iOS 17 Release Date, Features, and Everything You Need to Know

It was announced at WWDC 2023 that iOS 17 will be released in mid-September this year, alongside a new 15-inch MacBook Air and Mac Studio. Keep on reading to learn about some of the major updates that will come with iOS 17. 

iOS 17: Major Updates

Phone App 

Apple announced a few updates to the Phone app, including customised Contact Posters. This new feature will allow you to choose the photo, font type, and colour of the poster that shows on other people’s phones when you give them a call. Customised Contact Posters are also available in third-party calling apps. 

iOS 17 will also add Live Voicemail, which gives users the ability to see real-time transcriptions of voicemails as they’re being left by callers. Additionally, users can pick up the call during the voicemail if they wish. Calls that are identified as spam will be automatically declined and subsequently not be able to be transcribed by Live Voicemail.

FaceTime 

FaceTime will add support for both audio and video messages. The app will also support the ability to leave video messages in the event of a missed call. 

iMessage 

Search filters will be added to iMessage, and users will be able to react to messages by simply swiping the text. The transcription of audio messages will be handled automatically as well.  

A new location-sharing function will be added to iMessage, which will allow users to share locations. After the update to iOS 17, iPhone users will be able to turn images into stickers and create Live Stickers from Live Photos. The stickers will also work in third-party apps, which is a big plus.

AirDrop 

AirDrop will also see advancements. With iOS 17, using AirDrop, one can exchange phone numbers with others. Simply place your phones close to one another to exchange email addresses and phone numbers. Large files may also be shared using AirDrop, and iPhone users can sync music or live streams using SharePlay, too. 

Journal 

Journal is a new app that Apple unveiled. Using Journal, you can schedule notifications for the start or end of your day and save moments. Reassuringly, Apple says that the privacy of your recommendations and entries is secured by end-to-end encryption, making it impossible for anybody to access or read them, not even the company itself. 

iOS 17: Additional Features Enhancements 

Autocorrect and Diction 

iOS 17 will also bring improvements to Autocorrect and Diction, to deliver more accurate results, helping to reduce grammatical errors. 

Safari 

Safari will enhance its Private Browsing feature, further helping protect users from both browser trackers and unauthorised use of their devices. To further prevent websites from monitoring or identifying a user’s device, advanced anti-tracking, and fingerprinting measures will be used. When not in use, Private Browsing will lock, enabling users to keep tabs open even when putting their device down. 

Siri 

Simplified activation of Siri will be available in iOS 17. You will be able to easily activate Siri by simply saying “Siri”. Once Siri is activated, you can provide multiple commands without needing to reactivate the assistant. 

Maps 

iOS 17 allows users to use the Offline Mode for Maps. They can download a specific location and access detailed directions and see their estimated time of arrival. 

Password and Passkey Sharing 

Users will be able to share passwords with a trusted group or contacts and update, add, and delete passwords. 

iOS 17: Supported Devices 

Below is the list of supported devices. The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X will not support iOS 17. 

• iPhone 14 Pro Max 
• iPhone 14 Pro 
• iPhone 14 Plus 
• iPhone 14 
• iPhone SE (2022) 
• iPhone 13 Pro Max 
• iPhone 13 Pro 
• iPhone 13 
• iPhone 13 Mini 
• iPhone 12 Pro Max 
• iPhone 12 Pro 
• iPhone 12 
• iPhone 11 Pro Max 
• iPhone 11 Pro 
• iPhone 11 
• iPhone SE (2020) 
• iPhone XS Max 
• iPhone XS 
• iPhone XR 

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