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.
How to limit iPhone Photos app access for apps with iOS 17
One of the new privacy improvements with iOS 17 is a new embedded Photos picker for third-party apps plus alerts about which apps have full access to your photo library. Follow along for how to limit iPhone Photos app access for apps with iOS 17.
While Apple includes the ability to limit third-party photo and video access to selected content with iOS 16, there are several upgrades to improve awareness and privacy in this area with iOS 17.
Along with the new Photos picker and alerts about apps with full access to your iPhone camera roll, Apple says when apps ask for Photos app privileges in iOS 17, users will “be shown more information about what they’ll be sharing…”
That includes reminding users that apps may be able to see location data and image captions, explaining why an app wants Photos app access, and the current amount of photos and videos in your library.
How to limit iPhone Photos app access for apps with iOS 17
iOS 17 is currently in beta. Keep in mind features can change during the beta period.
After installing iOS 17 on your iPhone, look out for automatic alerts about apps that have had full access to your Photos app library and decide if you want to continue to allow it
You can choose between Limited Access, Allow Full Access, or Don’t Allow
You will also see the alert when an app asks for Photos app permissions for the first time
To limit iPhone Photos app access at any time, head to Settings > swipe down and find the app you want to restrict > choose Photos > tap None or Limited Access
Here’s how it looks to limit iPhone Photos app access when you open iOS 17 Settings > pick a third-party app:
After you switch an app’s access from full to limited, you’ll see the iOS 17 Photos picker. You can use the Photos or Albums toggle at the top, use the search bar, or just swipe and select.
Tap Done in the top right corner when you’re finished.
After you set up limited Photos app access for an app, you can revisit to change it at any point by heading back to Settings > app > Photos > Edit Selected Photos.
Note: There is a lower level of Photos app access in iOS 17 that some apps use. In Settings, just two options will appear: “None” and “Add Photos Only” with the latter being where you manually select content to use/send with the app.
iPhone Screen Distance in iOS 17 protects your eyes, here’s how it works
One of the new health features for iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 can help prevent eye strain for everyone, as well as lower the risk of myopia (nearsightedness) in kids. Here’s how to use iPhone Screen Distance and how it works.
Apple highlights that it’s best to keep devices at least 12 inches away from your eyes. But of course, it’s easy to be in the habit of using them closer than that.
So with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, there’s a handy new feature called Screen Distance that makes it easy to build the habit of using your iPhone and iPad at a healthy distance. For kids that reduces the risk of myopia and for everyone helps reduce or prevent eye strain.
Here’s how Apple describes how it works:
“Screen Distance works by measuring the distance between the screen and your eyes. The camera is not capturing images or video, and the data collected remains on the device and is not shared with Apple.”
How to use iPhone Screen Distance in iOS 17
iOS 17 is currently in beta.Keep in mind features can change during the beta period.
On your iPhone or iPad with Face ID running iOS 17, open the Settings app
Choose Screen Time now look below and tap Screen Distance
Now tap Continue, then Turn On Screen Distance
Here’s how it looks to use iPhone Screen Distance:
After you tap “Turn On Screen Distance,” you’re all set up.
Shown in the middle and right screenshot below, here’s what it looks like when iPhone or iPad detects you’ve been holding your device too close.
After you pull it away from your face, tap “Continue” to exit the Screen Distance pop-up.
In my time with Screen Distance so far, I’ve realized I tend to use my iPhone too close in the evening. And the feature has been really helpful in changing that habit.
Apple doesn’t give an exact time that’s too long to hold iPhone and iPad less than 12 inches but I’ve seen the Screen Shield pop up in about five minutes.
iPhone Live Voicemail: How to use and turn off/on in iOS 17
iPhone Live Voicemail is a new feature arriving with iOS 17 that will help with the growing problem of spam calls as well as deciding when you want/need to answer from callers you do know. Follow along for how to use and turn off/on iPhone Live Voicemail.
Here’s how Apple describes the new iOS 17 feature:
“Live Voicemail gives users the ability to see real-time transcription as someone leaves a voicemail, and the opportunity to pick up while the caller is leaving their message. Calls identified as spam by carriers won’t appear as Live Voicemail, and will instead be instantly declined. With the power of the Neural Engine, Live Voicemail transcription is handled on-device and remains entirely private.”
