iOS 17 released with Live Voicemail, Standby, Interactive Widgets, more

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Apple has released iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 for all compatible iPhone and iPad models. The software updates include new features for Messages, FaceTime, Health, widgets, and more. Some headlining features include a new StandBy mode and Journal app for iPhone, the expansion of the Health app to iPad, and Contact Posters for the Phone app.

iOS 17

iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 release notes

September 18 – Apple has released iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 for all compatible models. Here are the full release notes from Apple:

Phone

  • Contact Posters let you customize how you appear on other people’s devices when you call them with a customized poster
  • Live Voicemail displays a live transcription as someone leaves a message and allows you to pick up the call

Messages

  • Stickers iMessage app brings all your stickers into one place including Live Stickers, Memoji, Animoji, emoji stickers, and your third party sticker packs
  • Live Stickers can be created by lifting the subject from photos or videos and stylizing them with effects like Shiny, Puffy, Comic, and Outline
  • Check In automatically notifies a family member or friend when you arrive at a destination safely and can share helpful information with them in case of a delay
  • Audio message transcription is available for audio messages you receive so you can read them in the moment and listen later
  • Search improvements help you find messages faster by allowing you to combine search filters such as people, keywords, and content types like photos or links to find exactly what you are looking for
  • Swipe to reply to a message inline by swiping to the right on any bubble
  • One-time verification code cleanup automatically deletes verification codes from the Messages app after using them with AutoFill in other apps

FaceTime

  • Leave a video or audio message to capture exactly what you want to say when someone does not pick up your FaceTime call
  • Enjoy FaceTime calls on Apple TV by using your iPhone as a camera (Apple TV 4K 2nd generation and later)
  • Reactions layer 3D effects like hearts, balloons, confetti, and more around you in video calls and can be triggered with gestures
  • Video effects allow you to adjust the intensity of Studio Lighting and Portrait mode

StandBy

  • Full-screen experience with glanceable information like clocks, photos, and widgets designed to view from a distance when iPhone is on its side and charging in places such as your nightstand, kitchen counter, or desk
  • Clocks are available in a variety of styles including Digital, Analog, Solar, Float, and World Clock, with elements you can personalize like the accent color
  • Photos automatically shuffle through your best shots or showcase a specific album you choose
  • Widgets give you access to information at a distance and appear in Smart Stacks that deliver the right information at the right time
  • Night Mode lets clocks, photos, and widgets take on a red tone in low light
  • Preferred view per MagSafe charger remembers your preference for each place you charge with MagSafe, whether that’s a clock, photos, or widgets

Widgets

  • Interactive widgets let you take actions, like mark a reminder as complete, directly from the widget by tapping it on the Home Screen, Lock Screen, or in StandBy
  • iPhone widgets on Mac enable you to add widgets from your iPhone to your Mac desktop

AirDrop

  • NameDrop lets you exchange contact information with someone new by bringing your iPhones close together
  • New way to initiate AirDrop allows you to share content or start a SharePlay session over AirDrop by bringing your iPhones close together

Keyboard

  • Improved autocorrect accuracy makes typing even easier by leveraging a powerful transformer-based language model (iPhone 12 and later)
  • Easier autocorrect editing temporarily underlines corrected words and lets you revert back to what you originally typed with just a tap
  • Enhanced sentence corrections can correct more types of grammatical mistakes when you finish sentences (iPhone 12 and later)
  • Inline predictive text shows single and multi-word predictions as you type that can be added by tapping space bar (iPhone 12 and later)

Safari and Passwords

  • Profiles keep your browsing separate for topics like work and personal, separating your history, cookies, extensions, Tab Groups, and favorites
  • Private Browsing enhancements include locking your private browsing windows when you’re not using them, blocking known trackers from loading, and removing identifying tracking from URLs
  • Password and passkey sharing lets you create a group of passwords to share with trusted contacts that stays up to date as members of the group make changes
  • One-time verification code AutoFill from Mail autofill in Safari so you can log in without leaving the browser

Music

  • SharePlay makes it easy for everyone to control and play Apple Music in the car
  • Crossfade smoothly transitions between songs by fading out the currently playing song while fading in the next so the music never stops

AirPlay

  • Intelligent AirPlay device list makes finding the right AirPlay-compatible TV or speaker even easier by showing your devices in order of relevance, based on your preferences
  • Suggested AirPlay device connections are proactively shown to you as a notification to make it even more seamless to connect to your preferred AirPlay devices
  • Automatic AirPlay device connections are made between your iPhone and the most relevant AirPlay-compatible device so all you have to do is tap “Play” to begin enjoying your content

