Getting specific and putting commitments on a calendar are two great ways to build consistency in working toward fitness goals. With iOS 17 and watchOS 10, Apple is leveraging both of those tactics to help you get healthier with the ability to make custom Apple Fitness+ plans that can be mapped out for as long as two months.
Last year with watchOS 9, we got the ability to create custom workouts in the Workout app. Now Apple is taking that further with a custom Apple Fitness+ plan tool in iOS 17 and watchOS 10 that lets users get proactive with scheduling weekly and monthly fitness routines.
The new feature lets you select your days of the week, length of time (per day and how many weeks), activity types, instructors, music, body focus, and more.
While it’s great that watchOS 10 supports the new feature, keep in mind Apple opened Fitness+ to work without Apple Watch in the fall of 2022 (just iPad, iPhone, or Apple TV needed).
How to create custom Apple Fitness+ plans
iOS 17 is currently in beta.
Running iOS 17, open the Apple Fitness app on your iPhone (or iPad) and tap the Fitness+ tab
Near the top, look for the new Custom Plans tile, tap Build Your Plan
Pick your weekly schedule, total time per day, and how many weeks you want your fitness plan to run
Now choose which activity types you want to include, then tap Review Plan
In the final step, you can add workouts to each day as well as select your preferred trainers and genres of music
You can also tap the existing workout activities to change equipment and body focus
When you’re all set, tap Create Plan
Here’s how it looks to create custom Apple Fitness+ plans:
Tap the + icon to add workouts to a day or tap one of your scheduled workouts to edit it:
After creating a plan, it will live on the main Fitness+ tab of the Fitness app just below the This Week feature at the top.
There’s a nice big, green “Let’s Go” button just below your workout for each day.
There doesn’t appear to be a way to automatically add the workouts to the native Calendar app at this point in the beta, but that could be coming 😁.
For now, there only appears to be support for one custom plan at a time. When one ends or you cancel one, you can also find Custom Plans (create new and see your past ones) at the bottom of the Fitness+ tab:
One of the big new features coming in iOS 17 is the addition of offline maps to Apple Maps, which lets you download a map region ahead of time and navigate without Wi-Fi or cell service.
Although several years behind Google Maps, the Apple Maps implementation of offline maps is very well done. In fact, it is even intelligent enough to remind you to download an offline map in advance, if you are getting directions to an area with poor reception.
When planning a route on an iPhone running iOS 17, Apple Maps will look ahead and check to see the cell service of your route. If it knows that the cell service will be poor before you get to your destination, the route options screen will automatically include a link to download a map that covers your route.
That means you won’t be caught lost once you set off, due to a lack of network connectivity. At this stage, it is a bit unclear how Apple Maps determines whether to show the ‘limited service’ warning. Perhaps, it is based on telemetry collected by other Apple Maps users. It may also be region limited; we could only make it appear for US national parks, but it is possible it rolls out more widely over time.
Once downloaded, you can manage your collection of offline maps by tapping on your profile picture inside the Maps app. Automatic updates means that Apple Maps periodically updates your downloaded maps with the latest POI and cartography, on your behalf. This means the maps never go out of date.
Downloaded maps are also browsable on your Apple Watch, if the paired iPhone is nearby.
Other improvements to Apple Maps with iOS 17 include an upgrade to the experience for EV owners. Maps can now integrate real-time availability information for charging spaces with support for Tesla Supercharger network, Chargepoint, Electrify America and more.
iOS 17 adds real-time charging availability info for EV drivers
With iOS 17 this year, Apple is further expanding on its set of features in Apple Maps for electric car owners. Starting this year, Apple Maps will show real-time charging availability information and let drivers choose a preferred charging network.
Apple first announced support for EV routing in Apple Maps back at WWDC 2020. The feature eventually debuted for Ford Mustang Mach-E drivers last year, followed by Porsche Taycan drivers earlier this year.
With iOS 17 installed on your iPhone, Apple Maps will prompt you to set up your preferred charging networks for your EV. You can choose from a long list of options, including Electrify America, Chargepoint, Tesla’s Supercharger network, and more.
Once you choose your preferred networks, Apple Maps will intelligently present you with real-time charging availability information. For instance, this will show the number of total stalls available at a specific charging station and how many of those are currently occupied.
Based on the electric car you drive, Apple Maps will only show you charging options that are compatible with the charging connector used by your car. In iOS 17 beta 1, the feature still appears to be a work in progress and is missing some of the necessary data.