Since 100% of spam calls on iPhone are not blocked by carriers, it’s possible some may make it through to iPhone Live Voicemail. Fortunately, there’s a block button built into the feature so you can take care of those quickly.
How to turn off/on iPhone Live Voicemail and how it works
iOS 17 is currently in beta.
iPhone Live Voicemail is turned on by default with iOS 17
Head to Settings > Phone > Live Voicemail to turn it off
When you receive a call and let it go or send it to voicemail, you’ll see the phone and recording icon in the Dynamic Island or at the top of your iPhone
Tap the phone icon to jump to the Live Voicemail transcription
Now you can block the caller, answer the call, or let them finish leaving a voicemail – and you can swipe up from the bottom to leave Live Voicemail at any time
Here’s how iPhone Live Voice Mail looks in action:
Here’s how to restore an old iPhone to a new iPhone, recover data from a backup, or go back to an older version of iOS by wiping your iPhone and restoring from a backup.
When you move to a new iPhone you don’t want to spend ages setting everything up from scratch to get the apps, data and settings just the way you like them. That’s why restoring from a backup is so convenient: one quick tap, a bit of a wait, and you’re good to go.
The same is true if a phone malfunctions badly, or is bricked. Knowing you can wipe the iPhone and recover your photos, documents and data easily from an iCloud or a computer backup is reassuring.
A backup is also an insurance that, should your iPhone be lost or stolen, you won’t lose everything on it. It’s easier to replace the device than the memories and other data stored on it.
Yes, backups are an essential part of the modern digital life. But knowing how to restore an iPhone from that backup is just as important.
Step 1: Find your iPhone backup
First things first: make sure you’ve got a backup that you can restore from. Crucially, this backup needs to be recent enough to include the apps and data you want to keep, and/or sufficiently old that it happened before the technical problem if you are trying to fix a faulty iPhone.
There are two places you may find a backup, as long as you are making backups. One is iCloud, to which you may need to subscribe to get enough space. The other method depends on whether you are using a Mac or a PC: on a Mac iPhone backups are made via the Finder (in macOS Catalina and later) and on a PC (and older versions of macOS) they are made via iTunes.
To see iCloud backups follow these steps:
Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap your name/face at the top.
Now tap iCloud.
Tap Manage Account Storage.
Tap Backups.
Tap a backup to see when it happened.
Computer backups
To see backups made on a Mac follow these steps:
Plug in your iPhone.
Open the Finder.
Click on your device in the sidebar.
In the General tab click Manage Backups.
If there are any backups you will see them here. (You’ll also see if iCloud backups are being made).
The process is similar in iTunes:
Open iTunes.
Click iTunes in the top bar and select Preferences.
Select the tab labelled Devices. The date and time of each backup is listed.
Should I back up first?
If you are wanting to make a backup that you can recover to a new iPhone, and you’re not sure you’ve got a sufficiently recent backup, play it safe by doing another backup of the old device right now.
If you are hoping to solve an issue with your iPhone that started recently and you have an old iPhone backup you can recover don’t back up your iPhone, the old backup may be your best bet in getting your iPhone working again. This applies if you want to recover your iPhone to a time before you installed a beta version of iOS or even if you want to recover an older version of iOS after experiencing problems with the latest version.
Step 2: Wipe your iPhone
If you are just recovering the backup to a brand-new iPhone, or one that has already been wiped you can skip this step.
However, if you are trying to troubleshoot an issue with your iPhone, want to remove a beta, or if you want to wipe the iPhone you have to pass it on to a new owner, you’ll need to wipe it first. YOu can’t restore an iCloud backup to an iPhone without erasing the contents first.
This process is easier if you are recovering an old back to an iPhone that is running the same version of iOS that you intend to run. It gets a lot harder if you are trying to restore an older version of iOS, especially if you are running a beta version of iOS–in which case you may need to plug it into a Mac, force the iPhone into recovery mode and restore it that way. We discuss cover this here: How to remove an iOS beta from your iPhone.
Normally resetting your iPhone so that you can recover a recent backup is a simple process and hopefully one of these two options will work:
On an iPhone:
Open Settings.
General.
Transfer or Reset iPhone. Erase All Content and Settings.
Erase and then work through the various steps.
