iOS 17: New options, launch date, beta, and extra

iOS 17 was formally introduced at WWDC, marking Apple’s largest annual software program replace for iPhone customers. This yr, iOS 17 packs new options for Messages, FaceTime, and widgets. Head under for a roundup of our protection, new options, particulars on betas and launch dates, and extra.

iOS 17 betas

As of June, iOS 17 is accessible to developer beta testers solely, however there’s an enormous change to the developer beta testing course of this yr. In earlier customers, iOS developer betas had been solely accessible to registered builders who paid $99/yr. 

For iOS 17 this yr, Apple is making betas accessible to anybody who indicators up for a free developer account. No $99 annual subscription required. 

That being mentioned, we suggest continuing with warning. Apple says these are “developer” betas for a purpose. The iOS 17 beta has various bugs, efficiency points, and may have a huge impact in your battery life. Simply because the iOS 17 developer beta is accessible at no cost doesn’t imply you need to run to put in it. 

Someday this month, nevertheless, Apple will launch a public beta for iOS 17, which can nonetheless comprise bugs and quirks however to a lesser diploma than the developer betas.

When will iOS 17 be launched to everybody?

After beta testing has wrapped up, Apple will launch iOS 17 to most of the people. Based mostly on precedent, it will occur someday in September. Right here’s a rundown of earlier iOS replace launch dates in September:

• iOS 16: September 12, 2022
• iOS 15: September 20, 2021
• iOS 14: September 16, 2020
• iOS 13: September 19, 2019 
• iOS 12: September 17, 2018

As you’ll be able to see, Apple is fairly according to its iOS launch schedules. That’s why we anticipate iOS 17 to comply with the identical sample and be launched someday in mid-September.

iOS 17 supported units

Notably, iOS 17 requires the A12 Bionic chip or newer. Which means the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus – all of which had been first launched in 2017 – gained’t get the replace this yr. Right here’s the total rundown of iOS 17 supported units:

• iPhone XS and XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Professional and Professional Max
• iPhone 12 and 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Professional and Professional Max
• iPhone 13 and 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Professional and Professional Max
• iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max
• iPhone SE (2nd and third gen)

What’s new in iOS 17?

With the boring stuff out of the way in which, let’s dive into a number of the new options in iOS 17. Apple touts that the purpose of iOS 17 is to make your iPhone “extra private and intuitive,” and it has a wide selection of recent options to perform this.

iOS 17 features a new characteristic known as “Contact Posters,” which allows you to customise how your profile seems while you work together with different iPhone customers. You possibly can arrange your Contact Poster to incorporate profile photographs, particular typography and font colours, and way more.

For FaceTime audio and video calls, Apple has added assist for voicemails for the primary time. So in the event you name somebody, you’ll be able to depart a message for them to clarify why you had been calling. And after they name you, they will depart their very own voice mail.

Additionally for FaceTime, Apple has added a spread of recent Reactions. This contains issues like hearts, balloons, fireworks, laser beams, and rain. These results may be activated by sure gestures and are additionally appropriate with third-party apps.

iOS 17 additionally packs enhancements to AirDrop. For instance, NameDrop is a brand new AirDrop characteristic that allows you to to share your contact particulars with one other iPhone or Apple Watch consumer by merely bringing your units shut to one another. Moreover, by inserting two iPhones close to each other, you’ll be able to interact SharePlay for issues like video, music, and video games.

AirDrop additionally now helps tapping two telephones collectively to switch different content material from one gadget to the opposite, together with photographs, movies, and recordsdata. Moreover, later within the yr, AirDrop will introduce the flexibility to start out transferring massive recordsdata between two carefully situated telephones, with the completion of the switch taking place by way of iCloud.

The Music app has been revamped with assist for collaborative playlists and cross-fade (in the end). In CarPlay, the Music app now contains SharePlay assist to let anybody in your automotive have a say in what’s presently taking part in (in the event you’re courageous sufficient to permit such a factor).

One other tentpole change in iOS 17 is a main revamp of autocorrect, which Apple says will lastly allow you to say what you “ducking” wish to say. Powered by machine studying, the brand new autocorrect system learns from the way in which you kind, makes it simpler to right errors, and even auto-fills your phrases and sentences as you’re typing. Dictation has additionally been upgraded with a brand new speech recognition mannequin “to make it much more correct,” Apple says.

StandBy is likely one of the most notable adjustments for iPhone customers this yr. Whenever you place your iPhone horizontally on a charger, it’s going to present a brand new customized good show model interface with glanceable widgets for issues just like the time, calendar, alarms, and extra.