“When driving an electric vehicle, you can now choose a preferred charging network and see real-time charging station availability,” Apple explains.
As of right now, it appears that this feature is only available to cars that support Apple Maps EV routing, which is only the Mach-E and Taycan. Still, we expect more EV makers to adopt the feature in the future, and this is a great improvement to have – especially when using CarPlay.
iOS 17: How to download and use offline maps with Apple Maps
Apple Maps has improved leaps and bounds over the last decade, but one area it has always been lacking is offline use. Google Maps and others have let you download maps to be available offline for a long time.
That feature gap is now closed with iOS 17. Apple Maps now lets you download a maps region to store on your device, and use entirely offline for navigation and routing without an internet connection. Here’s how.
Offline maps are useful when travelling abroad, but also at home when you can’t always rely on a network being available. If you often travel through cellular deadspots, especially applicable to some highways and suburban areas, having maps available offline is a nice safety net so that you know you won’t get lost.
With Apple Maps on iOS 17, you can now save a region of the map locally on your iPhone. As long as you stay inside the bounds of the downloaded map, you can get turn-by-turn directions entirely offline; for driving, walking, cycling, for transit. You can also simple pan and zoom around the map in the Maps app, with no waiting for things to load. Offline maps also include POI data like opening hours.
Apple Maps downloaded to your iPhone will also be available on the Apple Watch, when the paired iPhone is nearby. The watch cannot download maps directly.
How to download an offline map in iOS 17
To download a map, press on your avatar in the panel and press on the new Offline Maps button.
Select “Download New Map”.
Search for the area you want to download. iOS will automatically suggest your home area.
On the preview, you can refine the bounds and the app will tell you how much storage space you’ll need to save the map.
Press “Download” button to confirm and the map will appear in the Downloaded list.
Obviously, the larger the region, the bigger the download size. You can repeat the process and download as many different regions as you need. What’s also nice is that offline maps are not a one-time static snapshot; they will be automatically updated with the latest changes, when a network is available.
Downloads default to happening only over the WiFi network. You can change the setting to download over cellular as well.
Offline Only Mode
With a map downloaded, when no network is available, Apple Maps will use the downloaded map if applicable for your current location. When internet is available, Maps will always look up data over the network to incorporate information like realtime traffic.
However, you can force the app to only use downloaded map content. To do this, from the same settings panel as described above, enable the toggle for “Only Use Offline Maps”.
Google is finally adding a native translate capability to Gmail for Android and iOS after long supporting it on the web client.
Update 8/21: Gmail’s translate feature is rolling out via a server-side update. We’re seeing it with version 2023.07.23.x. It’s not yet widely available, but one way to check is by tapping the second overflow menu in the message body for “Translate.”
That option brings up a banner with the settings gear letting you select something other than “Detect language.”
Before the message body, Gmail will show a “Translate to” banner. Tapping updates what appears below with the ability to “Show original” again and “Automatically translate” a specific language going forward.
Press the settings gear to pick another output language, with over 100 supported. This prompt appears when the contents of an email doesn’t match your “Gmail display language,” which is the first dropdown menu in web app settings.
You can manually translate a language by going into the three-dot overflow menu in the top-right corner if an email was not recognized. The feature can also be disabled for a specific language by clicking ‘x’ on the banner and then “Don’t translate [language] again.”
Translations in Gmail for Android are rolling out from today onwards, while it will come to iOS in the coming weeks. This is a much-needed integration as users previously had to open an email on their computer, or taking a screenshot on mobile and send it to Google Lens or Translate.
Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts
Gmail encouraging users to enable Enhanced Safe Browsing
Over the past few days, Google has been prominently promoting Enhanced Safe Browsing in the Gmail apps.
Appearing just above your inbox on Android and the web, getting “additional protection against phishing” is the main benefit for Gmail users: “Turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing to get additional protection against dangerous emails.”
We first saw this message on Friday, and it’s seeing a wide rollout. Google touts:
Provide real-time security scanning to warn you about or block dangerous websites, downloads, and extensions.
Improve Google’s ability to detect and protect against phishing and malware for you and everyone on the web.
Give you better protection from dangerous links across Google apps.
In other security news, Google shared today that “70% of Google Accounts, owned by people regularly using our products, automatically benefit from second factor authentication that confirms their identity when a suspicious sign-in is detected.” The company is looking forward to wider passkey adoption.
