Key Features in Apple’s iOS 17 and iPadOS 17: Supported Devices and Release Date

The latest update from Apple allows you to check in with a friend or family member when you reach a destination. If you get delayed along the way, the system will attempt to check in with you. If you don’t respond, it will share your location data, battery level, and cell service status with your loved one. This data is encrypted end-to-end for security. To access this feature, open an iMessage conversation, tap the “+” sign, and select “Check In” from the “More” options.

When someone shares their location with you in iMessage, you can now view it directly within the conversation without leaving the app. Additionally, if they send an audio message, you will see an immediate transcription below it. This is especially useful if you are unable to listen to the message right away.

FaceTime now allows you to leave video or audio messages if the person you’re calling doesn’t answer. You can also use your iPhone as a camera during FaceTime calls on Apple TV. During the call, you can even use hand gestures to create augmented reality reactions, such as confetti, hearts, or fireworks, to make conversations more engaging.

To give all your vacation photos a cohesive look, iOS 17 introduces batch editing. Open a photo in the Photos app, select “Edit,” make the desired changes, and save the photo. Then, tap the triple-dot icon on the top right and choose “Copy Edits.” Move to the next photo, tap the triple-dot icon, and select “Paste Edits.” This allows you to apply the same edits to multiple photos, instantly giving your photo collection a consistent aesthetic.

Apple is placing a strong emphasis on stickers in iOS 17. Stickers are now built into the emoji keyboard, making them more accessible in third-party apps. Additionally, you can turn any subject cut out from an image into your own customized sticker. These stickers can be enhanced with effects, and you can even create Live Stickers with Live Photos. Get creative and have fun with personalized stickers of your friends!

With the StandBy feature, any iPhone can transform into a more versatile display while charging in landscape mode. You can choose to show the clock with various designs, display photos from your library, or include interactive widgets. When using a MagSafe charger, your iPhone will remember your preferred view. Explore the possibilities and make the most of your iPhone even while it’s charging.

Apple has enhanced its autocorrect feature, known for causing frustration among users. Autocorrect now uses a “transformer language mode” that predicts words more accurately and corrects a wider range of grammatical mistakes. You can see predictive text recommendations as you type, similar to Gmail’s Smart Compose. These improvements also extend to voice dictation, which now features a new speech recognition model for increased accuracy.

iOS 17 expands Apple’s Communication Safety feature to other services and apps on your device, including AirDrop, Contact Posters, and FaceTime messages. The feature helps prevent kids from seeing explicit images and can also blur sensitive videos and photos for adults. Apple ensures that all image and video processing for these protective features is done locally on your device, with no data sent back to Apple.

Sending high-resolution media files via AirDrop no longer requires you to stay in close proximity to the sender. With iOS 17, files can now be sent over the internet, allowing you to step away from the sender while the transfer is in progress.

In addition to the major updates mentioned above, iOS 17 also includes several smaller but noteworthy improvements:

• Adaptive Audio: The second-generation AirPods Pro now feature Adaptive Audio, a mode that combines Apple’s Transparency mode and Active Noise Cancellation. This mode allows you to block out unwanted sounds while still being able to hear important ones. Conversation Awareness automatically lowers media volume and reduces background noise when you start speaking. Additionally, you can now mute and unmute calls on several AirPods models by tapping the stem or Digital Crown.
• CarPlay with SharePlay: CarPlay now allows multiple passengers in a car to control the playlist, and soon, playlists can be collaborated on together.
• Hotel AirPlay: Apple is introducing AirPlay support in select hotel rooms. By scanning a QR code on the TV screen, you can share videos, photos, and music from your device on the big screen.
• Offline Maps: iOS 17 finally brings offline maps to Apple Maps. You can now download and save an area of a map to your device for navigation even when you don’t have an internet connection.
• Accessibility Updates: New accessibility features have been added, including Assistive Access for customizable interfaces, Live Speech for individuals who can’t speak, Personal Voice for creating personalized voices, and Point and Speak for assisting individuals with low vision.
• Visual Lookup: In addition to creating stickers, you can now tap on a subject in a photo to get more information about it using the Look Up feature. This works even in paused video frames.
• Simpler Siri: You can now activate Siri by simply saying “Siri” instead of “Hey Siri.” Additionally, you no longer need to repeat the wake phrase for back-to-back commands.
• Health App Updates: The Health app now allows you to log your daily moods and offers depression and anxiety assessments. A Screen Distance tool within Screen Time helps encourage children to hold their phones at a safe distance from their faces, reducing the risk of eye strain.
• Family Sharing for AirTags: You can now share your AirTag tracking feature with up to five people, allowing everyone to monitor the item’s location within the Find My app.
• Fur Friends in Photos: The People album in the Photos app now recognizes pets, allowing you to easily find and view photos of your furry companions.
• Music App Enhancements: In addition to favoriting songs, you can now “favorite” albums and playlists. The Music app also provides song suggestions at the bottom of playlists for easy additions.

iPadOS 17 includes many of the same features as iOS 17 but also introduces some tablet-specific updates. Here are a few highlights:

iPadOS 17 allows for more customization of the lock screen. You can choose new wallpapers, including Live Photo wallpapers, and add Live Activities to monitor specific events, such as timers, game scores, or the status of an Uber Eats order. Interactive widgets can also be added to the lock screen for easier access to information without unlocking the device.

Safari in iPadOS 17 offers several new features, some of which are also available in iOS 17. You can now create work and personal profiles to keep your browsing separate, with individual histories, cookies, Tab Groups, and Favorites. When using Private Browsing, you can lock tabs with Face ID or Touch ID instead of closing them, allowing you to easily return to your browsing session. Additionally, you can now share passwords and passkeys with a selected group of people, and if you receive a one-time verification code in Mail, Safari will automatically fill it in for you.

Apple’s Stage Manager feature, introduced in iOS 16, has been refined for iPadOS 17. You now have more flexibility in moving and resizing windows, allowing for highly customized app layouts. Stage Manager also supports built-in cameras on external displays, expanding its functionality.

Apple’s Freeform whiteboard app, available across all Apple platforms including iOS 17, receives new tools and features. The addition of a watercolor brush, calligraphy pen, highlighter, variable-width pen, and ruler allows for greater artistic expression. Freeform also introduces the Follow Along feature, enabling collaborators to see each other’s movements on the canvas, making it easier to work together on large whiteboard projects.

Although all the features mentioned above are currently available in iOS and iPadOS 17, a few updates are planned for future releases. Apple has not provided exact dates but has stated that these updates will be available later this year.

Photograph: Apple

iOS 17 will introduce the Journal app, designed for recording your thoughts and memories. Journal allows you to add photos, audio recordings, music, and goals to your entries. The app leverages on-device machine learning to suggest moments to write about, adding a touch of personalization to your journaling experience.

Apple has made it easier to input information in PDFs with its iOS 17 update. Using machine learning, the software can now identify fields within a PDF and allow you to quickly add relevant details. The Notes app also offers improved PDF management, including organization, reading, annotation, and collaboration features.

When joining a chat with many new messages, iOS 17 will introduce a handy “catch-up arrow.” Tapping on this arrow will instantly jump you to the first new message, eliminating the need for tedious scrolling to catch up.