Your iPhone should restart with the Welcome screen if this process has worked.
On a Mac:
A second option is to plug your iPhone into your Mac and restore it from the Finder.
Open the Finder.
Click on your iPhone in the left-hand column.
Click on Restore iPhone.
Click on Don’t Back Up.
Click on Restore.
Your iPhone should restart with the Welcome screen if this process has worked.
On a Mac using Recovery Mode:
Here’s how to put your iPhone into recovery mode so you can wipe it (if the above options don’t work):
Plug your iPhone into your Mac.
Open the Finder.
You may see a message that indicates you need to download an update to access the iPhone, in our experience the said software was unavailable from the software update server, so don’t worry about this.
Shut down your iPhone by pressing volume up, volume down, and then press and hold the side button. Unlike a usual restart keep pressing and holding the side button while the phone shuts down and starts up again. If you are successful eventually you will see an image of a Mac and a lightning connector on your iPhone that indicates it is in recovery mode.
On your Mac you should now see a message indicating that there is a problem with the iPhone that requires it to be updated or restored. Click on Restore.
You will see a warning: “Are you sure you want to restore the iPhone…” Click on Restore and Update.
Click Agree on the next screen that details the license agreement.
Just note that there’s only about 15 minutes before your iPhone will exit recovery mode, at which point you will have to enter recovery mode again.
Your iPhone should restart with the Welcome screen if this process has worked.
Step 3: Restore your iPhone from a backup
Now you have wiped your iPhone you can get on with the process of recovering it from your backup. Or, if you have a brand new iPhone, you can follow these steps to set it up as a clone of your old iPhone with all your data just as you left it.
How to recover from an iCloud backup
We’ll start off with how to recover from an iCloud backup:
Swipe up from the Welcome screen.
Tap on English (or your language) and select your country or region.
Click on Set Up Manually.
Work through the various steps until you get to the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen and tap on From iCloud Backup. Check the date to make sure it’s the backup you want.
Log into your Apple ID and wait while your device signs in.
Now choose an iCloud backup from before you downloaded the beta. Click on Show more backups to find an older one if you don’t see it.
Wait while the Restore from iCloud takes place, which could take a while.
The device will need to be connected to Wi-Fi throughout the process, and it can take a while, depending on how much data needs to be restored. It’s also likely that you’ll be asked to log in again so that any purchased items from the App Store or iTunes Music can be downloaded.
When the core elements of the backup are finished you’ll be able to use the handset again, but you might notice that apps and other data continue to install in the background. This is perfectly normal.
How to recover from a Finder/iTunes backup
Whether you are using the Finder on a Mac running macOS Catalina or later, or iTunes on an older macOS or PC, the process for recovering the iPhone backup is similar.
You need to plug it into a Mac or PC.
If you’ve not connected the device to this particular computer before, you’ll see the ‘Welcome to Your New iPhone’ page.
Click continue and then agree to sync your iPhone.
With this completed, you’ll be taken to the device summary page in the Finder/iTunes, which includes various options for backing up and restoring your device.
In the Backups section you’ll see a button marked Restore Backup (as long as you have one). Click this.
If Find My is switched on then you’ll see a message telling you that it needs to be turned off before you can proceed. To do this, open Settings on your iPhone and tap your name/face at the top of the screen, then tap iCloud. Scroll down until you see Find My, tap it, move the toggle switch to off, enter your password to confirm, then return to iTunes on your Mac or PC.
After clicking Restore Backup a popup should appear with the current iterations available. Select the one you want, then click the Restore button.
Now your iPhone will run through its automated restoration process. iTunes will let you know when the update is complete, then you can disconnect the iPhone and go about your business with your data safely on board.
With WWDC now behind us, the next thing on Apple’s schedule for the year is the announcement and release of the iPhone 15 lineup. As of right now, the expectation is that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lineups will come out around the same time as iPhones do every year…
When will the iPhone 15 come out?
Apple is expected to have an all-new lineup of iPhones this year, including the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. As you can see below, the iPhone release schedule over the past seven years has been incredibly consistent. The iPhone X is a notable outlier in 2017, as is the iPhone 12 lineup, which was impacted by COVID-19 delays.