What is Enhanced Safe Browsing
First introduced three years ago in Chrome, Enhanced Safe Browsing provides real-time web protections. The standard, non-enhanced version works by checking the URL of sites you visit against a local list that is downloaded/refreshed every 30 minutes (as of 2020). This list is widely used by many other apps and browsers.
Google created Enhanced Safe Browsing because “sophisticated phishing sites” got around the update period. “Uncommon URLs” are sent in real time to determine whether you’re about to visit a phishing site, with Chrome also sending a “small sample of pages and suspicious download,” while Gmail, Google Drive, and other apps you’re signed in to contribute data.
Later on, Enhanced Safe Browsing expanded to provide warnings about Chrome extensions, conduct in-depth file analysis, leverage ML models, and is now also available in Chrome for iOS.
It’s also accessible in Chrome settings: chrome://settings/security.
New Gmail ‘Offer times you’re free’ tool streamlines calendar scheduling
Google is rolling out a new Calendar tool in the Gmail web client that makes it easier and faster to schedule meetings.
When composing an email on the web, the toolbar will feature a new Calendar icon at the right with two options:
Create an event: This functionality was previously accessed from the “three dot menu on top of the email conversation view.” Event title and recipients are pre-filled from the email. Gmail will also automatically insert an event summary into the email body for easy sharing.
Offer times you’re free: This new option opens the Calendar side panel, where you can “select and insert proposed meeting times” by highlighting what’s free in your primary calendar across multiple days. Recipients will be able to select one of the proposed times via an interactive email reply, and this will automatically generate a Calendar invite after confirming their name and email address.
At the moment, Offer times you’re free only works for 1:1 meetings: “If multiple people are included in the recipient list, only the first person to book an appointment will be added to the event automatically.”
Google hopes to make “scheduling much easier by reducing the back-and-forth in lengthy email threads when negotiating or scheduling meeting times.” This is rolling out over the coming weeks:
Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts
Apple released watchOS 9.6.1 for Apple Watch users on Tuesday but without an accompanying iOS 16.6.1 update. A new rumor today suggests that Apple isn’t planning iOS 16.6.1 and is instead planning to jump all the way to iOS 16.7. Simultaneously, Apple has also started ramping up iOS 17.1 testing.
watchOS 9.6.1 addresses a bug in Apple’s Movement Disorder API that had prevented access to that data by researchers and third-party applications.
Typically (but not always), when Apple releases an update for one of its platforms, it releases accompanying updates for other platforms. This is especially true for watchOS, with Apple generally trying to keep lock-step between watchOS and iOS when possible.
That being said, a new rumor today from a previously accurate source on Twitter suggests that Apple is instead planning to jump to iOS 16.7 with its next update. The company reportedly isn’t planning to release iOS 16.6.1.
There’s no word on when Apple might release iOS 16.7 to the public, and the update is not actively being beta tested with developers. Last year, the first and only iOS 15.7 beta was released alongside the final iOS 16 beta. The stable iOS 15.7 update for everyone was released alongside iOS 16 on September 12, with a handful of bug fixes and security improvements.
In recent years, Apple has allowed users to remain on a previous year’s iOS release instead of immediately updating to the new version. For example, Apple actively encouraged users to update to iOS 15.7 rather than iOS 16 on day one last year.
iOS 17.1 testing ramps up
As of right now, there’s no evidence of iOS 16.7. This will likely change as we inch closer to a release sometime next month.
Interestingly, there has been a subtle uptick in iOS 17.1 users on over the last several weeks. iOS 17.1 could potentially add some of the features that aren’t included in the iOS 17 initial release, such as the new Journal app, additional AirDrop improvements, and collaborative playlists in Apple Music.
Last year, iOS 16.1 was released on October 24 with new features including iCloud Shared Photo Library, Live Activities for third-party apps, key sharing in the Wallet app, and more.
Apple releases watchOS 9.6.1 update for Apple Watch users
Apple is rolling out a new software update to Apple Watch users ahead of watchOS 10’s launch in September. Starting today, watchOS 9.6.1 is rolling out with a fix for the Movement Disorder API.
This update includes a fix for an issue that prevents access to motion data for apps that use the Movement Disorder API to track tremors and symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.
The Movement Disorder API was first launched in 2018 as a way for developers to offer passive, all-day monitoring via an Apple Watch. The API is able to monitor two common symptoms of Parkinson’s, including Tremors, indicated by shaking and quivering detected by the Apple Watch. The API can also monitor for Dyskinesia, a side-effect of treatments for Parkinson’s that causes fidgeting and swaying motions in patients.
