IOS 17 is an upcoming software update due to be released this Autumn. I’ve been lucky enough to check it out early before the update comes out, so in this post, I’m going to summarise everything you’ll get with it, while also reviewing how good it is, and telling you some of my thoughts.
Phone
The first new thing you get as part of the new phone experience is the ability to set up a Contact Phone Poster, which will come up on another user’s phone any time you call them.
You can do this by opening the phone app, and then by tapping your card, which will be in its usual space at the top of your iPhone.
If you’ve set up a contact poster before, you’ll find an option called ‘create new’ by swiping to the side, but if you haven’t set one up before, you’ll just see a blank screen with your name and options for anything you want to add to it at the bottom, including your camera, photos, Memojis and Monograms.
To add a photo or a Memoji or to opt for your monogram, you just simply have to tap whichever one of them you want, and add in anything you want.
If you’d like to change the colour of the text your name is spelt out in, you just have to tap the text, and then a pallet with different colours on it will come up. After you tap each colour, you can change the shade of it by sliding the white circle at the end back.
You can also change the style of your text this way, by just tapping on the text you want to change.
As soon as you’re happy with your customisation, just hit done.
So as you can tell, it is extremely easy to set up a contact poster. However, I would like it even more if you could change your name on the contact poster, so that if you prefer a shortened version of your name, you can use that.
Messages
There’s quite a number of exciting new messaging features being introduced, which I’ll go through now.
By tapping the new plus button at the side of your messages before you write it, you’ll be able to find all your iMessage apps in one place. And if you want to find something else that is further down, you can find it by just swiping up.
There’s a new feature, however, that you’ll find buried inside that list, which includes a new feature called Check In.
Check In basically lets you check in on a friend or family member, so you will be notified when your family member or friend has reached their destination. You can set this up in iMessage then your friend or family member will tell you where they are going on their side. Check In will automatically notify you once they meet their destination.
Other new messages features include:
- A new catch-up arrow that lets you jump to the first message you haven’t seen in a conversation.
- Improved search filters that help you find messages you’re looking for faster.
- A new way to share your location with others.
- The ability to read audio message transcriptions, with the words recorded in a voice note typed out in grey under it.
Using your photos to create live stickers
Another update coming to iOS 17 is the ability to turn any Live Photo into a sticker, although you can currently only do this in iMessage.
To do this, all you’ll have to do is open Messages, and then find the person you want to text.
As soon as you’ve found whoever you want to text, you’ll just have to tap the + button, and as soon as the menu is open, scroll down until you find Stickers.
Tap stickers, then scroll over until you find the option beside your recently used icon, which looks like a bowl that has been turned on its side.
If you haven’t made any stickers before, this screen will just say ‘No Stickers’, but basically the only thing you’ll have to tap now is the blue option that says ‘New Sticker’.
You will then be brought over to your photo library, and from here, you can choose any Live Photo you want.
Select a photo then hit next, then all you’ll have to do is hit add sticker.
FaceTime
The new version of FaceTime include a bunch of amazing new features, starting with a feature that lets you record a video or audio message in case someone misses your FaceTime call, similar to how an old answering machine used to work (though a lot of people alive now won’t have any memories of that).
As well as this, you’ll also be able to use your iPhone as a camera and start a call directly from the FaceTime app on an Apple TV, or alternatively, you can hand off the call from your iPhone to your TV.
And similar to the version of FaceTime that comes with iOS Sonoma, you can add reactions to a FaceTime call or other by just using your hands. However, this is something that I still have mixed feelings about, as there should also be digital ways of adding reactions and other effects digitally if you can’t move your arms.
StandBy
Those of you who have an iPhone 14 will be lucky enough to have access to StandBy, which makes your phone even more useful when you set it down or charge it on its side.
With features such as a clock face. Live Activities in full screen which help you stay on top of things as they happen, and the ability to see Siri results at a glance, you’ll be able to display your iPhone as if it’s a seriously powerful alarm clock, since the iPhone 14 has the Always On Display.
Interactive Widgets
With Interactive Widgets having now made their way over to the iPhone, you can now play music, play your favourite radio programme, turn on / off the lights and a whole lot more, directly from a widget.
AirDrop
The days are gone when you could only share your number, or a PDF or document with someone else by sending them an email or message, now that Airdrop has been advanced so much.
Now, if you want to give your number to anyone or share a document or PDF, you just have to hold your iPhone near someone else’s and it will share in seconds.
However, this won’t unfortunately work if you want to give your number to someone with an Android phone, in which case you’ll have to share everything the same way we have for ages.
This is something I hope can be sorted soon since there’s a lot of people who look after me and who seem to be quite attracted to becoming friends with me that prefer to use Android devices and refuse to turn towards Apple no matter how many times I try to force them into doing it, so being able to share your phone number or a document or a PDF with Android users in the same way as you can do with iPhone users, might be useful.
Journal
Journal is an all new app that sounds just like what it’s meant to be, as according to Apple, it’s an app ‘for appreciating life’s moments and preserving your memories’.
Using on-device machine learning, your iPhone will create personalised suggestions of moments for you to remember, based on your photos, music, workouts etc.
Keyboard
Similar to the keyboard features covered in my MacOS Sonoma blog, autocorrect has also been greatly improved on the iPhone.
Like Sonoma, autocorrected words will be temporally underlined so you know what’s been changed, and you can also still revert back to the original word, except in this case, it’s with a tap.