For followers of Residence Display screen widgets, iOS 17 features a massive replace with assist for interactive widgets. This implies now you can work together straight with widgets themselves, moderately than having to be taken on to the app itself. For instance, you’ll be able to work together with play and pause controls for the Music app widget proper in your iPhone’s Residence Display screen. At the side of this, Apple has additionally added Residence app widgets for the primary time as properly.

iOS 17 contains various Accessibility upgrades, equivalent to Assistive Entry. It is a new customizable interface that makes it simpler for customers with cognitive disabilities to make use of their iPhone. Private Voice provides customers vulnerable to speech loss, equivalent to these with ALS, the flexibility to create a voice that seems like theirs. Stay Speech is a brand new characteristic that provides nonspeaking customers the choice to kind and have their phrases spoken in individual, in cellphone calls, or in FaceTime calls.

The Messages app in iOS 17 can also be getting a significant increase with new options for stickers, reactions, and extra.

• The interface for iMessage apps has been overhauled with easy accessibility to issues just like the digital camera, the Pictures app, location sharing, GIFs, and extra.
• Audio messages are actually transcribed mechanically, so that you don’t must hearken to your good friend ramble for 2 minutes.
• Stickers have been revamped, with Apple turning all emoji into Stickers and permitting you to create your individual Stickers utilizing your individual photographs. Stickers can be utilized in Messages, as Tapbacks, and way more.
• The Messages app contains upgraded search performance with assist for search filters.
• It’s simpler to answer to a particular message by swiping proper on it, as a substitute of long-pressing.

Apple’s strong set of options of managing two-factor authentication codes can also be getting an improve with iOS 17. This yr, two-factor codes which might be despatched to Mail may also now assist auto-fill. The Messages app may also now mechanically delete 2FA textual content messages.

Combining the options of Messages and Discover My is a brand new characteristic known as Verify In, which Apple says is an “vital characteristic for when a consumer desires to inform a member of the family or good friend that they’ve made it to their vacation spot safely.” When Verify In is initiated, your good friend or member of the family will mechanically be notified while you arrive at your vacation spot. For those who’re not making progress to that vacation spot, iOS 17 will share info equivalent to your location, battery stage, and cell service standing with the opposite individual.

Stay Voicemail in iOS 17 allows you to see the real-time transcription as somebody leaves a voicemail, together with the flexibility to select up the decision whereas the individual is leaving their message. Calls recognized as spam by carriers gained’t seem as Stay Voicemail, and can as a substitute be immediately declined.

iOS 17 may also embrace a model new Journal app later this yr. Utilizing the Journal app, Apple says that iPhone customers may have a brand new method to “admire life and protect recollections.” The Journal app in iOS 17 will use machine studying to create options of moments that you just may wish to keep in mind. The app will immediate you to journal primarily based on issues like photographs, music, exercises, and extra.

Right here’s a rundown of much more adjustments in iOS 17 for iPhone customers this yr:

• New options for Personal Looking, together with the flexibility to lock tabs behind Face ID or Contact ID.
• Passwords and passkeys saved in iCloud Keychain can now be shared with family and friends.
• Apple Maps is including offline maps assist and real-time availability info for electrical automotive charging stations.
• The Well being app now affords strong psychological well being options, together with the flexibility to log your every day temper and momentary feelings.
• Display screen Distance is a brand new characteristic in iOS 17 that Apple says will assist scale back the chance of myopia for kids by ensuring youngsters aren’t holding their units too near their faces.
• AirTags can now be shared with as much as 5 different individuals. This additionally works with all different Discover My community equipment.
• AirPlay is smarter and now makes use of on-device intelligence to be taught extra about the way you work together with AirPlay-enabled units. Apple can also be working to broaden the provision of AirPlay at lodges, beginning with a partnership with LG.
• The Notes app now affords inner-note linking, so you’ll be able to hyperlink from one Apple Notice to a different.
• Siri can now be activated by merely saying “Siri,” moderately than “Hey Siri.”
• AirPods now supply Adaptive Audio, Personalised Quantity, Dialog Consciousness, and enhancements to Computerized Switching and name controls.
• Visible Look Up now works in movies, together with the flexibility to acknowledge new issues like meals, storefronts, indicators, symbols, and extra.
• The Reminders app can now mechanically group gadgets that you just add to your grocery record by classes, equivalent to fruits, greens, drinks, meats, and extra.
• The Pictures app can now acknowledge cats and canine as their very own individual. For example, in case you have two canine named Blake and Ruby, the Pictures app will mechanically separate the images for every of them into their very own albums.

Extra protection of iOS 17