iOS 17 It is one of the most anticipated updates of the WWDC of 2023, whose inaugural Keynote will be held on June 5, and where Apple will also present the expected augmented reality glasses, as well as other respective new versions of the operating systems for the iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and more.
The next version of the operating system for the iPhone, however, is always the protagonist. This year, precisely, only It was going to be an update aimed at improving some drawbacks of iOS 16. That is to say, it was going to arrive without new functions or relevant features due to the prominence of Apple Glass. But Apple eventually — and according to Bloomberghas decided to change plans.
iOS 17, therefore, will have more news than expected, both in terms of customization, and in terms of interface, usability and accessibility. Many of them are also highly demanded by users. The company is expected to improve apps like Apple Music and previously featureless sections of the system like the lock screen, control center and more. Let’s take a closer look at the improvements we could see.
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iOS 17 will be a bit more customizable
It seems that Apple wants to continue offering the possibility for the user to decide how to personalize their iPhone, and proof of this are the small, but interesting, improvements that will come to iOS 17. According to a recent rumor from an anonymous source who revealed ahead of time the arrival of the iPhone 14 in yellow, the new version will allow you to rename the Application Library folders.
The Control Center will also receive a redesignalthough it is not clear if it will only be aesthetic or if Apple will also allow customization to, for example, remove or move the playback control, etc.
On the other hand, iOS 17 too could include the ability to customize the size of the text on the lock screen. It would be one more addition to all the customization options that we already have in iOS 16. The home and lock screen wallpapers can also be shared with other users, indicates the source.
Another interesting novelty: it will be possible adjust flashlight brightness in a much more —let’s say— free way. That is, in the same way that we can adjust the brightness level of the screen or the volume.
The App Store will not be the only way to install applications on the iPhone
iOS 17 could include —at least in Europe— the ability to install applications outside of the App Storeas stated by Mark Gurman, of Bloomberg.
This is due to the new Digital Markets Law, which will come into force in the coming months and which forces large companies to open their respective platforms and services —including operating systems—. This, therefore, will make Apple have to allow the user to decide where to download an application and, in this way, will help developers to avoid that 15% or 30% commission that the company imposes on purchases within the app.
Apple Music could improve considerably in iOS 17
Everything indicates that iOS 17 will not come with major changes to the interface. However, some applications could receive a small face lift. One of them is Apple Music, which It would have a simpler and more intuitive design. Apple would also allow iOS 17 to include the lyrics of the songs on the lock screen, probably in the same way that it allows you to see the cover.
Let’s remember that the Cupertino company recently made some subtle, but relevant, changes to the Apple Music app. Now, for example, the warning that appears when selecting a song as the next track —that is, when pressing the ‘Play next’ button— appears at the bottom and does not occupy the entire screen.
Other news that could come to your iPhone with iOS 17
There is other small news that will come to iOS 17 which are also worth mentioning and which will affect some of the features that came along with the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, such as the Dynamic Island or the always-on screen. They are the following.
Dynamic Island Improvements
The Dynamic Island that arrived with the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max and that could reach all iPhone 15 models in September, could receive important improvements with iOS 17. Although these are not clear, everything indicates that Apple will allow developers to include notifications from their apps on the Dynamic Islandas the system notifications are displayed.
A more advanced search
According to a rumor, searches will “get a lot better” in iOS 17. Apple is likely to boost the features that are already currently available in iOS 16 like image search etc. It is not clear, yes, if Apple will include a language model similar to Bard or ChatGPT so that the user can carry out more advanced searches.
Interactive widgets in iOS 17
Widgets were introduced in iOS 15 as a way to display relevant content from some apps directly from the lock screen. These, however, are not interactive. That is to say, when clicking on them, the system sends us directly to the application, and does not allow a specific action to be executed in the widget itself.
This could change in iOS 17 to allow, for example, control the playback of Apple Music from the home screen itself.
New features in some apps
Some applications, such as camera or the app Health, they would receive improvements, although it is not clear if they will be important news or simply bug fixes. On the other hand, the app Wallet it will also get more features for CarKey.
List of other small improvements that iOS 17 will have
- will be added new ARKit frameworks for the virtual reality glasses that Apple could launch at WWDC in 2023.
- New accessibility featuressuch as a “custom accessibility mode” so you can add larger icons to the home screen, hide the dock, and more.
- Additional settings on pscreen always onto.
- General stability and security improvements.
iOS 17: When will it be released and which iPhones will be compatible?
iOS 17, we reiterate, will be announced at WWDC 2023. From that moment, developers will be able to download the beta to adapt their applications and services, and approximately a month later, the public beta will be launched. The final version, yes, will not arrive until autumn; Probably during the month of September.
Although a first rumor stated that some iPhone models with iOS 16 were not going to update to iOS 17, such as the iPhone 8 or the iPhone X, everything indicates that these, as well as the rest of the models that have current versions, will receive the new version. The list, therefore, would be as follows.
- iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 and 13 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 and 12 Mini
- iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone Xr
- iPhone Xs and Xs Max
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
- iPhone SE (3rd Gen.)
- iPhone SE (2nd Gen.)