AirPods

  • Adaptive Audio delivers a new listening mode that dynamically blends Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency to tailor the noise control experience based on the conditions of your environment (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)
  • Personalized Volume adjusts the volume of your media in response to your environment and listening preferences over time (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)
  • Conversation Awareness lowers your media volume and enhances the voices of the people in front of the user, all while reducing background noise (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)
  • Press to mute and unmute your microphone by pressing the AirPods stem or the Digital Crown on AirPods Max when on a call (AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation), or AirPods Max with firmware version 6A300 or later)

Maps

  • Offline Maps allow you to select an area you want to access, search, and explore rich information for places to download for use when your iPhone doesn’t have a Wi-Fi or cellular signal
  • EV routing improvements give you routes based on real-time EV charger availability for supported chargers

Siri

  • Option to say “Siri” in addition to “Hey Siri” for an even more natural way to make requests
  • Back-to-back requests can be issued without needing to reactivate Siri in between commands (iPhone 11 and later)

Visual Look Up

  • Expanded domains in Visual Look Up help you discover similar recipes from photos of food, Maps information from photos of storefronts, and the meaning of signs and symbols on things like laundry tags
  • Multiple or single subjects can be lifted from the background of photos and videos and placed into apps like Messages
  • Visual Look Up in Video helps you learn about objects that appear in paused video frames
  • Visual Look Up for subjects in photos enables you to look up information about objects you lift from photos directly from the callout bar

Health

  • State of Mind reflection allows you to log your momentary emotion and daily mood, choose what factors are having the biggest impact on you, and describe your feelings
  • Interactive charts give you insights into your state of mind, how it has changed over time, and what factors may have influence such as exercise, sleep, and mindful minutes
  • Mental health assessments help you understand your current risk for depression and anxiety and if you might benefit from getting support
  • Screen Distance leverages the TrueDepth camera that powers Face ID to encourage you to increase the distance you view your device to reduce digital eye strain and can help reduce the risk of myopia in children

Privacy

  • Sensitive Content Warnings can be enabled to prevent users from unexpectedly being shown images containing nudity in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, and FaceTime messages
  • Expanded Communication Safety protections for children now detect videos containing nudity in addition to photos that children may receive or attempt to send in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, FaceTime messages, and the system Photo picker
  • Improved sharing permissions give you even more control over what you share with apps, with an embedded photo picker and an add-only Calendar permission
  • Link tracking protection removes extra information from links shared in Messages, Mail, and Safari Private Browsing that some websites use in their URLs to track you across other websites, and links still work as expected

Accessibility

  • Assistive Access distills apps and experiences to their essential features in Phone and FaceTime, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Music, including large text, visual alternatives, and focused choices to lighten cognitive load
  • Live Speech lets you type what you want to say and have it be spoken out loud in phone calls, FaceTime calls, and for in-person conversations
  • Personal Voice enables users who are at risk of losing their voice to privately and securely create a voice that sounds like them on iPhone, and use it with Live Speech in phone and FaceTime calls
  • Point and Speak in Magnifier Detection Mode uses iPhone to read text out loud on physical objects with small text labels, such as keypads on doors and buttons on appliances

This release also includes other features and improvements:

  • Roadside Assistance via satellite lets you contact AAA to help you with vehicle issues when out of Wi-Fi or cellular range (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max)
  • Pets in the People album in Photos surfaces individual pets in the album just like friends or family members
  • Photos Album widget lets you select a specific album from the Photos app to appear in the widget
  • Item sharing in Find My allows you to share an AirTag or Find My network accessory with up to five other people
  • Activity History in Home displays a recent history of events for door locks, garage doors, security systems, and contact sensors
  • Grid Forecast in Home shows when your electrical grid has cleaner energy sources available (Contiguous US only)
  • Grocery Lists in Reminders automatically group related items into sections as you add them
  • Inline PDFs and document scans in Notes are presented full-width, making them easy to view and mark them up
  • New Memoji stickers in Keyboard include Halo, Smirk, and Peekaboo
  • App Shortcuts in Spotlight Top Hit offer you app shortcuts to your next action when you search for an app
  • Redesigned Sharing tab in Fitness provides highlights of your friends’ activity like workout streaks and awards
  • Email or phone number sign-in lets you sign into your iPhone with any email address or phone number listed in your Apple ID account
  • New drawing tools in Freeform include a fountain pen, watercolor brush, ruler and more to create expressive boards
  • Crash Detection optimizations (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max)

September 12 – Apple has seeded iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 release candidates to developers.

August 29 – Apple has released iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 beta 8 to developers.

August 22 – Apple has released iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 beta 7 to developers.

August 15 – Apple has released iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 beta 6 to developers.

August 8 – Apple has released iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 beta 5 to developers.

July 31 – Apple has released updates to iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 beta 4 to developers, alongside the second public betas.

July 25 – Apple has released the fourth developer beta for iOS 17 and iPadOS 17.

July 11 – Apple has released an updated version of third developer beta to developers, as well as the first public betas.

July 5 – Apple has released the third developer beta updates.

June 21 – Apple has released the second developer beta updates.

