Apple’s newest cellular working system affords iPhone customers nice new productiveness instruments, apps and system options that concentrate on enhancing communication, sharing content material and inputting knowledge extra successfully.
Let’s discover every part you should learn about iOS 17 together with options, launch date and easy methods to get the beta launch.
Soar to:
What’s iOS 17?
iOS 17 is the seventeenth iteration of the cellular working system Apple releases for distribution on iPhone fashions. This new model of iOS contains options for enterprise customers, enterprise clients, builders and shoppers; examples embody the flexibility to higher handle contacts, FaceTime options, AirPlay and content-sharing options, and privacy-related options.
iOS 17 was introduced on June 5, 2023, in the course of the Apple WWDC keynote handle.
SEE: Earlier iterations of iOS in these TechRepublic cheat sheets: iOS 16, iOS 15, iOS 14, iOS 13.
What’s the launch date for iOS 17?
iOS 17 will likely be launched September 18, 2023.
Is there an iOS 17 beta launch?
Apple launched a developer beta of iOS 17 for registered builders on June 5, 2023. Builders can obtain the iOS 17 beta from the Apple Developer web site.
A public beta of iOS 17 for non-developers is now accessible within the Apple Beta Software program Program.
How do I obtain and set up iOS 17?
Non-developer customers within the beta program can carry out the next steps:
- Join the Apple Beta Software program Program.
- Enroll your gadget (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, HomePod mini, HomePod (2nd technology) or Apple Watch).
- In your gadget, go to the Settings app | Basic | Software program Replace.
- Choose the iOS Public Beta within the Beta Updates part.
The iOS 17 for builders ought to solely be put in on development-specific {hardware} as a result of options might not be absolutely carried out at the moment, and bugs are frequent in beta releases. Utilizing 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 growth gadgets. Observe: 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.
- Choose Downloads after which iOS 17.
- Obtain the profile, and AirDrop it to your iPhone, or carry out steps one and two in your gadget.
- Set up the profile onto your iPhone, after which, restart when prompted.
- After restarting, navigate to the Settings app | Basic | Software program Replace. You’ll get a immediate to obtain and set up the most recent model of the iOS 17 beta.
Macs or PCs working iOS16.3 or earlier may have a number of further steps: see Apple’s information for extra particulars.
What gadgets are suitable with iOS 17?
iOS 17 will likely be suitable with the next iPhone fashions:
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Professional
- iPhone 15 Professional Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Professional
- iPhone 14 Professional Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Professional
- iPhone 13 Professional Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Professional
- iPhone 12 Professional Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Professional
- iPhone 11 Professional Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone SE (2nd technology or later)
Units not listed right here is not going to obtain characteristic updates contained in iOS 17 and can solely obtain choose updates for safety for older iOS variations. Most notably, iOS 17 is not going to be suitable with the iPhone 8, which is a long-time enterprise-issued gadget.
What new options can be found in iOS 17?
Telephone app
For the reason that inception of the iPhone’s Telephone app, it has remained comparatively unchanged. In iOS 17, it contains a whole lot of new options, corresponding to the flexibility to set a profile image and customise it for what exhibits up on different gadgets whenever you name them (Determine A).
Determine A
As well as, you’ll be able to display callers with the Stay Voicemail characteristic, permitting you to see on the display a dictation of what the caller says in the course of the voicemail recording and letting you choose up and take the decision whereas the caller is recording their voicemail.
Messages
For a lot of iPhone customers, Messages is essentially the most used app on their gadget. New options on this app (Determine B) mean you can 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.
Determine B
As well as, in case you choose to make use of voice messages within the iMessage characteristic, these voice messages will now be transcribed inline, permitting for higher searchability and the flexibility to learn a voice message as a substitute of needing to take heed to it.
FaceTime
FaceTime is receiving a giant overhaul in iOS 17. In FaceTime, you’ll get the choice to go away a video voicemail for a consumer once they’re unavailable. Additionally, 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. That is nice whenever you need to give a fast thumbs-up and have it known 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 gadgets within the widget to work together with the apps they’re linked to with out opening the app; this may make interactivity with widgets significantly better and improve their usefulness for a lot of apps.
Apple launched a brand new means to make use of your iPhone whereas it’s charging or simply sitting in your desk with a brand new characteristic known as Standby (Determine C). This characteristic helps you to rotate your iPhone whereas it’s charging to see an interactive view of your calendar, widgets, clock and extra.
