to react with 3D results within the video. This is nice if you wish to give a fast thumbs-up and have it referred to as out extra prominently throughout a gathering.
Widgets and Standby characteristic
Apple has up to date widgets in iOS 17, so they’re interactive. Plus, it is possible for you to to faucet objects within the widget to work together with the apps they’re related to with out opening the app; it will make interactivity with widgets a lot better and improve their usefulness for a lot of apps.
Apple launched a brand new manner to make use of your iPhone whereas it’s charging or simply sitting in your desk with a brand new characteristic referred to as Standby (Figure C). This characteristic allows you to rotate your iPhone whereas it’s charging to see an interactive view of your calendar, widgets, clock and extra.
Figure C
Standby characteristic in iOS 17. Image: Apple, Inc.
Standby can flip your iPhone into a wise home-style display screen without spending a dime and add a variety of helpful options when it will in any other case simply be charging and never in use, making for nice glanceable interfaces whereas working, driving or at evening whereas charging your gadget.
AirDrop and NameDrop
AirDrop obtained a serious replace after a number of adjustments to this technique over the course of the earlier yr. AirDrop in iOS 17 will allow customers to share knowledge between iPhones or Apple Watches with ease by merely tapping their gadgets collectively (Figure D).
Figure D
AirDrop in iOS 17. Image: Apple, Inc.
A brand new characteristic referred to as NameDrop will allow two customers to simply share their contact info (or a subset of contact knowledge chosen by every person) by merely tapping their iPhones collectively. In addition, AirDrop will enable customers to begin a switch, then go away AirDrop vary and nonetheless proceed transferring knowledge between gadgets over the web securely and privately.
SEE: How to restrict AirDrop spam in iOS 16.2
Keyboard enhancements
Apple notes that iOS 17 has substantial keyboard enhancements that make for a greater typing expertise for iPhone customers.
Autocorrect is more practical at discovering and changing misspelled phrases and being extra intentional about which phrases to appropriate. Autocorrected phrases will seem with an underline, permitting you to faucet the phrase to revert to the non-autocorrected phrase as an alternative.
In addition, new predictive typing will recommend phrases as you kind, and urgent the spacebar will settle for the phrase or phrase suggestion and insert it robotically as you kind, making for a lot quicker typing whereas on the go on iPhone and iOS 17.
Passkeys and passwords
Last yr, Apple launched passkeys as a option to cut back the necessity for passwords and make securing your on-line accounts extra seamless and digitally safe. This yr, Apple has added the power to share your passwords and passkeys with different iCloud customers proper from the Settings app.
Select Settings | Passwords, after which, faucet a password you’d wish to share. This presents an choice to share the password or passkey with others.
You can even create teams of passwords to share with trusted contacts, and when these passwords change or replace, they’ll all obtain the up to date password. This is nice for firm or household password sharing for web sites and accounts which can be accessed by a number of individuals by a single account.
AirPlay
AirPlay’s replace in iOS 17 will enable the system to robotically advocate content material to be AirPlayed over time (Figure E). This characteristic, coupled with the power for Apple TV to show a QR code to attach simply, signifies that sharing content material by way of AirPlay for conferences and displays shall be simpler than ever.
Figure E
AirPlay in iOS 17. Image: Apple, Inc.
PDFs and Notes
Apple is baking new PDF modifying capabilities into iOS 17, making it simpler to fill out PDFs that you just’ve obtained by e mail or message or scanned in by Notes. PDFs shall be scanned by built-in machine studying expertise to seek out areas that have to be stuffed out, permitting you to simply tab by a doc and kind in knowledge that must be inputted. Then, you’ll be able to signal and date paperwork utilizing your saved signatures from iPad utilizing Apple Pencil or macOS.
Privacy and safety
In iOS 17, Apple has up to date the next privateness and safety features, persevering with to make it one of the safe cell working techniques on the earth:
Images in Messages which can be believed to be delicate primarily based on a number of standards are suppressed.
Choose which photographs to share from inside an app whereas preserving the remainder of your Photos library non-public, and permit an app so as to add an occasion in Calendar with out having the ability to view your info.
Lockdown Mode allows you to shield your iPhone towards cyberattacks.
Private Web Browsing in Safari locks down the app much more and prevents your non-public knowledge from leaking to advertisers or different internet trackers.
Other notable options in iOS 17
SMS autofill of one-time verification codes is coming to Mail. When you obtain a one-time verification code by Apple Mail, it will likely be robotically out there to autofill as nicely.
An AirPods replace in iOS 17 will enable for adaptive audio that may allow voices, bells and different essential environmental noises to go by whereas preserving out interruptive noises.
PDF paperwork might be considered and marked within Apple Notes, and PDFs might be organized within notes far more effectively.
Apple Notes can comprise hyperlinks to different notes or lists, so you’ll be able to create indexable notes with hyperlinks out to different notes for higher readability and group.
Reminders might be grouped and sorted into classes, making it simpler to prepare to your choice.
FindMy permits for sharing AirTag and Find My Accessories with as much as 5 further individuals, so that you’ll by no means lose your keys once more.
Photos can acknowledge not solely photos of individuals but in addition pets. Apple is beginning with cats and canine for this pet recognition characteristic.
Freeform is being up to date with further instruments like a watercolor brush, calligraphy pen, highlighter, variable-width pen and ruler that can be utilized within the brainstorming app.
Home app exercise historical past will allow you to see per accent the historical past of who unlocked the door and extra.
Assistive Access distills apps and experiences to solely important options to assist these with cognitive disabilities.
Personal Voice helps individuals with speech loss create a voice that seems like them and use it with Live Speech to speak in calls and conversations.
The Point and Speak accessibility characteristic makes it simpler for individuals with imaginative and prescient disabilities to work together with bodily objects which have textual content labels.
Visual Lookup allows you to level your digicam at an object to seek out extra details about it, corresponding to what plant or meals your digicam is at the moment viewing.
Maps can obtain offline map knowledge, view path info and present electrical automobile charging choices with real-time charging stall info.