The bug in watchOS 9.6 prevented third-party apps from accessing this data. Apple says the issue has been rectified with today’s release of watchOS 9.6.1.
You can update your Apple Watch by going to the Apple Watch companion app or to the Settings app on the Apple Watch itself. The build number for watchOS 9.6.1 is 20U80.
As of right now, there’s no sign of other updates from Apple, including iOS 16 and macOS Ventura. We’ll be sure to let you know if any other updates are released today.
Apple’s Shortcuts app has evolved a lot since the company acquired Workflow in 2017. For those unfamiliar, it lets users create a series of automated processes on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and even Apple Watch. And with iOS 17, Apple is adding even more functionality to the app, which now supports Camera app actions.
Camera app shortcuts coming to iOS 17
As noted by Matthew Cassineli, the latest iOS 17 beta available to developers and public beta testers adds new Shortcuts actions to open specific camera modes in the Camera app. With the new “Open Camera” action, users can choose between different camera modes and “immediately open any preset using Shortcuts.”
There are up to nine different modes available, which vary depending on the device you have:
Photo
Selfie
Video
Portrait
Portrait Selfie
Cinematic
Slo-Mo
Time-Lapse
Pano
These shortcuts can be very useful for a lot of things, like creating voice commands to use Siri to open the Camera app in a specific mode. You can also add icons to quickly access a specific mode right from your Home Screen.
ChatGPT for iOS adds Siri & Shortcuts support, and proper iPad app
This shortcut brings deep ChatGPT integration to native iOS features and apps
Workflow cofounder and Shortcuts engineering manager departs Apple
More about iOS 17
iOS 17 comes with a bunch of new features for the iPhone. These include enhancements to FaceTime and Messages, a new StandBy mode, interactive Home Screen widgets, NameDrop, and smarter keyboard suggestions. For the iPad, the update brings a brand new customizable Lock Screen, plus support for microphones and USB webcams.
iOS 17 beta is currently available through the Apple Developerand Apple Beta Softwareprograms. The official release to the public is expected this fall.
Apple acquires powerful iOS automation app Workflow, makes it available for free
Apple way back 2017 acquired popular iOS tool Workflow, which allows users to combine the functionalities of various apps together to automate normally complex processes. According to TechCrunch, Apple finalized the deal today but financial details are not yet available.
In a statement, Workflow developer Ari Weinstein said that the team is thrilled to be joining Apple and remarked on how amazing of a journey it has been going from the company’s beginnings to today:
“We are thrilled to be joining Apple,” said Weinstein in a statement. “We’ve worked closely with Apple from the very beginning, from kickstarting our company as students attending WWDC to developing and launching Workflow and seeing its amazing success on the App Store. We can’t wait to take our work to the next level at Apple and contribute to products that touch people across the world.”
Apple has also confirmed the acquisition. The company said in a statement that Workflow’s use of iOS accessibility features is something that really makes the app standout out from other services. In 2015, the app won an Apple Design Award, something Apple attributes to those accessibility features in today’s statement:
“The Workflow app was selected for an Apple Design Award in 2015 because of its outstanding use of iOS accessibility features, in particular an outstanding implementation for VoiceOver with clearly labeled items, thoughtful hints, and drag/drop announcements, making the app usable and quickly accessible to those who are blind or low-vision.”
Workflow is based around the idea of transforming a process that would normally take a handful of interactions with iOS into a single tap. The goal is to “hide” a complex set of commands under a single, instant tap of a button.
What’s somewhat unusual about Apple’s acquisition of Workflow is that the app will remain on the App Store and has transformed into a free offering today. It’s unclear at this point how the Workflow team will be integrated into Apple, but the acquisition is good news for pro users who have called on Apple to make iOS more powerful, as well as good news for those who have called the iOS interface overly complicated.
iOS 17 beta 4: Here’s what new
iOS 17 beta 4 is here, and it includes a handful of small changes and new features for iPhone and iPad users. Head below as we round up everything that’s changed ahead of iOS 17 being released to the general public in September.
The first beta of iOS 17 was released following the WWDC on June 5, and beta two was released two weeks later on June 21. iOS 17 beta 2 included updates to AirDrop, changes to the Settings app, crossfade support in Apple Music, and more. iOS 17 beta 3 was released on July 5 and brought more in-depth credits to the Music and more.