Determine C
Standby can flip your iPhone into a sensible home-style display without spending a dime and add a whole lot of helpful options when it could in any other case simply be charging and never in use, making for excellent glanceable interfaces whereas working, driving or at evening whereas charging your gadget.
AirDrop and NameDrop
AirDrop obtained a significant replace after a number of modifications to this technique over the course of the earlier 12 months. AirDrop in iOS 17 will allow customers to share knowledge between iPhones or Apple Watches with ease by merely tapping their gadgets collectively (Determine D).
Determine D
A brand new characteristic known as NameDrop will allow two customers to simply share their contact info (or a subset of contact knowledge chosen by every consumer) by merely tapping their iPhones collectively. As well as, AirDrop will enable customers to start out a switch, then go away AirDrop vary and nonetheless proceed transferring knowledge between gadgets over the web securely and privately.
SEE: Easy methods 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 right. Autocorrected phrases will seem with an underline, permitting you to faucet the phrase to revert to the non-autocorrected phrase as a substitute.
As well as, new predictive typing will recommend phrases as you kind, and urgent the spacebar will settle for the phrase or phrase suggestion and insert it routinely as you kind, making for a lot quicker typing whereas on the go on iPhone and iOS 17.
AirPlay
AirPlay’s replace in iOS 17 will enable the system to routinely advocate content material to be AirPlayed over time (Determine E). This characteristic, coupled with the flexibility for Apple TV to show a QR code to attach simply, implies that sharing content material by way of AirPlay for conferences and shows will likely be simpler than ever.
Determine E
PDFs and Notes
Apple is baking new PDF enhancing capabilities into iOS 17, making it simpler to fill out PDFs that you simply’ve obtained by e-mail or message or scanned in by way of Notes. PDFs will likely be scanned by built-in machine studying expertise to seek out areas that should be crammed out, permitting you to simply tab by way of 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.
Privateness and safety
In iOS 17, Apple has up to date the next privateness and safety features, persevering with to make it some of the safe cellular working programs on this planet:
- Photographs in Messages which might be believed to be delicate primarily based on a number of standards are suppressed.
- Select which photographs to share from inside an app whereas conserving the remainder of your Pictures library non-public, and permit an app so as to add an occasion in Calendar with out with the ability to view your info.
- Lockdown Mode helps you to defend your iPhone in opposition to cyberattacks.
- Non-public Internet Shopping in Safari locks down the app much more and prevents your non-public knowledge from leaking to advertisers or different net trackers.
Passkeys and passwords
Final 12 months, Apple launched passkeys as a technique to scale back the necessity for passwords and make securing your on-line accounts extra seamless and digitally safe. This 12 months, Apple has added the flexibility to share your passwords and passkeys with different iCloud customers proper from the Settings app.
Choose 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 too can 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. That is nice for firm or household password sharing for web sites and accounts which might be accessed by a number of folks by way of a single account.
Different notable options of iOS 17
- SMS autofill of one-time verification codes is coming to Mail. Once you obtain a one-time verification code by way of Apple Mail, it will likely be routinely accessible to autofill as properly.
- An AirPods replace in iOS 17 will enable for adaptive audio that may allow voices, bells and different necessary environmental noises to cross by way of whereas conserving out interruptive noises.
- PDF paperwork may be seen and marked within Apple Notes, and PDFs may 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 may be grouped and sorted into classes, making it simpler to prepare in your desire.
- FindMy permits for sharing AirTag and Discover My Equipment with as much as 5 extra folks, so that you’ll by no means lose your keys once more.
- Pictures 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 extra instruments like a watercolor brush, calligraphy pen, highlighter, variable-width pen and ruler that can be utilized within the brainstorming app.
- Dwelling app exercise historical past will allow you to see per accent the historical past of who unlocked the door and extra.
- Assistive Entry distills apps and experiences to solely important options to help these with cognitive disabilities.
- Private Voice helps folks with speech loss create a voice that feels like them and use it with Stay Speech to speak in calls and conversations.
- The Level and Converse accessibility characteristic makes it simpler for folks with imaginative and prescient disabilities to work together with bodily objects which have textual content labels.
- Visible Lookup helps you to level your digital camera at an object to seek out extra details about it, corresponding to what plant or meals your digital camera 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.
