Everything You Should Know About IOS 17

iOS 17 is finally out , and I’ve spent a lot of time with it over the past couple of weeks. Now that it’s available to the general public, more and more people will be downloading the update to find out what it’s all about. This time around, Apple is more focused on making changes to existing features, although there are some important additions coming as well.

The Phone app has received an update

One of the first things you’ll notice when you update to iOS 17 is Apple’s changes to the Phone app. Not only did the company introduce new contact posters, a full-screen system that shows who’s calling, but they also added Live Voicemail, which automatically transcribes a voice message in real time. This makes it easier than ever to keep track of who’s leaving a message, which is likely to prove extremely convenient for avid phone users.

Contact Posters let you customize what appears on other iOS 17 devices when you make a call, as well as customize Contact Posters for other people. You can think of them as full-screen business cards, making it easier than ever for people to know who’s calling. You can use your photo, change the font style, or even use Memoji instead. Ultimately, they’re not all that useful, but some people might find them fun to tinker with.

Apple has also changed the look and feel of the Phone app itself. When you call now, you will see that many of the buttons have moved. They are all now located at the bottom of the call screen, rather than in the middle. It’s a change that takes some getting used to, but once you do, it becomes much easier to navigate, especially on larger iPhones.

Message improvements

I’m a big fan of the changes Apple has made to Messages. First, the way you access stickers, emojis, and images in messages has changed. The app drawer is now hidden in a (+) button that appears next to the message field. Tapping (+) will let you scroll through the different apps and options, but when you’re done you can hide them, which will clear the main messaging window.

Another change is how Messages now handles autocorrect. Apple says iOS now learns based on what you type, so AutoCorrect shouldn’t trigger as often. Another change is that it now also shows which word has been automatically corrected, with an underline to make it easier for you to see what has been changed. It will also add an undo arrow with a popup about auto-corrections, allowing you to easily revert them if something is wrong.

Messages also has a new Check-in feature that makes it easy to keep track of family and friends while attending events. Once configured, it works in the background, sending a message to the other end when you reach your destination. This is very reminiscent of the old Facebook check-in system and will definitely bring peace of mind to anyone who frequents events, especially large families.

You can also now create your own sticker from any photo. Go ahead: Go through your photo library and pick out something that you think would make a great sticker, whether it’s your dog, your friend, or even yourself.

I’m so grateful for iOS 17’s ability to automatically remove SMS verification codes after using the built-in AutoFill feature. This is great for automatically deleting those emails and messages, especially if you rely heavily on email or text message verification codes. For a person who hates clutter in their email or text messages, this feature will be a huge lifesaver.

“StandBy” for additional features

Of course, the changes in iOS 17 aren’t just limited to the Messages and Phone apps. Apple has also introduced a new level you can toggle in the camera to keep your photos and videos perfectly straight. You can also use it to check the level of other items such as paintings and furniture.

Another notable addition is Sleep Mode, which allows you to turn your iPhone into a simple smart display, complete with an alarm clock and several widgets and features. It works whenever you plug your iPhone into a power source and turn it on its side, but ultimately this feature will only be useful if you have a dedicated setup for it, like a MagSafe stand. However, if you like to have a ton of information at your fingertips, this can be very convenient. I would have liked to see more features included in standby mode. But for now, this is a good place to start.

I’m also excited about the new grocery lists in Reminders, which automatically categorize different items into appropriate categories. As someone who has been doing this manually in the Notes app for the past few years, this add-on is a game changer for me and my partner. It can even recognize different brands and sort them into places.

Apple has also made improvements to Shortcuts that make it easier for you to open apps and launch actions without a lot of button pressing. The main Shortcuts page now displays some out-of-the-box options and has a nicer new layout. However, I admit that I don’t use shortcuts on my iPhone often, so I’m not the target audience. However, since the layout is nicer, I may have to try them a little more.

Like any iOS update, iOS 17 also has a few important features that have not yet been released. The most notable example is the new Journal app, which I’m particularly interested in. The Journal app is supposed to make it easy to journal on your device without the need for third-party options, and since it all happens on your phone, it’s encrypted too. and secure so none of your personal information ever leaves your device.

Also keep an eye out for the up arrow in Messages coming in an iOS update later this year. It will quickly take you to the beginning of messages you haven’t read yet. This will definitely prove useful for people who communicate with their families and friends in massive group chats.

iOS 17 isn’t a huge update, but it’s worth downloading

Apple didn’t reinvent the wheel with iOS 17, but it did do a great job of tweaking some old features and making them significantly better. Standby mode offers a great way to get a variety of information without picking up your phone, and the changes to the Phone & Messages app really help improve their overall functionality.

If you have an iPhone XS or newer, you can download iOS 17 right now. Even though it’s not the flashiest update, the changes are still significant and represent continued progress in Apple’s ongoing efforts to make iOS one of the best operating systems around.

Pros:

• Changes to the Messages and Phone apps improve functionality.
• Live voicemail is a fantastic addition that I wish I had earlier.
• Even the smallest changes seem significant.

Minuses:

• The Journal app is not available at the time of release.
• The lack of big, shiny features may be disappointing for some.