June 5 – Apple released the first developer beta for iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 to developers.

Features

  • Contact Posters allow users to set custom information for calls, and Live Voicemail provides real-time transcription of voicemails.Ios 17
  • FaceTime gets audio and video reactions, extending to Apple TV 4K with Continuity Camera and Center Stage.
  • Messages app has improved search, swipe to reply, transcribed audio messages, seamless location sharing, and a new Check In feature.iOS 17
  • NameDrop enables easy sharing of phone numbers and email addresses between nearby iPhones.AirDrop - iOS 17
  • Keyboard improves predictions and autocorrect with a transformer language model and learns from user input.
  • Journal app promotes reflection and gratitude through journaling, offering personalized suggestions and scheduled notifications.Journal
  • StandBy mode displays information in landscape mode, customizable with clocks, widgets, weather, Home controls, and third-party widgets.iOS 17
  • Siri no longer requires “Hey Siri” for activation and can carry out back-to-back commands.Siri
  • Safari offers enhanced privacy protection for Private Browsing, password sharing via iCloud Keychain, and mental health features in the Health app.
  • Maps supports offline maps and provides information on trails and charging availability for electric vehicles.
  • AirTag can be shared with up to five people, AirPods receive new features, and the Home app expands its functionality.
  • Visual Look Up, Siri activation with voice command, and improved privacy features are also included.
  • Accessibility enhancements aid users with cognitive disabilities and visual impairments.

iPadOS 17

  • Customizable Lock Screen allows users to personalize their iPad’s lock screen with their favorite images, dynamic photo sets, and Live Photos.iPadOS 17
  • Live Activities and Interactive Widgets provide real-time information and allow users to take immediate action directly from the lock screen.
  • Improved PDF handling in iPadOS 17 allows users to quickly fill in details from their contacts and offers enhanced organization, annotation, and collaboration capabilities in the Notes app.iPadOS 17 notes
  • Messages introduces Live Stickers, an expandable menu for iMessage apps, improved search, and in-line message replies.
  • FaceTime gains Reactions, audio/video messages, and the ability to initiate calls from Apple TV.iPadOS 17 FaceTime
  • Safari offers productivity features with Profiles for separate browsing, Private Browsing with Face ID/Touch ID lock, and improved search capabilities.
  • Health app makes its debut on iPad, providing detailed insights into health data, medication tracking, cycle tracking, and more.Health app iPad
  • Additional features include Stage Manager for flexible window positioning, Freeform with new drawing tools, Spotlight enhancements, Visual Look Up expansion, keyboard improvements, Siri activation with voice command,
  • AirPlay improvements, Reminders with intelligent grocery lists, offline Maps, privacy updates, and accessibility tools.
  • iPad Pro features include multiple open windows, collaboration in Freeform, and a Sensitive Content Warning in Messages.

iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 compatible devices

Here is the list of devices that are compatible with iOS and iPadOS 17:

iOS 17

  • iPhone 14 
  • iPhone 14 Plus
  • iPhone 14 Pro
  • iPhone 14 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13
  • iPhone 13 mini
  • iPhone 13 Pro
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • 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)
  • iPhone SE (3rd generation)

iPadOS 17

  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro (6th-gen, 5th-gen, 4th-gen, 3rd-gen, 2nd-gen)
  • 11-inch iPad Pro (4th-gen, 3rd-gen, 2nd-gen, 1st-gen)
  • 10.5-inch iPad Pro
  • 9.7-inch iPad Pro
  • iPad (6th-gen, 7th-gen, 8th-gen, 9th-gen, 10th-gen)
  • iPad Air (3rd-gen, 4th-gen, 5th-gen)
  • iPad mini (5th-gen, 6th-gen)

How to install iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 beta?

If you want to enroll your device in the developer beta, you will have to register to Apple Developer Center for $99/year, which will provide you access to the beta profile and allow your device to get the beta software updates.

  1. Open Safari on your iPhone and visit developer.apple.com. Tap the menu icon in the top-left corner, then tap Account.
  2. Sign in to your Apple Developer account using your Apple ID and password, along with the two-factor authentication code.
  3. Tap the top-left menu icon again, then tap Account. Accept the legal terms of the Apple Developer Agreement by scrolling down, checking the box, and tapping I Agree.
  4. Ensure your iPhone is running iOS 16.4 or later by going to Settings -> General -> Software Update. If needed, download and install the latest update for your device. If the option is not visible, switch off “Download iOS Updates” under Automatic Updates -> Download iOS Updates, then tap Back.
  5. Tap Beta Updates. Select iOS 17 Developer Beta from the list, then tap Back.
    Wait for the Software Update screen to check Apple’s servers. Once iOS 17 Developer Beta appears, tap Download and Install.
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions and wait for the installation process to complete.

Alternatively, you can wait for the public beta which will be available soon and can be installed for free.

Check out our coverage of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 features:

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