Here is a timeline of the latest iPhone release dates:
iPhone 14 Plus: October 7, 2022
iPhone 14: September 16, 2022
iPhone 13: September 23, 2021
iPhone 12: October 23, 2020
iPhone 11: September 20, 2019
iPhone XS: September 21, 2018
iPhone X: November 3, 2017
iPhone 8: September 22, 2017
iPhone 7: September 16, 2016
As we’ve seen in past years, the iPhone is Apple’s most important product release every year. This means the company will prioritize iPhone 15 production over all of its other products. If any supply chain challenges or hiccups were to emerge, Apple would delay other products before it would delay the iPhone 15 release date.
What’s new with iPhone 15?
As a quick refresher, we’re expecting a number of different changes with the iPhone 15 lineup this year. Here’s a brief rundown:
USB-C for charging on all models.
Slimmer bezels across the entire lineup.
The Dynamic Island will expand to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
A new titanium finish on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are expected to use a new A17 Bionic chip made using the 3nm production process. This will be the first time Apple has used 3nm production for chips, resulting in improved performance and improved efficiency.
iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a periscope lens for improved optical zoom for the rear-facing camera.
iPhone 15 is coming, and these features will be worth the wait
Summer can be an awkward time to buy a new iPhone. Apple will release a new iPhone in the fall, but you’re ready to upgrade now. There’s really no bad time to buy an iPhone, but anyone who cares about having the best camera should consider what’s coming this year.
Apple usually unveils new iPhones in early September. There’s nothing wrong with buying in June through August, but try to take advantage of a good carrier promotion if you can.
Another thing to consider is how much of an early adopter you are. If you like iPhone 14 Pro features but prefer the iPhone 14 price, you could get the best of both worlds with the iPhone 15.
Apple is expected to bring Dynamic Island to non-Pro phones this year. iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus might even see the 48 MP camera upgrade that the main camera on the iPhone 14 Pro picked up last fall.
If you care about having the best camera in your pocket, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, in particular, might be especially appealing. After years of rumors, Apple’s most expensive iPhone is expected to adopt a periscope-style lens system for greater optical zoom. I can never get enough optical zoom on my iPhone, so this rumor is my favorite.
Last year, Apple released its most affordable big-screen phone, the iPhone 14 Plus, which also happens to be the lightest big-screen iPhone.
But iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max could see a reduction in weight thanks to a change in materials. Apple’s Pro line is expected to switch from stainless steel bands to titanium ones. The lighter material could make Pro phones more appealing to people who care most about the iPhone not feeling heavy.
This year’s key feature for the Pro line is expected to be a change to the mute switch, which could be quite interesting. We expect the existing mute toggle to be replaced with a button that will probably be customizable.
I care a lot about using my iPhone as a camera, so the potential to have a button that can launch the Camera app is high on my list of things to optimistically expect.
There’s one difference that might affect your decision to buy now or hold out. That’s the port situation. The iPhone has used Apple’s Lightning port since 2012. The iPhone 15 line is expected to replace the Lightning port with a USB-C port. That’s great news if you’re already charging every other device with USB-C, but it could be a factor in your buying decision if you prefer Lightning.
And one last thing to note: there’s a chance the iPhone 15 Pro will cost more than the iPhone 14 Pro. This gets rumored every year, but it could happen. Apple will likely discontinue the iPhone 14 Pro once the iPhone 15 Pro is announced, so that’s one more thing to consider. Bang for the buck.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 lineup in early September.
USB-C iPhone 15: The latest rumors and what to expect
A USB-C iPhone may have once seemed impossible, but the latest rumors suggest it’s actually coming sooner than you may think. Amid regulatory pushback and limitations of the Lightning connector, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are expected to switch to USB-C this fall. Head below for the latest details on what we know so far.
Regulatory pressure forces Apple’s hand
There are a number of reasons why Apple seems to have shifted its tune on releasing a USB-C iPhone. One thing that’s hard to overlook, however, is looming legislation around the world.
After multiple years of back and forth, the European Union officially reached an agreement for a “common charging port” standard. Starting in 2024, all smartphones sold within the 27 countries of the EU will be required to use USB-C for charging. This includes the iPhone and even peripheral accessories like AirPods.
Apple has pushed back against legislation that would make a USB-C iPhone mandatory. The company argues that such laws stifle innovation and actually lead to more environmental waste.