Another feature that the phone also gets which the Mac and the iPad have is predictions of what you’re typing appearing as you type, but instead of clicking enter or clicking the trackpad to finish the sentence, you’ll just have to tap the space bar.
Safari and Passwords
You’ll also have the ability to create a profile so you can separate your browsing into topics within different profiles, exactly the same as the version that is coming to Mac. It’s also extremely easy to switch between profiles as you browse, so hopefully this is something that will help people enjoy private browsing without wasting money on VPNs.
But also, Private Browsing now locks your private windows when you’re not using them, completely blocks known trackers from loading on pages and removes tracking added to URLs as you browse.
And Safari is also more responsive in this version and shows easier-to-read and more relevant suggestions.
You also get a couple of features as well that will be more useful to some than they will be for others, one of which includes password and passkey sharing.
You’ll also be able to autofill verification codes received in Mail.
Music
Yet again, the new features coming to Music will be more useful to some people than they will be in others, so I’ll lay them all out here anyway.
SharePlay in the most up to date cars makes it easier for everyone to control music together, even passengers in the back seat.
You can also collaborate on playlists and invite friends to join your playlists, even to the extent that they can add, reorder and remove songs, while also using emojis to react to song choices in Now Playing.
However, while there will be a lot of people who will be happy with this and who will have good experiences sharing their technologies with others around them, I think there will be a lot of people who will be wary of doing this with people around them, especially children.
AirPlay
Devices will be able to learn your AirPlay preferences over time, thanks to on-device intelligence.
However, starting later this year AirPlay will be available in supporting hotel rooms, and all you’ll have to do to use it is to scan the QR code on the tv in your hotel room.
Maps
It’s now possible for you to download maps offline and explore it while offline.
Not only this, but you can also view information such as opening hours and ratings, as well as getting turn-by-turn directions for driving, walking, cycling or for taking public transport.
Another feature you’ll get access to is enhanced electric vehicle routing, which will help those with electric cars see real-time charging stations that are available along your route.
Siri
You can now use Siri by just saying “Siri” instead of having to say “Hey Siri”, although you still have the option to use the old saying and choose to use it instead of the new one.
Spotlight
Apple’s spotlight feature has been advanced to let you type an app and to include actions after it, such as “Open”.
Visual look up
With visual look up, you can look up what you’ve just lifted from a photo by pressing on it until the callout menu comes up and by tapping look up.
You can also use it to identify plants, animals, landmarks and more, and it even works with videos.
Health App
The health app now includes features that can help with mental health and vision health, with the vision health part even telling children when they’re holding their phone too close to their face and to move it away.
Privacy and Security
Like MacOS Sonoma, you now have the option to blur sensitive photos and videos before you view them, and communication safety now includes protections for sensitive photos / videos.
This will be available when viewing:
- Messages
- AirDrop
- Contact Posters
- FaceTime Messages, and;
- Third-Party apps
Conclusion
I’ve been busy recently so I haven’t managed to try out everything you get on iOS 17 — plus I don’t have everything that is required to try it out — but I’ll try summing up what I think about most things you get on it anyway.
It’s easy to set up and create a contact poster, and although I would like to be able to edit what the text on the contact poster says, there’s nothing else I dislike about it.
Moving over to Live Stickers, I love how easy it is to create Live Stickers — though it did take me some time to learn how to do it. However, I would be even more happy with it if you could send your stickers and some other new Apple features through WhatsApp as well as on iMessage, but apparently that is meant to change come the end of the year or early next year.
Some other things I like include how easy it is to access the plus button in Messages — although I really want to see it in WhatsApp. I also like the catch up arrow and the advancements that have been added to search filters, the transcript feature that has been added under voice notes, the new FaceTime features, the fact you can connect your iPhone camera to your Apple TV, Interactive Widgets, the predictions you will be given as you type, the new way you can pass on your phone number — although it could be improved if you could do the same thing if you’re passing on your number to Android or Google users.
I also like the idea of the Journal app, though I haven’t had much experience trying it out at the minute.
This, however, is when I start to get unsure about some of the other features, or at least feel like I’m not sure how much I’ll use them.
By all means, the Check In feature is good, and I do believe a lot of people will use it. But I think it is something that will be used mainly by parents, and unless you’re a parent or needing to keep an eye on a couple of people, you might not need it.
I’m also not keen on the new SharePlay feature because as much as I try to trust everyone around me, there are still people you can’t trust. I’ve created a lot of playlists over the last few years, and a couple of them are for characters I’m brainstorming for my book. I therefore wouldn’t ever plan to play that over SharePlay if there were children or immature people in the car.
But obviously, this negative feedback won’t apply to all children or older people, and others will still have better experiences.
Other things I’m not too sure about includes the new AirPod features, but only because I don’t have any of them and don’t want to ever get them. I feel the same way about the feature that helps you track where the closest charging station for an electric car is, because they just aren’t accessible enough for me at the minute, and StandBy mode also isn’t for me, but only because I only have an iPhone 13 and not the 14.
I’m also not happy with the gestures feature you have in FaceTime and other video conferencing softwares because I can’t move anything other than my head and would therefore prefer a digital option to add reactions, although by all means I’d be happy to compromise and agree to the user having a choice between either option, exactly like how you have the choice to choose what way you can use Siri.
However, overall I believe these features are all seriously impressive for everyone who will use them, but they just won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
iOS17 is due to be released to the public this Autumn and it is compatible with:
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 Mini
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- Phone 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 gen or later)
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