Welcome to the realm of iOS 17, Apple’s latest operating system set to revolutionize your iPhone and iPad experience. In this detailed guide, we will explore the exciting features, compatibility requirements, and step-by-step installation process of iOS 17. From enhanced security measures to innovative communication tools and convenient utilities, iOS 17 promises to elevate your device’s functionality to new heights.
Compatibility of iOS 17:
iOS 17 marks a significant leap forward, but not all devices can embark on this journey. If you’re wielding an iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or a newer iteration (including the revered second- and third-gen iPhone SE), you are in for a treat – iOS 17 is yours to embrace. However, if your allegiance lies with an iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, or iPhone X, bid farewell to software support as Apple draws the line here. For iPad fans, compatibility hinges on generation – starting from the 6th-gen iPad, 5th-gen iPad Mini, 3rd-gen iPad Air, and 2nd-gen iPad Pro.
Installation Guide of iOS 17:
Before immersing yourself in the realm of iOS 17, safeguard your precious data with a backup. Navigate to Settings, tap your name, select iCloud, and initiate a backup via iCloud Backup. Once your digital treasures are secure, it’s time to embark on the iOS 17 installation journey. Tether your device to a charger, ensure a stable Wi-Fi connection, and navigate to Settings > General > Software Update. With a tap on Download and Install, usher in the era of iOS 17, following prompts until completion.
New Features in iOS 17:
Stolen Device Protection
To help protect your personal information and accounts in case your iPhone ever gets stolen by someone who knows your passcode, Apple introduced Stolen Device Protection. Available with iOS 17.3, some actions (like access to credit cards and stored passwords) will require Touch ID or Face ID authentication—without the ability to enter a passcode as an alternative. Other actions, like changing your Apple ID password, will require waiting an hour and then performing a second biometric authentication if you aren’t at home. To turn the Stolen Device Protection on, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, and tap Turn on Protection.
Fresh Contact Posters
Contact Posters are like pretty business cards but for when you’re calling someone already in your address book. You can customize the screen that will pop up when anyone gets your call (if they have an iPhone) with a photo or Memoji of yourself and throw in a custom font and color. These will work with third-party calling apps and will also pop up in your Contacts app and other areas where you share your information, such as NameDrop. You can edit your Contact Poster in the Contacts app. Tap your name, and tap Edit at the top right.
NameDrop With AirDrop
What’s NameDrop? It’s an AirDrop feature that lets you put two iPhones next to each other to share contact information with the other person. You can choose on the screen what emails and phone numbers you want to share. (It’s very reminiscent of Bump and Android Beam, both of which are now defunct.) Bringing two iPhones together won’t trigger only NameDrop, though. You can also use this action to share content or start SharePlay activities together, like listening to the same music. Soon, you’ll also be able to send your contact information to an Apple Watch (as long as it’s a Series 7 or later, Apple Watch SE 2nd generation, or Apple Watch Ultra or later).
Batch Edit Photos
If you want all your vacation photos to have the same look, you can now batch-edit a whole bunch of photos and videos in one fell swoop. To do this, open a photo in your Photos app and press Edit. Make the changes you want, then save the photo. Press the triple-dot icon on the top right and tap Copy Edits, then go to the next photo, tap the triple-dot icon, and press Paste Edits. Once you have copied edits, you can select any number of photos and paste them, giving a collection of photos a cohesive look immediately.
Sticker Mania
Apple is placing a big emphasis on Stickers in iOS 17, so much so that they’re now built into the emoji keyboard, making them more accessible in third-party apps. Last year’s iOS 16 brought the ability to cut out a subject from any image you capture by just tapping and holding it, and now you can turn these into your own stickers for big meme potential. You can add effects to these stickers and even create Live Stickers with Live Photos. Make embarrassing stickers of friends on demand. Truly, we’re on the best timeline. With iOS 17.2, you can also react to individual message bubbles with a sticker.
iPhone on StandBy
Google Pixel phones have a feature that turns them into a smart display when placed on one of Google’s own wireless chargers. Apple is going even further with StandBy. This enables any iPhone to turn into a more useful display while charging in landscape mode. You can have it show the clock (with different clock designs available), photos from your library, or interactive widgets. If you specifically place it on a MagSafe charger, your iPhone will remember your preferred view. Be sure to check out our Best Apple 3-in-1 Chargers guide if you want to take advantage of this feature.
Better Autocorrect
Do you hate Apple’s autocorrect? You’re not alone. The company is finally making it better. Autocorrect now uses a “transformer language mode” for better word prediction. It corrects more types of grammatical mistakes than ever before, and you can see predictive text recommendations as you type (you can disable this feature with iOS 17.2), just like what you’ll find using Gmail’s Smart Compose. These improvements also extend to voice dictation, which uses a new speech recognition model that purportedly makes it more accurate.