After the EU agreed on its legislation, lawmakers in the United States voiced their support. Many called on the US to pass something similar. Senator Elizabeth Warren has echoed this call in a post on Twitter, saying:
Consumers shouldn’t have to keep buying new chargers all the time for different devices. We can clear things up with uniform standards—for less expense, less hassle, and less waste.
Consumers shouldn’t have to keep buying new chargers all the time for different devices. We can clear things up with uniform standards—for less expense, less hassle, and less waste.https://t.co/rbxLleahIj
In early October, the legislation in the EU was formally adopted following a full vote of the European Parliament. The law was passed with an overwhelming majority, with 602 votes in favor, 13 against, and 8 abstentions. Under the law, there are exemptions for products that are too small to offer a USB-C port.
Finally, to complete the process, the USB-C law was officially recorded and went into effect on December 27, 2022. Under the law, companies have until December 28, 2024, to comply with the mandate with new smart introductions.
This could technically give Apple until 2025 to formally comply with the USB-C regulations, but the expectation is that it will do so earlier than that.
Will the iPhone 15 use USB-C?
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first predicted in 2019 that Apple would release a port-less iPhone as soon as 2021, but that didn’t come to fruition. It’s easy to see why – wireless technologies simply aren’t reliable or powerful enough to completely replace a connector like Lightning or USB-C. Charging speeds aren’t as fast, data transfer is slow and unreliable, and consumer adoption just isn’t there yet.
A port-less iPhone is still in the works and is something being internally tested at Apple, but we wouldn’t expect to see it launch to the public this year or next year.
The Lightning connector is also starting to show its age. When it was first unveiled in 2012 with the iPhone 5, Apple’s Phil Schiller touted that it would be the “modern connector for the next decade.” It’s been a decade since that announcement, and it’s clear that Lightning is falling behind USB-C in things like charging speeds and data transfer speeds.
So that leads us to where we are today. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted last May that the iPhone 15, coming this year, will feature a USB-C port for charging and data transfer. This report was eventually corroborated by Bloomberg, which also said that the iPhone 15 may switch to a USB-C port next year.
In an interview, Apple marketing exec Greg Joswiak even went as far as to say Apple will have no choice but to comply with the EU legislation, effectively confirming that iPhone with USB-C is coming sooner rather than later.
Finally, 9to5Mac has exclusively obtained CAD files of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, confirming that the devices do have a USB-C port instead of Lightning. This has also been corroborated by other iPhone 15 images leaked on Twitter.
But wait…
Interestingly, several reports have said that Apple is looking into ways it could still retain some amount of control over the iPhone’s accessory ecosystem. One report suggested the iPhone 15’s USB-C port could have certain features limited to Apple-certified cables.
In March, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the switch to USB-C will enable faster charging speeds for the iPhone 15. These faster charging speeds, however, will reportedly limited to USB-C cables certified by Apple. Currently, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 support up to 20W of maximum charging speed, while Pro models support up to 27W.
The European Union, however, is already pushing back at Apple’s rumored plans to limit the iPhone 15’s USB-C port for non-MFi cables. In response to the rumors, EU Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton wrote a warning to Apple saying that it would be “inadmissible to restrict the interaction with chargers.”
When will the USB-C iPhone 15 be available?
Apple is expected to release the iPhone 15 with USB-C later this fall. As of right now, Apple’s release plans seem to be on schedule. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lineups are expected to be announced and released in September.
USB-C iPhone 15: Wrap up
A USB-C iPhone is sure to make many consumers happy, particularly those who already own an iPad or Mac that also uses USB-C. That being said, with the sheer number of iPhone users, Apple will undoubtedly face criticism for changing the iPhone’s charging connector — even if a switch to USB-C is ultimately the right decision and is long overdue.
Australia’s prime minister has echoed the advice of cybersecurity professionals, in recommending that you turn off your iPhone for five minutes every night.
No, it’s not so you can reduce your daily Screen Time to 23 hours and 55 minutes, but to stop any spyware that may be running in the background on your device …
The idea that you should periodically force-quit apps in order to improve the performance of your iPhone has been one of the persistent myths among non-techies, but rebooting your phone is different. By closing all background processes, it can offer at least some degree of privacy protection against spyware.
The Guardian reports that Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, offered the advice while announcing a new security appointment.