Since the release of iOS 17 beta 3, Apple also released the first iOS 17 public beta. We expect a new iOS 17 public beta build to be released sometime later this week or early next week.
What’s new in iOS 17 beta 4?
Ahead of Photo Stream being shut down this week, iOS 17 beta 4 removes the feature entirely.
iOS 17 beta 4 includes a new toggle in the Settings app that allows users to disable the ability to initiate AirDrop transfers by bringing two devices close together.
In the Messages app, Apple has tweaked the layout and icons for Messages apps in iOS 17 beta 4.
As spotted by Hidde Collee on Twitter, iOS 17 beta 4 includes a slightly tweaked design for buttons in the TV app.
There’s also a new AirPlay picker animation included in iOS 17 beta 4:
Apple introduced a bunch of new capabilities for web apps with iOS 16.4, including access to push notifications and permission for third-party apps to add web apps to the iPhone and iPad Home Screen. Now popular web browser Google Chrome is taking advantage of these new features, as its latest update lets users add their favourite websites to the iOS Home Screen.
You can now add web apps to your iPhone or iPad using Google Chrome
As noted by Chris Messina, the latest update to Google Chrome for iOS provides an option that lets users add web apps to the Home Screen. This means that anyone can now save a website for quick access on the Home Screen without having to leave Chrome and use Safari. Previously, this option was restricted to Apple’s web browser.
“You can now add URLs or Progressive Web Apps to your home screen,” the release notes for this week’s update said. Of course, this requires the latest version of Google Chrome for iOS and also a device running iOS 16.4 or later – as previous versions of the operating system don’t have this API.
When a web app is added to the iOS Home Screen, you can open and use it as if it were a regular app, which means you won’t be redirected to open it in Safari, Google Chrome, or another web browser. With iOS 16.4 or later, these web apps can also provide you with push notifications, just like native apps.
Apple has been putting a lot of effort into finally embracing web apps. With macOS Sonoma, which is available as beta software and will be officially released later this year, Mac users can also save websites as web apps using Safari. Some believe these changes are an attempt by Apple to dodge accusations of anti-competitive practices when it comes to the App Store.
iCloud Passwords for Chrome are no longer only on Windows
macOS Sonoma’s best-kept secret is really no secret at all, and it’s something Chrome browser users are going to love.
For the longest time, Apple has supported iCloud Keychain for both Safari and Chrome users. The only catch is that Chrome users needed to use Windows. iCloud Keychain was a Safari-only party on the Mac.
That’s about to change with macOS Sonoma. The new version of macOS will be the first to expand iCloud Keychain support beyond Safari.
The existing iCloud Passwords extension for Chrome has been updated to version 2.0.5 on July 12,2023, and it works great on Chrome for macOS 14.
Chrome extensions aren’t just limited to Google’s Chrome browser either. They work on Chromium-based browsers, too, including the Browser Company’s interesting new Arc browser. So does the iCloud Passwords extension.
iCloud Passwords for the Microsoft Edge macOS browser also reached version 2.0.5 today, and iCloud Keychain on macOS Sonoma is fully compatible.
This lets you easily enter usernames, passwords, and authentication codes from iCloud Keychain without copying and pasting from System Settings on the Mac. The iCloud Passwords extension makes these browsers just as compatible as Safari.
macOS Sonoma was announced last month and is currently in developer and public beta. Apple released the first public beta version of macOS 14 July 12,2023.
Do Not Disturb mode lets you work or have fun without distractions from your iPhone.
When you want to work or watch a movie without distractions, turn on Do Not Disturb on your iPhone. A new Apple video shows how to activate this mode.
The activation process is simple enough that this Apple Support video mostly serves as a reminder that Do Not Disturb is available.
How to turn on Do Not Disturb with a couple of taps
Our iPhones keep us in constant contact with the world, but sometimes what we need from our handsets is peace and quiet. Whether it’s because you’re in a meeting, napping or having a heart-to-heart with a loved one turn on Do Not Disturb mode to hush your iPhone.
Activating it takes only a couple of steps. The button you need is in the Control Center, so start by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen on iPhone (or iPad).
Open the Control Center and then a couple of taps is all it takes.
Once the Control Center is open, tap on the Focus button, then tap the Do Not Disturb button, which features a moon, to activate the feature immediately.
When you’re finished with your meeting or movie, reopen the Control Center and you’ll see the Focus button has been replaced by the Do Not Disturb button. Tap this to deactivate the mode.
