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

iOS 17 was formally introduced at WWDC, marking Apple’s greatest annual software program replace for iPhone customers. This yr, iOS 17 packs new options for Messages, FaceTime, and widgets. Head beneath 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 a giant change to the developer beta testing course of this yr. In earlier customers, iOS developer betas had been solely out there to registered builders who paid $99/yr. 

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

That being stated, we advocate continuing with warning. Apple says these are “developer” betas for a purpose. The iOS 17 beta has plenty of bugs, efficiency points, and could have a big effect in your battery life. Simply because the iOS 17 developer beta is accessible without spending a dime doesn’t imply you need to run to put in it. 

Someday this month, nonetheless, 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 people. Based mostly on precedent, this can 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 possibly can see, Apple is fairly in keeping with its iOS launch schedules. That’s why we count on iOS 17 to observe the identical sample and be launched someday in mid-September.

iOS 17 supported gadgets

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 – received’t get the replace this yr. Right here’s the total rundown of iOS 17 supported gadgets:

• 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 among the new options in iOS 17. Apple touts that the goal of iOS 17 is to make your iPhone “extra private and intuitive,” and it has a big selection of recent options to perform this.

iOS 17 features a new characteristic known as “Contact Posters,” which allows you to customize how your profile appears if 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 for those who name somebody, you possibly can go away a message for them to elucidate why you had been calling. And after they name you, they’ll go away their very own voice mail.

Additionally for FaceTime, Apple has added a range of recent Reactions. This contains issues like hearts, balloons, fireworks, laser beams, and rain. These results might be activated by sure gestures and are additionally suitable 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 gadgets shut to one another. Moreover, by putting two iPhones close to each other, you possibly can 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 machine to the opposite, together with photographs, movies, and recordsdata. Moreover, later within the yr, AirDrop will introduce the power to start out transferring giant recordsdata between two carefully situated telephones, with the completion of the switch occurring through iCloud.

The Music app has been revamped with assist for collaborative playlists and cross-fade (in the end). In CarPlay, the Music app now includes SharePlay assist to let anybody in your automotive have a say in what’s at present taking part in (for those who’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” need to say. Powered by machine studying, the brand new autocorrect system learns from the way in which you kind, makes it simpler to appropriate 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 modifications for iPhone customers this yr. While you place your iPhone horizontally on a charger, it should present a brand new customized good show fashion interface with glanceable widgets for issues just like the time, calendar, alarms, and extra.

For followers of House Display screen widgets, iOS 17 features a large replace with assist for interactive widgets. This implies now you can work together immediately with widgets themselves, reasonably than having to be taken on to the app itself. For instance, you possibly can work together with play and pause controls for the Music app widget proper in your iPhone’s House Display screen. At the side of this, Apple has additionally added Home app widgets for the first time as well.

iOS 17 features a number of Accessibility upgrades, similar to Assistive Entry. This can be a new customizable interface that makes it simpler for customers with cognitive disabilities to make use of their iPhone. Private Voice provides customers prone to speech loss, similar to these with ALS, the power to create a voice that feels like theirs. Reside Speech is a brand new characteristic that gives nonspeaking customers the choice to kind and have their phrases spoken in particular person, in telephone calls, or in FaceTime calls.

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

• The interface for iMessage apps has been overhauled with quick access to issues just like the digital camera, the Photographs app, location sharing, GIFs, and extra.
• Audio messages at the moment are transcribed routinely, so that you don’t should take heed 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 selected message by swiping proper on it, as an alternative of long-pressing.

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

Combining the options of Messages and Discover My is a brand new characteristic known as Examine In, which Apple says is an “essential 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 Examine In is initiated, your good friend or member of the family will routinely be notified if you arrive at your vacation spot. In the event you’re not making progress to that vacation spot, iOS 17 will share data similar to your location, battery stage, and cell service standing with the opposite particular person.

Live Voicemail in iOS 17 allows you to see the real-time transcription as somebody leaves a voicemail, together with the power to select up the decision whereas the particular person is leaving their message. Calls recognized as spam by carriers received’t seem as Reside Voicemail, and can as an alternative be immediately declined.

iOS 17 will even embody a model new Journal app later this yr. Utilizing the Journal app, Apple says that iPhone customers could have a brand new approach to “admire life and protect reminiscences.” The Journal app in iOS 17 will use machine studying to create recommendations of moments that you just would possibly need to keep in mind. The app will immediate you to journal based mostly on issues like photographs, music, exercises, and extra.

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

• New options for Personal Searching, together with the power 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 data for electrical automotive charging stations.
• The Well being app now gives sturdy psychological well being options, together with the power to log your every day temper and momentary feelings.
• Display screen Distance is a new feature in iOS 17 that Apple says will assist scale back the chance of myopia for youngsters by ensuring children aren’t holding their gadgets too near their faces.
• AirTags can now be shared with as much as 5 different folks. This additionally works with all different Discover My community equipment.
• AirPlay is smarter and now makes use of on-device intelligence to study extra about the way you work together with AirPlay-enabled gadgets. Apple can also be working to develop the supply of AirPlay at motels, beginning with a partnership with LG.
• The Notes app now offers inner-note linking, so you possibly can hyperlink from one Apple Be aware to a different.
• Siri can now be activated by merely saying “Siri,” reasonably than “Hey Siri.”
• AirPods now supply Adaptive Audio, Customized Quantity, Dialog Consciousness, and enhancements to Automated Switching and name controls.
• Visible Look Up now works in movies, together with the power to acknowledge new issues like meals, storefronts, indicators, symbols, and extra.
• The Reminders app can now routinely group gadgets that you just add to your grocery listing by classes, similar to fruits, greens, drinks, meats, and extra.
• The Photographs app can now acknowledge cats and canine as their very own particular person. For example, if in case you have two canine named Blake and Ruby, the Photographs app will routinely separate the images for every of them into their very own albums.

Extra protection of iOS 17