- iOS 17 is a quiet update with many small but useful tweaks.
- The iPad inherits most of the new features from last year's iPhone, such as home screen widgets.
- Video karaoke is now apparently a feature on your iPhone.
iOS 17 doesn't really have any major standout features, but it has something better - a collection of tweaks and small changes that make your iPhone or iPad better to use.
Every time iOS is updated, certain features end up sticking around and you'll wonder how you ever got by without them (copied and pasted on iOS 3). There are also features that look great on paper, but you forget about them after you try them once (Stage Manager, which was in last year's iPadOS update - although it's actually been improved this year). Today, we're going to take a look at the new and improved features of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 that you'll actually use (in no particular order).
Chris No, Head of Design at Demand.io said: “Favorite feature? Without a doubt, ‘Nightstand Mode’ has been a game-changer for me. It’s a simple yet impactful feature that transforms your device into a For Bedside Clocks." A lifeline via email. "This mode provides utility and encourages users to charge their devices overnight, ensuring they start the day fully charged. This is a testament to Apple's commitment to enhancing the user experience in subtle and meaningful ways."
First, we have interactive widgets. Developers can now put buttons, checkboxes, and more into home screen widgets. For example, the great Photos app now offers a play button next to the widget album art, while the Things app lets you check off items on your to-do list right from the widget.
Next, and this is probably a big thing, we have live voicemail. When you get a call, don't answer it. Let it go to voicemail. Live Voicemail will start and transcribe the caller's message in real time. that's right. You can read callers' messages while they're away and answer and talk to them at any time. There's also a new voicemail option in FaceTime video calls, but I'm not sure if this will catch on.
Speaking of listening, iOS 17 brings my favorite new feature: Adaptive Audio. This is actually an update to the AirPods Pro 2 that expands their noise-canceling capabilities. Adaptive audio is a hybrid between transparency mode and full noise cancellation. It lets outside sounds pass through in quiet environments and automatically blocks them when surrounding sounds get louder.
I've been testing it for a week or so and it works great. Somehow it manages to reduce loud sounds while still letting you hear what's going on, though that may have something to do with another AirPods improvement, Conversation Sense, which automatically boosts the sound when people are talking to you. Burst your bubble of near-silence.
“The Adaptive Audio feature in iOS 17 is a major upgrade. The feature significantly enhances the audio experience, customizing sound output based on individual hearing abilities, which is a boon for people like me who come from an audio and video editing background ," Brian Mclintic, founder of Real Good Software, told Lifewire via email.
Autocorrect has also been greatly improved. It uses artificial intelligence/machine learning to better predict your next word or even your next few words, and instead of their suggestions appearing above the keyboard, they appear in gray in line with your text. You confirm the suggestion with the space bar and continue typing. This is much better than the old method.
"I type very fast on my phone and do it frequently. It's my preferred way to send emails and communicate with colleagues and family. Because of this, I'm really looking forward to the upgraded, customizable autocorrect feature Not only can I get better at correcting the most common spelling mistakes, but I can also set up quick shortcuts to complete long, common words, such as Studypool , which will make my communication faster,” says the online learning platform Studypool, which operates by email. Tell Lifewire.
There are countless new little tweaks out there, but these are the ones we think are actually useful and ultimately become essential, unlike Apple Music Sing with Continuity Camera (video karaoke with FX) or the commercial ones in the stock widget News, they must be Tim Cook's specific request. You'll love them.