With Do Not Disturb active, all audible alarms are silenced, and your handset won‘t vibrate. Also, the screen won’t come on whenever a notification comes in. Your iPhone is saving all these up for when the mode is deactivated.
Put your iPhone into Do Not Disturb mode and all your other Apple computers switch themselves to the same mode.
Tap on the section with three dots on the Do Not Disturb button to display options for automatically turning the mode off. It can be active for an hour, until evening or — perhaps most usefully — until you leave your current location.
Use Do Not Disturb with Focus on your iPhone or iPad
With Focus in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 or later, you can use Do Not Disturb to silence calls, alerts, and notifications that you get while your device is locked. You can also schedule Do Not Disturb and allow calls from certain people.
When you have Do Not Disturb turned on, a crescent moon icon appears in the status bar and on your Lock Screen.
Turn on Do Not Disturb
Go to Settings > Focus.
Tap Do Not Disturb.
Under Turn on Automatically, set Do Not Disturb to turn on automatically at a certain time, location, or while using a certain app.
If you don’t want to be disturbed at a certain time, you can set a schedule and change other Do Not Disturb features to help you concentrate.
Go to Settings > Focus.
Tap Do Not Disturb.
You can select allowed or silenced notifications from people and apps, connect your Lock Screen or Home Screen, have this Focus turn on automatically, and add Focus filters.
Considering testing out the iOS 17 public beta? From the new smart display mode to new health features, interactive widgets to a new Messages experience, Live Voicemail to offline Apple Maps, and more, here are the top 10 iOS 17 features you should try out.
iOS 17 has been in testing with developers since early June and now the public beta has launched.
Apple changed things up this year by making even the developer beta free for anyone. But the arrival of the public beta marks a more stable point in the testing process when Apple is comfortable with non-developers installing the software.
But even though the iOS 17 beta is quite stable at this point, bug and performance issues are common during the beta period. So don’t forget to make an iOS 16 backup for your iPhone just in case you want to downgrade.
Top 10 features to try out with the iOS 17 beta
StandBy mode
Contact Posters
Live Voicemail
Personal Voice
Offline Apple Maps
Share Passwords with friends, family, and colleagues
Automatically delete iPhone 2FA codes
Interactive widgets
Messages new UI and stickers
Screen Distance for eye health
iPhone StandBy mode
Apple enhances the Lock Screen experience this year in iOS 17 with the new landscape StandBy mode for iPhone.
Some of the available options include dual-view, customizable setups while others have different clock faces that take up the whole screen. Check out all the details in our full walkthrough:
Contact Posters
Another neat way iOS 17 gets more customization is Contact Posters. There are lots of ways to create different designs and you can make them for yourself as well as others.
Live Voicemail
Live Voicemail makes it easy to know if you’d like to pick up a call while someone is leaving a message without having to call them back.
Personal Voice
Personal Voice is an impressive capability that lets users bank their voice in the event they lose it in the future. Whether for those with a degenerative disease or if you just like to be prepared, Personal Voice makes it easy to create and securely store a replica of your voice.
Offline Apple Maps
Want to save battery or won’t have a connection where you’re going? With iOS 17 you can download Apple Maps for offline use.
Shared passwords
Password sharing with anyone or any group is seamless with the ability to create shared iCloud Keychain vaults.
Automatically delete 2FA codes
Simple and very useful, iOS 17 can automatically delete 2FA code texts after you’ve used them.
Interactive widgets
Widgets get a nice upgrade with functionality right on your Home or Lock Screen. Here’s a look at them in action with the Home app widget.
Messages stickers and new UI
Instead of emoji responses being limited to the six tapback choices, with iOS 17 you can respond to any text or image with an emoji or custom sticker.
Along with that, there’s a new UI for iMessage apps.
Screen Distance
This is a new eye health feature that helps prevent eye strain for all ages and helps reduce the likelihood of myopia for children.
It’s easy to set up and very effective.
one bonus feature. But this one requires signing up for an Apple Developer account and installing Xcode on your Mac (which is free but more involved):
AirPods Pro 2 Adaptive Audio
Coming with iOS 17 are a range of new capabilities for AirPods Pro that really feel like magic. Check out a closer look at Adaptive Audio with AirPods Pro 2.
Following the release of the iOS 17 beta for developers in June, Apple has now released a public beta for anyone interested in trying out the new software ahead of the official launch this fall. But if you’re planning to install iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 beta on your iPhone or iPad, be sure to archive a backup of your device running iOS 16 for an eventual downgrade.
