Comprehensive list of lesser-known features

First previewed during WWDC23, iOS 17 comes to all new iPhone models, including the iPhone 14 Pro Max. While Apple mainly focused on his FaceTime and Messages communication upgrades in his keynote, there are still plenty of smaller introductions and lesser-known features that further enhance and enhance the iPhone’s operating system.

air drop

AirDrop received some notable upgrades in iOS 17. A user can now bring his iPhones closer together to initiate his AirDrop transfer. Similarly, you can share contact information or start a SharePlay session when using supported apps. But that’s not all. If the user walks away during an AirDrop transfer, iOS will upload the rest of the files to the cloud and download them to the recipient’s device. That way, the AirDrop transfer won’t get interrupted or canceled, and two users won’t have to wait in line unnecessarily.

app store

There are no major changes to the App Store, but Apple has added some welcome details to iOS 17. When downloading or updating an app, the app page now states how much time is left until the download process is complete. The timestamp is then replaced with the word “installing”.

camera

Pointing at the QR code in the camera app on iOS 17 now shows a link at the bottom of the app. Prior to this update, the link would float along with his QR code over the viewfinder and be difficult to click. We’ve also added new guidance tools to help you straighten your shots.

clock

The clock app finally lets you set multiple timers at once. Each can have its own duration, label and tone. While this change is relatively small, it’s great that the iPhone has finally caught up to the Apple Watch.

face time

With iOS 17, you can leave a FaceTime video message when someone doesn’t answer your call. Plus, you can react with new effects like thumbs and hearts during video calls.

find mine

iOS 17 Find My lets you share your AirTag with up to 5 people. Prior to this release, only one of her Apple ID account holders could view the AirTag’s location at a time.

fitness

Fitness apps are also doing well in iOS 17. Apple has overhauled the (Shared) tab with a simplified view of the contacts sharing your activity. Instead of scrolling through a long list of past days, you can now tap a dedicated profile to view your friend’s activity history. There’s also a new row highlighting your friend’s latest accomplishments, such as closing all three rings or winning an award.

A new row has been added to display weekly tips in the main Overview tab, separate from the Share tab. Finally, the (Fitness+) tab now lets you stack your workouts and meditation exercises, in addition to creating your own workout plans. The latter requires you to enter your expectations and schedule, which will generate a Fitness+ plan customized for you.

free form

The iOS 17 Freeform app introduces several new tools such as watercolor brushes, calligraphy pens, highlighters, variable width pens, and rulers. These additions enrich the app and help users find appropriate avenues to brainstorm and express themselves.

health

At a core level, there are no major changes to the Health app in iOS 17. Nevertheless, users will be able to record more data types, including those related to mental and visual health.

House

The Home app in iOS 17 has many tweaks. First, the (Settings) button on the accessories page now floats in the bottom right corner instead of always being fixed at the bottom of the overview page. Additionally, the HomePod overview screen has received a translucent overhaul in favor of a solid gray background. And thanks to a redesigned color picker, you can now have more control and set the lighting tint of compatible smart bulbs. Not to mention that certain home activities are now saved for his 30 days.

home screen and lock screen

Lock screens have been a hit in iOS 17 since Apple allowed users to use Live Photos as wallpapers. These pictures are animated each time the user boots the device. It goes without saying that lock screen widgets are now interactive, just like home screen widgets. So you can control it directly from your home/lock screen without launching a compatible app.

Post

Autofill support for one-time passwords received via SMS has been an iOS feature for years, and iOS 17 finally brings this handy feature to the Mail app. So, when you receive the login code by email, the keyboard will suggest auto-filling the required fields. This eliminates the need to launch the Mail app or switch back and forth between apps. Additionally, if desired, these messages can be set to auto-delete after the code is inserted.

map

The Maps app in iOS 17 hasn’t changed much, but a long-awaited feature is finally here. Apple Maps can now download cities for offline navigation. Once you download a specific area, you will be able to navigate around it, see ratings, opening hours, etc. without an internet connection. Also, thanks to the smart implementation of this feature, if you are traveling to an area with limited cellular connectivity, the Maps app will offer to download the area for offline viewing before departure. To do.