Albanese, has told residents they should turn their smartphones off and on again once a day as a cybersecurity measure – and tech experts agree.
Albanese said the country needed to be proactive to thwart cyber risks, as he announced the appointment of Australia’s inaugural national cybersecurity coordinator […]
“We all have a responsibility. Simple things, turn your phone off every night for five minutes. For people watching this, do that every 24 hours, do it while you’re brushing your teeth or whatever you’re doing.”
The US National Security Agency (NSA) endorses this advice. It has previously recommended hard-rebooting smartphones at least once a week, for the same reason.
In the case of highly sophisticated spyware like NSO’s Pegasus, it may achieve little: A lot of work is put into exploiting vulnerabilities that allow the malware to relaunch after reboots. But security experts say that it can be worthwhile even then.
Dr Priyadarsi Nanda is a senior lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney who specialises in cybersecurity development.
He said rebooting a phone regularly could minimise risk because it forcibly closes any applications and processes running in the background that could maliciously be monitoring users or collecting data […]
“If there’s a process running from the adversarial side, turning off the phone breaks the chain, even if it’s only for the time the phone is off, it certainly frustrates the potential hacker.
“It may not fully protect you, but [rebooting] can make things more difficult” for hackers, Nanda said.
New South Wales cybersecurity lecturer Dr. Arash Shaghaghi agrees, saying that it puts one additional hurdle in the way of attackers.
Shaghaghi said that with so-called zero click exploits – sophisticated attacks that don’t require an action from a user to give an adversary access – rebooting a smartphone “may challenge the attackers as they may need to find alternative means to exploit the device once powered back on”.
Just last month, Apple alerted Pegasus victims in the first known case of the spyware being used during a military conflict.
Apple alerted Pegasus spyware victims during first known use in a military conflict
Security researchers have documented the first known case of NSO’s Pegasus spyware being used in a military conflict. The hacks relate to the long-running military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, over a region claimed by both countries.
The victims – who included a United Nations official, journalists, human rights advocates, and a former government minister – received alerts from Apple that their iPhones had been hacked …
Pegasus spyware
NSO Group makes spyware called Pegasus, which is sold to government and law enforcement agencies. The company purchases so-called zero-day vulnerabilities (ones that are unknown to Apple) from hackers, and its software is capable of mounting zero-click exploits – where no user interaction is required by the target.
In particular, simply receiving a particular iMessage – without opening it or interacting with it in any way – can allow an iPhone to be compromised, with personal data exposed.
NSO sells Pegasus only to governments, but its customers include countries with extremely poor human rights records – with political opponents and others targeted.
Apple alerts
By the nature of zero-click attacks, it’s only possible to identify and patch the vulnerability after it has already been exploited. However, Apple has come up with ways to spot signs of a compromised iPhone, and it now sends alerts to devices it believes have fallen victim to a Pegasus attack.
Apple has sent these alerts to a range of people, including pro-democracy protestors in Thailand, senior European Union officials, a Polish prosecutor, and US State Department staff.
At least a dozen hacks in Armenia/Azerbaijan conflict
The Guardian reports that at least a dozen people had their iPhones hacked by Pegasus spyware.
Researchers have documented the first known case of NSO Group’s spyware being used in a military conflict after they discovered that journalists, human rights advocates, a United Nations official, and members of civil society in Armenia were hacked by a government using the spyware.
The hacking campaign, which targeted at least a dozen victims from October 2020 to December 2022, appears closely linked to events in the long running military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Apple detected that the devices had been compromised, and sent alerts to victims. These included Anna Naghdalyan, who was an Armenian foreign office spokesperson at the time. Her phone was hacked at least 27 times, according to the report.
Researchers said the timing of the attacks put her “squarely in the most sensitive conversations and negotiations related to the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis”, including the ceasefire mediation attempts by France, Russia, and the US and official visits to Moscow and Karabakh.
Naghdalyan told Access Now that she had “all the information about the developments during the war on [her] phone” at the time of her hacking
All the evidence points to Azerbaijan government
While researchers say that they cannot absolutely determine who carried out the spyware attacks, there is “substantial evidence” that Azerbaijan has a Pegasus contract.
Additionally, the victims selected for the hacks would also point to the Azerbaijan government. Neither government responded to a request for comment.
