iOS 17 is coming soon for iPhones and is rumored to include these 8 new features

Apple is expected to announce iOS 17 during its WWDC 2023 keynote on June 5, which is just over a month away. Ahead of schedule, rumors suggest that the update will include no fewer than eight new features and changes for iPhones, as seen below.

The first beta of iOS 17 should be made available to Apple members Developer program Moments after the keynote, the public beta will likely be available in July for Apple members Beta Software. As usual, the update is supposed to be widely released in September, around the time the new iPhones are launched.

Some of the features and changes listed below may not be added until later iOS 17 versions, such as iOS 17.1 or iOS 17.2.

Check iMessage contact key

In December, Apple previewed the new iMessage Contact Key Verification security feature and said it would launch globally in 2023. This time frame means the feature will be available in iOS 17, though it could launch earlier.

Verifying the call key in iMessage allows users facing “unusual digital threats,” such as journalists, human rights activists, and government officials, to further verify that they are only messaging with the people they want to be. In conversations between users who have iMessage Contact Key Verification enabled, users are alerted if a state-sponsored attacker or other malicious actor successfully compromises cloud servers and inserts their own device to eavesdrop on the conversation.

As an added layer of security, iMessage Contact Key Verification users can compare a contact’s verification code in person, on FaceTime, or through another secure call to verify that they’re only communicating with whomever they want.

Control Center revamp

iOS 17 will feature a revamped Control Center, according to @analyst941, a source who meticulously leaked some details about the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island before the device launched last year. The source said that the Control Center will be more customizable, and the flashlight brightness slider may become more adjustable.

Renewal of the wallet application

According to bloombergMark Gorman. Leaker @analyst941 claimed that the Wallet app will be redesigned with tabs and search functions, as shown in the sample above.

A revamp of the Wallet app would make sense as new features continue to be added to the app, including Apple Pay Later and Apple Card Savings.

The next generation of CarPlay

At WWDC 2022, Apple showed off the next generation of CarPlay, which will feature support for multiple displays, widgets, and integration with vehicle functions such as the instrument cluster, climate controls, and FM radio.

Apple said the first vehicles to support the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in late 2023, with automakers committed including Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche and Volvo, among others. and others. . Apple said it will share additional details about the next generation of CarPlay later this year, and that time frame indicates it will be an iOS 17 feature.

Journal application

Apple is developing a journaling app for the iPhone that will rival the likes of Day One, according to the The Wall Street Journal. It is not clear when the app will be launched, but it could be offered alongside iOS 17 if it is ready.

Download Sideloading app in the EU

bloombergApple’s Mark Gurman reported last year that Apple was preparing to allow apps to be downloaded to the iPhone in order to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. This will allow users to install apps outside of Apple’s App Store, but the change is only expected in EU countries, at least initially.

Gorman said Apple aims to have the sideloading functionality ready as part of an “update to iOS 17,” such as iOS 17.1 or later.

Mood tracking

iOS 17 will include new tools for tracking sentiment and managing visibility conditions in the Health app on iPhone, according to Apple Inc bloombergMark Gorman. The Health app is also expected to launch on the iPad this year.

Spam tracking alerts expanded

Apple and Google recently submitted a proposed industry specification to help combat the misuse of Bluetooth item trackers for unwanted tracking of individuals. As part of this initiative, Apple plans to extend AirTag-like spam tracking alerts to third-party item trackers in a future version of iOS. Tile, Chipolo, Samsung, Eufy, and Pebblebee have all expressed support for the draft spec, according to Apple.

Apple plans to release a “production implementation” of the specification by the end of 2023 which will then be supported in a future version of iOS. Based on this time frame, it is likely that unwanted tracking alerts will be expanded in a newer version of iOS 17.