Apple hardware products are infamous for leaks months – and sometimes years – ahead of launch, but iOS software updates tend to stay under wraps a bit longer. It’s because iOS is more personal than any other operating system on the market, and Apple can limit the number of people who know its plans for each year’s update.
This year, the company is introducing many new safety features with iOS 17 for iPhones. Some, such as the new ability to transcribe incoming voicemail and leave a video message on a FaceTime call, are nice-to-have enhancements. Still, others can help you safeguard your data.
Among the most critical security changes are those that address online privacy. For example, iOS 17 will automatically clean up all the two-factor verification codes that clutter your Messages and email inboxes. It will also make it harder for hackers to obtain your passwords through hacking or phishing attacks by blocking the iPhone from auto-joining insecure Wi-Fi networks and 2G networks.
In addition, the Communication Safety feature that prevents kids from seeing nude images in iMessage is expanding to other apps and services in iOS 17, including FaceTime messages, AirDrop and Contact Posters. These protections apply to photos and videos, but Apple stresses that all processing for the feature happens on the device itself, and nothing is sent back to Apple servers.
Other safety features in iOS 17 include an easier way to mute yourself when using AirPods and a more innovative keyboard that makes it easier for users to complete words and phrases with just one tap. It can even suggest what to type if you need help finishing a sentence or phrase.
The iOS 17 update also adds a new StandBy mode when locked. It uses the display to show glanceable information such as the time, a widget, and the latest news. It can also adapt to ambient surroundings and remember specific charging locations to know whether you’re at home or the office.
In the fall, Apple will release a public version of iOS 17 for iPhones. It’s expected to be a minor upgrade with many of the same improvements developers have tested in the beta version.
Apple will also allow regular users to download and install iOS 17 in beta form for the first time. It will be available “later this year,” likely by September or October if we look at previous iOS rollout timelines. If you’re interested in giving the beta a shot, you can sign up to become an Apple Developer Program member for $99 per year or join the public beta program for free. You can learn more about how to do both in our guide to downloading and installing the iOS 17 beta.