Apple is expected to announce iOS 17 during its WWDC 2023 keynote on June 5, just over a month from now. Beforehand, rumors suggest that the update will include at least eight new features and changes for iPhones, as outlined below.
The first beta version of iOS 17 should be available to members of Apple’s Developer Program moments after the keynote, while a public beta will likely be available in July to members of Apple’s Software Beta Program. As usual, the update should be widely released in September, around the time the new iPhones are released.
Some of the features and changes listed below may not be added until later versions of iOS 17, such as iOS 17.1 or iOS 17.2.
iMessage contact password verification
In December, Apple previewed a new iMessage contact password verification security feature and said it would launch globally in 2023. This time frame means the feature would be available in iOS 17, though it could launch sooner.
Contact Key Verification in iMessage allows users facing “extraordinary digital threats” such as journalists, human rights activists and government officials to further verify that they are messaging only with the people they are intended for. In conversations between users who have enabled iMessage contact key verification, users are alerted if a state-sponsored attacker or other malicious actor ever manages to breach cloud servers and insert their own device to listen to the conversation.
As an added layer of security, iMessage Contact Key Verification users can compare a Contact Verification Code in person, on FaceTime, or over another secure call to further verify that they are only communicating with whom they want to.
Control center renovation
iOS 17 will feature a revamped Control Center, according to @analyst941, a source who accurately leaked some details about the iPhone 14 Pro’s dynamic island before the device launched last year. The source said that Control Center will be more customizable and the flashlight brightness slider could become more adjustable.
Renewal of the Wallet application
iOS 17 will include improvements to the Wallet app, according to BloombergIt’s Mark Gurman. Leaker @analyst941 claimed that the Wallet app will be redesigned with tabs and search features, as shown in the mockup above.
A revamp for Wallet could make sense as new features are added to the app, including Apple Pay Later and Apple Card Savings.
Next Generation CarPlay
At WWDC 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, which will feature multi-screen support, widgets, and integration with vehicle features like the instrument cluster, climate controls, and FM radio.
Apple said the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in late 2023, with committed automakers including Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Volvo and others. . Apple said it would share additional details about the next generation of CarPlay later this year, and this time frame suggests it will be a feature of iOS 17.
diary app
Apple is developing a journal app for the iPhone that would compete with apps like Day One, according to The Wall Street Journal. It’s unclear when the app will be released, but it could be featured alongside iOS 17 if it’s ready.
Local app loading in the EU
BloombergMark Gurman’s Mark Gurman reported last year that Apple was preparing to allow downloading of apps on the iPhone to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. This would allow users to install apps outside of Apple’s App Store, but the change is expected to only be made in European Union countries, at least initially.
Gurman said that Apple aims to have sideloading functionality ready as part of an “iOS 17 update,” such as iOS 17.1 or later.
mood tracking
iOS 17 will include new tools for tracking emotions and managing vision conditions in the iPhone Health app, according to BloombergIt’s Mark Gurman. He also expects the Health app to launch on the iPad this year.
Expansion of unwanted tracking alerts
Apple and Google recently unveiled a proposed industry specification to help combat the misuse of Bluetooth item trackers for unwanted tracking of people. As part of this initiative, Apple plans to expand 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 their support for the draft specification, according to Apple.
Apple plans to release a “production implementation” of the specification by the end of 2023 that will then be supported in a future version of iOS. Based on this time frame, unwanted tracking alerts are likely to be amplified in a later version of iOS 17.