How YOU can get the new iOS 17  BEFORE it releases to the public – plus five iOS 17 upgrades that will change how you use your iPhone

Let’s be honest. Most phone hardware upgrades aren’t worth the money. Sure, it’s a little faster and the camera is better, but that doesn’t mean much to most people.

Especially when you look at the price, when Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max (with 2TB storage) is announced in mid-September, it is rumored to be priced at $2,100. Yes, the high-end iPhone costs about 60 percent more than a MacBook.

Software upgrades, on the other hand, are free. Apple’s iOS 17 update includes many new changes and features that you don’t want to miss.

DailyMail.com has rounded up five of our favorites – and how to upgrade now if you don’t want to wait for the September release.

Just check in

Asking your loved ones to text you when they get home is so yesterday. With Apple’s new Check In feature enabled, you’ll be automatically notified when a family member or friend arrives safely at their destination.

Check In also shares your friend’s location, how much battery they have left, and if they have good cell service.

Apple says all this information is end-to-end encrypted, so you don’t have to worry about a creep getting their hands on it.

Live Voicemail transcribes the message in real time so you can take the call

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I come to you live

If you’re over a certain age, you definitely remember the old-fashioned voicemail machines: the kind that let you pick up the phone in the middle of a message if you decide it’s worth answering.

Apple brings that back with the Live Voicemail feature.

Live Voicemail transcribes the message in real time so you can take the call.

Each transcript is stored on your device and privately, so you don’t have to worry about where your voicemails go.

One of the best parts is that spam calls are automatically declined and don’t show up as live voicemail. Woohoo!

Is your phone getting the update? Not every model supports iOS 17. Check here if your iPhone is eligible.

Send me a message

AirDrop makes sharing photos with a nearby iPhone or Apple device easy.

Now Apple is taking things to the next level with NameDrop.

This feature replaces clunky business cards by allowing users to share contact information by bringing two iPhones (or an iPhone and an Apple Watch) together.

NameDrop isn’t just for networking events. The feature also includes SharePlay, which makes it easy to share your favorite music, games, and movies with other nearby iPhone users. Very cool.

Listen

The new operating system also includes upgrades for AirPods

Love your AirPods? This is for you. The new iOS update includes a number of new features to personalize the audio experience and improve automatic switching and call controls.

● Adaptive Audio lets you adjust the volume of what you’re listening to based on your environment and interactions.

● Conversation Awareness automatically lowers the volume of your music and reduces background noise when a nearby conversation is detected.

● Personalized Volume learns about you and your preferences, so your volume settings stay where you want them.

It’s personal

With the personalized contact poster feature, you can customize your image and change the look of incoming calls from friends and family.

You also have access to improved typography and font colors.

It is much better than just one small picture to show who is calling.

Get it before everyone else

You can update to iOS 17 immediately if you want to become a beta tester. Please note that beta software may still contain some bugs and glitches. So far in the process, iOS 17 is almost optimized.

With the personalized contact poster feature, you can customize your image and change the look of incoming calls from friends and family

● Sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program on Apple’s website.

● Back up your device to iCloud or your computer.

● Go to Settings > General > Software Update.

● Look for a menu called Beta Updates and enable it.

● Select iOS 17 public beta and install.

Don’t forget to back up your phone before installing the beta version of the software. You can switch to your latest backup if additional problems occur during your test run.