Apple has released iOS 17, a major update focused on improving communication across Phone, FaceTime, and messages. It includes an upgraded AirDrop for easier file sharing, improved autocorrect, & Journal & StandBy for a more personalized experience. The public beta was released in July & it is now available to everyone with a compatible iPhone.

Improvements to the Phone Experience

The Phone app on iPhone has been updated with personalized Contact Posters, Live Voicemail, and spam call auto-decline features. Users can customize their appearance when receiving calls with photos or Memoji & different fonts & colors. Voicemails are transcribed in real-time & spam calls are blocked thanks to the Neural Engine.

FaceTime has added new features, such as audio & video message reactions, & is now accessible on Apple TV.

FaceTime now supports audio & video messages & reactions, as well as third-party video calling apps, & Apple TV 4K has been updated to allow for direct calls from the TV. Additionally, Center Stage keeps users framed during calls even if they move around the room.

A New Appearance & Significant Changes to Messaging

iOS 17’s Messages app has been upgraded with new features such as emoji stickers, Live Stickers, a sticker drawer, filters, catch-up arrow, location sharing, audio messages, & a Check-In feature for secure notifications.

Sharing Made Easier with AirDrop & NameDrop

AirDrop has been improved in iOS 17 with the introduction of NameDrop & SharePlay, which allow users to quickly & easily share contact information & enjoy activities such as listening to music, watching movies, & playing games together.

Autocorrect and dictation are Becoming More Intelligent with Improvements

Autocorrect has been upgraded with a transformer language model, which makes typing easier & can fix more types of grammatical mistakes. It also offers word predictions & has improved dictation accuracy through a new speech recognition model.

When your iPhone is charging, StandBy shows quick, easy-to-read information

iOS 17 introduces StandBy, a full-screen experience personalized with clock styles, favorite photos, widgets, and live Activities, which can be used while the iPhone is on its side & charging. It also supports Siri, incoming calls, & larger notifications. MagSafe charging can remember the user’s preferred view, & it can be accessed by tapping the screen or via the Always-On display on the iPhone 14 Pro.

Journaling to Appreciate Life’s Moments

Journal is an iPhone app that helps users reflect & practice gratitude to improve their wellbeing. It provides personalized suggestions, scheduled alerts, & privacy protection to ensure user security. Developers can also use the Journal Suggestions API to add suggestions to their own apps.

iOS 17 includes additional features

  • Safari’s Private Browsing mode provides enhanced privacy by blocking websites from tracking or identifying your device & automatically locking when not in use to keep open tabs secure.
  • Users can securely share passwords with trusted contacts using iCloud Keychain, which is end-to-end encrypted & allows them to add & edit passwords.
  • The Health app offers users the ability to track their mental health by logging moods & emotions, taking depression & anxiety assessments, & using Screen Distance in Screen Time to reduce the risk of myopia & digital eye strain.
  • Google Maps now allows users to download certain areas for offline use, featuring turn-by-turn navigation, estimated time of arrival, & places to visit. It also offers Access to thousands of trails in parks across the US, as well as real-time charging information for electric vehicle drivers.
  • AirTag enables up to five people to use Find My to track an item’s location, play a sound, or use Precision Finding to locate it when nearby. This feature works with all other items connected to the Find My network.
  • Apple Music’s Collaborative Playlists & SharePlay feature makes it simple to share music with friends, both in & out of the car. Even without an Apple Music subscription, users can control the music from their devices.
  • AirPlay is set to launch before the end of the year & will allow travelers to watch their favorite content on hotel TVs. It is designed with privacy & security in mind & will be available at select IHG Hotels & Resorts.
  • AirPods have been upgraded with features to give users a more personalized audio experience, such as Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume, Conversation Awareness, Automatic Switching, & improved call controls.
  • The Home app now allows users to view their activity history & use two HomeKit features, tap to unlock & PIN codes, for up to 30 days on door locks, garage doors, alarm systems, & contact sensors. Matter-compatible locks are also supported.
  • Reminders provides a customizable grocery list that groups items into categories for easier shopping.
  • Visual Look Up now allows users to recognize food, storefronts, signs, & symbols in paused video frames and extract individual subjects from photos & videos.
  • To use Siri, say “Siri” to activate it & then give it commands without needing to reactivate.
  • The Photos app uses technology on your device to automatically identify photos of people, cats, & dogs in the People album.
  • Apple’s Communication Safety update protects children when sending & receiving media content through AirDrop, Contact Posters, FaceTime messages & Photos picker. It includes a Sensitive Content Warning feature that alerts adults of inappropriate nudity in images & videos, with all processing taking place locally, so Apple does not have Access to the content.
  • Assistive Access on iPhone allows users with cognitive disabilities to use the phone independently, with features such as Live Speech, Personal Voice, & Point & Speak.