New Communication Safety Features
Apple’s Communication Safety feature, which helps prevent kids from seeing nude images in iMessage, has expanded its reach in iOS 17. Now, it brings these protections to other services and apps in iOS, from AirDrop and Contact Posters to FaceTime messages and Live Stickers. It works with video content too. Adults can also take advantage of the feature, as it can blur sensitive videos and photos and let you choose whether to view them. Apple maintains that all image and video processing for these protective features happens on your device, and nothing is sent back to Apple.
iMessage Contact Key Verification
Apple originally announced this feature last year, and it’s finally here. With Contact Key Verification you have the option to verify who you’re messaging to avoid communicating with someone impersonating a friend or family member. Users will receive a Contact Verification Code they can then cross-reference with the person they’re texting to make sure the codes match.
A New Journal App
There’s a new app as of iOS 17.2 called Journal, and as the name suggests, the idea is to write down your thoughts and memories. You can add photos, audio recordings, and music to your journal entries and even make goals. Apple says Journal uses on-device machine learning to suggest moments to write about during your day.
Health App of iOS 17:
Apple is letting you log your daily moods in the Health app, with access to depression and anxiety assessments typically found in clinics (and other resources). Also, if you are using Apple’s Screen Time feature for your kids, there’s now a Screen Distance tool that will use the TrueDepth camera to encourage children to move further away if they are holding the phone closer than 12 inches from their face for an extended period. Apple says this can help lower the risk of myopia and reduce digital eyestrain in adults. Additionally, the Health app is finally available on the iPad. When you update to iOS 17.2, you can use Siri to ask Health app-related questions like “What’s my blood oxygen?” or “How much have I slept this week?”
Hotel AirPlay of iOS 17:
Apple is bringing AirPlay to hotel rooms. You can just scan a QR code from the TV to share videos, photos, and music from your device to the big screen. Apple says it’s starting with brands from IHG Hotels & Resorts.
Apple Music of iOS 17:
In addition to songs, you can now “favorite” albums and playlists. You’ll then have the ability to filter those favorites based on category.
With iOS 17.2, any songs you “favorite” will also be added to a Favorites playlist. There’s also a new Focus Filter that will automatically turn off Listening History. That way, you don’t have to worry about certain songs appearing in Recently Played or impacting future song recommendations. It’s a useful feature if you’re often using the Music app to play songs for your kids and don’t want to mess up your algorithm.
Other New Changes of iOS 17:
There are quite a number of small improvements worth noting:
- Adaptive Audio: If you have thesecond-generation AirPods Pro, there’s a new listening mode called Adaptive Audio. This is a blend of Apple’s Transparency mode and Active Noise Cancellation, so you can block out annoying sounds but hear important ones. If you start speaking, Conversation Awareness will automatically lower the media volume, reduce background noise, and enhance the voices in front of you. Also new is the ability to tap the stem of the AirPods Pro (first and second generation), AirPods (3rd gen), and the Digital Crown on AirPods Max during a call to mute and unmute.
- CarPlay gets SharePlay: On a road trip? If the car has CarPlay and everyone inside has an iPhone, anyone can control the playlist.
- Offline maps: Google Maps has had it for years, and Apple has finally caught up. You can now save an area of a map to your device and use it, including turn-by-turn navigation, when you don’t have an internet connection.
- Accessibility updates: There’s a new feature called Assistive Access that adds a customizable interface to make the iPhone easier to use for people with cognitive disabilities. Live Speech offers a way for people who can’t speak to have their words spoken in person or on the phone. Personal Voice lets people “at risk of speech loss” create a voice similar to theirs. And then there’s Point and Speak, which helps blind people and those with low vision read text on physical objects by pointing the phone at the item.
- Visual lookup: When you tap on a subject in a photo to lift it out (to create a Sticker or paste it anywhere else), you can also press Look Up to get more information about it. This works in paused video frames too.
- Simpler Siri: You no longer have to say “Hey Siri” to trigger the voice assistant; just say “Siri.” Similarly, you no longer have to keep saying it when making back-to-back commands. Just add another command.
- Family of AirTags: You can share your AirTag with up to five people, and everyone will be able to keep track of the item in the Find My app.
With its groundbreaking features and user-centric enhancements, iOS 17 emerges as a pivotal milestone in the evolution of mobile operating systems. By adhering to the simple installation guide outlined above, you can seamlessly transition to iOS 17 and unlock a world of possibilities. Embrace the future of mobile technology with iOS 17 – where innovation meets simplicity, ushering in a new era of digital empowerment.