Pegasus threat remains
The US government banning the use of Pegasus by its own agencies had a severe impact on NSO’s finances, and the fact that Apple is now able to alert victims makes the spyware significantly less useful. Apple also offers a Lockdown Mode, allowing high-risk individuals to harden their iPhones against Pegasus, but at the cost of a great deal of functionality.
However, NSO’s financial struggles potentially make it more dangerous, as it reportedly planned to sell its software to red-flagged countries.
Privacy is a growing concern in today’s world. Follow along with all our coverage related to privacy, security, what Apple and other companies are doing to keep your information safe, and what steps you can take to keep your information private.
Apple has officially released iOS 17 beta 2 to developers. The update packs a number of changes, big and small, for iPhone users. Head below as we round up everything we’re finding as we comb through all of the details.
iOS 17 is currently available to developer beta testers. A public beta will be released sometime in July, followed by a release to the general public in September. It’s also worth noting that, especially during the early beta releases, changes and improvements aren’t necessarily linear. This means that something that worked in iOS 17 beta 1 may be broken in iOS 17 beta 2. As always, proceed with caution.
Something else to keep in mind is that the second beta of a major iOS update is usually the least exciting. This is because Apple hasn’t had time to address major concerns and feedback quite yet. In fact, iOS 17 beta 2 was compiled on June 10, less than a week after WWDC. iOS 17 beta 3 will likely be a far more interesting update with bigger changes and features.
With that out of the way, here’s what’s new in iOS 17 beta 2.
iOS 17 beta 2 features and changes
The Software Update interface in Settings has been updated in iOS 17 with a new design, as seen above.
iOS 17 beta 2 adds support for tapping two iPhones together for AirDrop. This was announced at WWDC but was not available in beta 1.
The Settings app on iPhone now includes a dedicated section for the Fitness app for managing data and settings.
iPadOS 17 beta 2 enables the ability to Shift-click in Spotlight to add a window to your current workspace in Stage Manager.
Crossfade for Apple Music now offers a slider to control the length of the fade between songs. This did not work in iOS 17 beta 1.
iOS 17 is set to be released in September with a number of new features, ranging from upgrades to Messages, major upgrades to autocorrect, and more. There are multiple new iOS 17 features, however, that Apple previewed at WWDC but says won’t be available until sometime later this year.
The new Journal app
According to Apple’s website, there are at least three features in iOS 17 that won’t be included when the initial update is released in September. First is the highly-anticipated Journal app. Using the Journal app, Apple says that iPhone users will have a new way to “appreciate life and preserve memories.”
might want to remember. The app will prompt you to journal based on things like photos, music, workouts, and more.
The new Journal app will be available “later this year,” according to Apple, and is not available in the iOS 17 beta.
Upgraded AirDrop features
iOS 17 includes a number of updates to AirDrop, including the ability to swap numbers using NameDrop and the ability to initiate sharing content just by bringing two devices close to each other.
At WWDC, Apple also touted a new feature for AirDrop that will finish sending transfers over the internet. This means that you can initiate an AirDrop, then move away from the other device, and the transfer will continue. “Content you share over AirDrop will continue to send securely and in full quality over the internet if you leave AirDrop range and both you and your recipient are signed in to iCloud,” Apple explains.
This new upgrade for AirDrop transfers, however, won’t be available until “later this year.” It’s not included in the iOS 17 beta.
Collaborative playlists in Apple Music
Last but not least, Apple Music is finally set to gain support for collaborative playlists with iOS 17 this year, but the wait’s not over just yet.
With iOS 17, Apple Music will let you invite friends to join a playlist. From there, everyone will be able to add to that playlist, reorder songs, remove songs, and use emoji to react to the songs shown in the Now Playing interface.
Support for creating collaborative playlists in Apple Music isn’t available in the first iOS 17. Apple says it will be available “later this year.”
Wrap-up
Even though Apple isn’t currently planning on making these three features available in the first version of iOS 17 that launches in September, plans can always change. At the same time, it’s possible that features currently slated for inclusion in the first iOS 17 release could be delayed. After all, we’re only on the first iOS 17 beta, and Apple still has two months to respond to feedback, make changes, and update its timelines.