As you may know, beta software is unfinished and can have a lot of bugs. That’s why it’s always important to have a backup of all your data in case you need to restore your iPhone or iPad to a stable version of iOS. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.
The most convenient way to back up your data is probably through iCloud. However, iCloud automatically overwrites your old backup with the new one, which means that even if you back up a device on iOS 16, it will eventually be overwritten by a new backup with iOS 17 data. This is not good for users who may need to downgrade their iOS version.
There’s a way to archive a backup of an iOS device for situations like this. However, it requires using a Mac or PC. Before you follow the steps below, make sure your Mac is running the latest version of macOS. If you have a Windows PC, make sure you install the latest version of iTunes or Apple Devices Preview.
Here’s how to archive a backup of your iOS device
Connect your iPhone or iPad to a Mac or PC via USB.
Find your device in Finder (macOS), iTunes or Apple Devices app (Windows).
You may need to set your computer as trusted on your iPhone or iPad by entering your Lock Screen passcode.
Click the Back Up Now button.
You may be asked to create a password to encrypt your backup. A password is required to back up passwords and data from the Health app.
Wait until the backup is complete. It may take a while, depending on how much data you have on your device.
Click the Manage Backups button.
Select the most recent backup from the list, right-click on it and choose Archive.
By following these steps, your Mac or PC will keep that backup archived. Even if you make a newer backup later, the archived backup will remain there untouched.
Downgrading with an archived backup
If you eventually downgrade from iOS 17 to iOS 16, your computer will ask you if you want to set up your iPhone or iPad as new or restore data from a backup. Select the Restore from Backup option and then choose the archived backup with iOS 16 data. That’s important because you can’t restore an iOS 17 backup on a device running iOS 16.
n order to downgrade the software of an iPhone or iPad, you also need to connect it to a computer and then put it in Recovery Mode. You can find more details on how to downgrade to a stable version of iOS on Apple’s website.
Note: If you’re having trouble connecting your iPhone or iPad running iOS 17 beta to your Mac running macOS Ventura, try downloading and installing “Device Support for macOS 14 beta” from the Apple Developer website.
Here’s how to install the iOS 17 public or developer beta
The iOS 17 beta is officially here for public testers after previously launching for developers. This summer, it’s easier to install the software thanks to a new streamlined process. Follow along for how to install iOS 17 beta, tips on what to do if it’s not showing up, and more.
Note as of 7/13/23: The iOS 17 public beta is now available alongside the first public betas for watchOS 10, macOS Sonoma, and tvOS 17.
Starting with iOS 16.4 Apple brought the ability to turn on developer and public betas right within Settings.
While Apple at first said you’d have to use the same Apple ID as in iOS Settings to get the betas, that changed earlier this spring. Now you can select which Apple ID you want to use with the beta.
Keep in mind even though the iOS 17 beta is relatively stable at this point, bug and performance issues are common during the beta period.
How to install iOS 17 beta – public
Make a fresh backup of your iPhone or iPad – important in case you want or need to downgrade to iOS 16 (Apple recommends doing a Mac or PC backup)
You may need to sign in with your Apple ID at beta.apple.com if you haven’t before
Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad running at least iOS 16.4
Tap General > Software Update
Choose the new Beta Updates button (it may take a moment to appear)
Now choose iOS 17 Public Beta
If you need to change your Apple ID associated with the beta, you can tap that at the bottom
Choose Back when done
Look for iOS 17 Public Beta to appear, choose Download and Install
If you’re not seeing the option to turn on beta updates or iOS 17 appear:
Try quitting and relaunching the Settings app
Double check you’re running iOS 16.4 or later (if not you’ll need to update before getting the in-Settings beta option)
Sign in with your Apple ID at beta.apple.com for free then try the above steps again
How to install iOS 17 beta – developer
A paid Apple Developer account is no longer needed – but you may need to sign in with your Apple ID at developer.apple.com if you haven’t before
Make a fresh backup of your iPhone or iPad – important in case you want or need to downgrade to iOS 16 (Apple recommends doing a Mac or PC backup)
Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad running at least iOS 16.4
Tap General > Software Update
Choose the new Beta Updates button (it may take a moment to appear)
Now choose iOS 17 Developer Beta
If you need to change your Apple ID associated with the beta, you can tap that at the bottom
Choose Back when done
Look for iOS 17 Developer Beta to appear, choose Download and Install
If you’re not seeing the option to turn on beta updates or iOS 17 appear:
Try quitting and relaunching the Settings app
Double check you’re running iOS 16.4 or later (if not you’ll need to update before getting the in-Settings beta option)
Sign in with your Apple ID at developer.apple.com for free then try the above steps again
Here’s how the process looks:
iOS 17 drops support for iPhone 8 and X; here are all compatible models
Apple has finally announced iOS 17, which brings a lot of improvements and new features to the iPhone operating system. This includes more customization options for the Lock Screen, improved iMessage and FaceTime, new features for the Health app, and a new Standby mode. But not all iPhone models will be compatible with the update. Read on as we detail which iPhones can run iOS 17.
