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The moment Apple fans have been waiting for is finally almost here, as the iOS 17 update is released today.
The software update includes several exciting new features, including a Live Voicemail tool and the ability to share your contact information by simply touching your iPhone to another.
“With iOS 17, we’ve made iPhone more personal and intuitive by thinking about the features we all rely on every day,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering.
“Phone, FaceTime and messaging are central to the way we communicate, and this release is packed with updates we think our users will love.”
Here’s everything you need to know about iOS 17, including how and when you can download it to your iPhone.
The moment Apple fans have been waiting for is finally almost here, as the iOS 17 update is released today
Which iPhones are compatible with iOS 17?
iOS 17 will be compatible with the iPhone XS and newer models.
This means you can download it if you have one of the following iPhones:
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)
What time will the update be available?
Apple has confirmed that the iOS 17 update will launch today, although the exact time for the release has yet to be announced.
However, based on previous updates, it’s likely that iOS 17 will be available around 10am PT (6pm BST).
Apple’s new Check In feature automatically notifies you when a family member or friend arrives safely at their destination
How do you download it?
If you have one of the compatible iPhones mentioned above, once the update is released you can download it from the Settings app.
Open the app and then General > Software Update.
Once iOS 17 is available, you can download it here.
What are some of the key features?
1. Check-in
Apple’s new Check In feature automatically notifies you when a family member or friend arrives safely at their destination.
“After a user initiates a check-in, their friend or family member is automatically notified when the user arrives,” Apple explains.
“If they are not making progress toward their destination, useful information is temporarily shared with the selected contact, such as device location, battery level, and cell service status.
‘All shared information is encrypted end-to-end.’
The days of manually typing a new friend’s contact information into your iPhone are a thing of the past in iOS 17. The update brings the ability to share your contact information simply by holding your iPhone close to another.
2. Live voicemail
If you’re over a certain age, you remember old-fashioned voicemail machines: the kind that let you pick up the phone mid-message if you decide it’s worth calling.
Apple is bringing that back with the Live Voicemail feature, which transcribes the message in real time and lets you answer the call.
“Live Voicemail gives users the ability to see real-time transcription when someone leaves a voicemail, and the ability to record as the caller leaves their message,” Apple said.
‘Calls identified as spam by carriers will not appear as live voicemail and will instead be immediately rejected. With the power of the Neural Engine, the transcription of live voicemail is handled on-device and remains completely private.”
3. Name drop
The days of manually typing a new friend’s contact information into your iPhone are a thing of the past in iOS 17.
The update adds the ability to share your contact information simply by holding your iPhone close to another.
“With NameDrop, users can easily share contact information by simply bringing their iPhones together, or by bringing an iPhone and Apple Watch together,” Apple said.
“Using the same gesture, users can also share content or launch SharePlay to listen to music, watch a movie or play a game while close to iPhone devices.”
4. Standby
When your iPhone is racing around the room, it can be annoying to get up to check what notifications are coming in.
But a new feature in iOS 17 called StandBy makes it much easier to watch your device.
The Live Voicemail feature transcribes the message in real time so you can take the call
“StandBy gives users a full-screen experience with clear information designed to be viewed from a distance when iPhone is on its side and charging,” Apple said.
‘StandBy is perfect on a bedside table, counter or desk, and can be personalized to display a range of beautiful clock styles, favorite photos or widgets, including Smart Stacks, which display the right widgets at the right time.’
5. Screen distance
The Screen Time tool has a new feature called Screen Distance, which alerts you if you’re holding your iPhone too close to your face.
“Screen Distance uses the TrueDepth camera to encourage users to move their device further away after holding it closer than 12 inches (30 cm) from their face for an extended period of time,” Apple said.
6. Autocorrect improvements
iOS 17 stops Apple’s autocorrect feature from correcting one of the English language’s favorite expletives to “ducking.”
“Autocorrect is receiving a comprehensive update with a transformer language model, an advanced machine learning language model on-device for word prediction, improving the experience and accuracy for users every time they type,” Apple said.
“It’s also getting a redesign to better support typing, and sentence-level autocorrects can correct more types of grammatical errors.”