Where are iMessage apps in iOS 17? Here’s how to access and customize them
A big change comes to Apple’s Messages with a new expandable menu for iMessage apps on iPhone. The update brings a cleaner and simpler UI but at first, you might be thinking, where are iMessage apps in iOS 17? Here’s a look at how to access, add, and customize them.
Apple describes the new UI like this: “An expandable menu that can be accessed with a simple tap to display iMessage apps gives Messages a sleeker look.”
The fresh iMessage app menu arrives alongside new features like Messages stickers, improved search filters, the Check In safety feature, and more. All of these improvements are part of Apple’s efforts to “enhance the way users communicate” on iPhone in iOS 17.
Where are iMessage apps in iOS 17?
iOS 17 is currently in beta. Keep in mind features can change during the beta period.
Open the Messages app on your iPhone running iOS 17
Instead of apps appearing above the keyboard, tap the + icon to the left of the text field
You’ll see the main 6 native apps first
Swipe up or tap the More button to see the rest of your iMessage apps
Note: Leaving voice messages in the Messages app is now under Audio in the app menu
How to add and customize iMessage apps
Press, hold, and drag iMessage apps to reorder them – you can move them from the lower section to the top section to prioritize your most used apps
On an iPhone 14 Pro, after moving apps from the bottom to the top screen I was able to fit 10 apps (11 including the More button)
To add apps, after tapping More, choose Store to add new iMessage apps
At this time, the Store can’t be moved from the bottom to the top section
In the first beta, there doesn’t appear to be a way to delete Messages apps – that will likely come before long
What do you think about the new iMessage app menu? Do you like the cleaner design? Share your thoughts in the comments!
How to make and use iPhone Messages stickers with iOS 17
The Messages app gets a number of valuable upgrades with iOS 17. One of the biggest changes is the ability to create and place stickers including emoji, custom ones, and Live Stickers anywhere in a message. Follow along for how to make and use iPhone Messages stickers with iOS 17.
Arriving as a big expansion beyond the six Tapback reactions with iMessage, Apple has an all-new iPhone Messages stickers experience with iOS 17.
There’s tons of fun and customization with the ability to easily make your own static or GIF-style stickers. And you can now use and place any of the emoji, Animoji, Memoji, or even third-party app stickers anywhere in a message.
iPhone Messages stickers: How to make and use with iOS 17
iOS 17 is currently in beta.Keep in mind features can change during the beta period.
On iPhone running iOS 17, open the Messages app
Tap the + icon to the left of the text field
Now choose Stickers
Tap the sticker icon (next to the recents clock icon) and choose the “New Sticker” button to make one or tap the emoji or Memoji icon to use existing stickers (read more below on how to make and customize stickers)
Drag a sticker into a message and let go to place it where you’d like
If you just tap a sticker from the sticker drawer, you can send it in the message like an emoji or text
Alternatively, you can make stickers directly in the Photos app by long pressing on a subject in an image, letting go, then tapping Add Sticker
Here’s how it looks to make and use the new iPhone Messages stickers in iOS 17 and more fine details:
If you haven’t made any stickers yet, you can tap the second icon to make some or tap the emoji or Memoji icon to immediately start using those stickers (look for the + or “New Sticker” button.
Now you can drag your sticker and place it next to a message or press and hold on the sticker to add an effect or rearrange your stickers.
Memoji stickers open up a lot of fun options.
And when you’re creating a new sticker, look for the “Live” tab at the top to quickly create “Live Stickers” which are essentially GIF stickers 😁. Even with Live Stickers, you can add an effect.
Make Messages stickers in the Photos app
Along with making stickers in the Messages app, you can also do it any time in the Photos app. Just long press on a subject in a photo, then let go and look for the “Add Sticker” option.
Stickers with SMS texts?
It does work to put stickers in SMS texts but while Apple hasn’t specified, I assume it does not show up for users on the receiving end, but can be seen on the iOS 17 sender’s side.
iPhone Messages stickers wrap-up
All-in-all, the new Messages stickers experience is a fantastic improvement that allows a lot more freedom with communication and expression. And the legacy Tapback reactions for Messages remain as a fast way to respond.
One thing to keep in mind, along with all the other iMessage apps, stickers are behind the new + icon so it takes an extra tap to get to it as opposed to the iOS 16 and earlier UI that had iMessage apps right above the keyboard.