The update has four focuses: communication, sharing, intelligent input, and new experiences. It’s worth noting that some features like the Journal app will not be available with the first release of iOS 17.
“With iOS 17, we’ve made iPhone more personal and intuitive by deeply considering the features we all rely on every day,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “Phone, FaceTime, and Messages are central to how we communicate, and this release is packed with updates we think our users are going to love. We’ve also reimagined AirDrop with new ways to share, autocorrect gets even better, and we’re introducing all-new experiences with Journal and StandBy, plus so much more. We can’t wait for everyone to try it.”
iPhone models compatible with iOS 17
Unfortunately, iOS 17 requires the A12 Bionic chip or later. This means that iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X won’t get the update.
Here’s a list of all iPhone models that are compatible with iOS 17:
iPhone XS and XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max
iPhone 12 and 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max
iPhone 13 and 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max
iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max
iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd gen)
More about the update
iOS 17 will be available as a beta software for developers later today. A public beta will be available next month, while the official release is expected this fall. Developers can learn more on iOS 17 on Apple’s website.
iOS 17 beta 3 is here for developers, and it includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhone users. Head below as we recap everything new in today’s update, including changes to the Music app and more.
The first beta of iOS 17 was released following the WWDC on June 5, and beta two was released two weeks later on June 21. iOS 17 beta 2 included updates to AirDrop, changes to the Settings app, crossfade support in Apple Music, and more.
iOS 17 beta 3: New features and changes
iOS 17 beta 3 adds more in-depth song credit information to Apple Music, which Apple first announced at WWDC. This allows users to view in-depth details on producers, performing artists, songwriters, and more.
Apple Music now has a dedicated song credits section in iOS 17
The redesigned app picker in the Messages app has been slightly tweaked to show your most recent photo as the icon for the “Photos” button. Previously, it just showed a generic photos glyph.
iOS 17 beta 3 adds a new “What’s new” splash screen to the Home app, as well as an updated scrolling interface for adjusting the color of multi-color lights. There is also a new icon option for garage doors, making for three choices total.
In the Settings app, “Depth Control” is now its own toggle in “Preserve Settings.” Previously, it was lumped into the Creative Controls category.
Apple Music now has a dedicated song credits section in iOS 17
One of the differences between Apple Music Classical and the main app is that the Classical app highlights the song credits. And after many users have asked for that feature in the main Apple Music app, Apple is now giving users what they want. With iOS 17 beta 3, which was released to developers on Wednesday, Apple Music now has a section dedicated to song credits.
Apple Music now shows song credits in iOS 17
As noted by Hidde Collee, there’s a new option in the Apple Music app with the latest iOS 17 beta that lets users check the detailed credits for each song. The feature had already been announced by Apple at WWDC 2023, but it wasn’t available in the previous betas.
In order to check the credits for a song, all you need to do is tap the three-dot button and then choose the View Credits option. The credits are organized into different categories, such as performing artists, songwriting and lyrics, and production and engineering. The new section also shows whether the song is available in Dolby Atmos and Lossless.
iOS 17 will also bring some other new features to Apple Music. This includes Crossfade, Collaborative Playlists, a new miniplayer, and SharePlay coming to CarPlay. With the exception of Collaborative Playlists, which is coming later this year, all of these features are available now with the current beta.
More about the update
iOS 17 comes with multiple new features, including more options for customizing the Lock Screen, improved iMessage and FaceTime, StandBy mode, interactive widgets, and NameDrop.
The third iOS 17 beta is now available to developers. Apple says a public beta will be available this month, while the official release is expected this fall. More details on how to install the beta update can be found on the Apple Developer website.
appears in the status bar and on your Lock Screen.