message

The Messages app in iOS 17 gets a lot more with inline location sharing, faster reply gestures, check-in functionality, a revamped App Library for Messages-only apps, and more. Additionally, if someone has shared their location with you in Find My, you’ll see their current location at the top of the chat screen, just below their name and profile picture. Also, like emails, 2FA messages can optionally be auto-destructed after the code is inserted into the relevant field.

music

The Music app in iOS 17 also includes some welcome additions. Animated artwork is now more lively and reflected in the Now Playing screen controls. And speaking of the Now Playing screen, the minimized version curls up and floats above the app tabs. After the crossfade feature came to Android a few months ago, it goes without saying that iPhone users can now take advantage of crossfade too. Apple also mentions support for collaborative playlists, but this addition is expected later this year. Apart from that, Apple has implemented a dedicated section in the song credits, listing the composer and artist in addition to the lyrics.

news

The iOS 17 News app has a new Puzzles section in the (Following) tab with crosswords you can solve. However, this addition is exclusive to paying Apple News+ subscribers.

Note

The Notes app in iOS 17 lets you link to other notes. This makes it easier to build a more detailed database on your iPhone, allowing you to categorize your various notes and insert links that connect them all. You can also export your notes to the Apple Pages app for more advanced features.

phone

iOS 17 introduces some major features to the Phone app, such as Contact Posters and Live Voicemail. Apart from that, the app still retains the overall user interface. However, viewing a contact now shows a larger preview of their assigned profile picture.

photograph

The Photos app has also been updated with iOS 17. Besides recognizing pet faces and grouping them with people, the app’s editing interface has been revamped. Additionally, when you zoom in on a photo, a (Crop) button appears as a shortcut to quickly enter edit mode and crop the image based on how you zoomed in.

podcast

Podcasts for iOS 17 have also been coordinated by the Now Playing department. The screen has been overhauled, with a more translucent design similar to Apple Music.

reminder

The Reminders app in iOS 17 now supports both list view and column view, allowing you to customize the look of your list to your liking. You can also mark the list as a grocery list. This automatically categorizes items based on their type.

safari

Safari on iOS 17 now lets you lock private tabs using Face ID. The Clear History interface has also been tweaked, adding an option to close tabs when deleting browsing data. Not to mention the new Profiles feature that allows you to use separate Safari sandboxes for different needs.

setting

The iOS 17 Settings app has a new section on Standby mode and related options. The Passwords section now has the option to create a shared group to share passwords and her 2FA code with others.

More importantly, though, you can now train your iPhone to speak using your own tone thanks to a new accessibility setting called Personal Voice. After a 15-20 minute training session, iOS will replicate your voice and learn to read text in a mimic tone.

spotlight search

Spotlight search has also been completely revamped in iOS 17, providing more detailed results in a cleaner layout. These changes also include direct toggles to control some system settings such as low power modes. This eliminates the need to search for settings, launch the Settings app, and toggle between options manually.

translate

iOS 17 redesigns the main tab of the Apple Translate app. It also now supports live translation, so you don’t have to type an entire sentence and hit the Enter button, the result will appear as you type.

wallet

With iOS 17, you can set up recurring automatic payments via Apple Cash. This is ideal for parents who want to send their child a per diem or use her Apple Cash to pay monthly rent. Later this year, businesses will be able to display their saved IDs, enabling seamless age verification.

weather

Finally, the Weather app now has a section dedicated to moon phases. This will allow you to see its cycle and learn more about its visibility.

final thoughts

In addition to big changes, iOS 17 is definitely packed with smaller changes to most of Apple’s built-in apps, and we’ll update this list as we find more changes. Nonetheless, it’s certainly not as important as last year’s release. We can only hope that the iOS 17.x update introduces major unannounced changes that make this version more interesting and useful. If not, we’ll have to wait until iOS 18 previews during his WWDC24 next June.