iOS 17 is now official. And it comes with some cool new features! Now, when your pals call you, their faces will pop up on your screen, along with their personalized contact posters. You'll see their beautiful photos, funky memoji, and even some typography.
They’ve also amped up your voicemail game. With the new Live Voicemail feature, you can screen calls like a boss. It transcribes messages in real-time, so you can read what your clingy friend is babbling about without even listening to their voice. Plus, if you decide to pick up the phone in the middle of a voicemail, the transcription magic happens right on your device.
Oh, and Messages now have a search feature, so you can find that embarrassing photo your friend sent you ages ago in a jiffy. And if you're tired of scrolling through long conversations, there is an arrow to jump straight to the first unread message. Plus, you can reply with an easy swipe gesture, and you can even share your location inline. Apple has also revamped the Stickers experience.
There is also a new Check In feature. It keeps tabs on your location and lets your loved ones know when you've arrived home safe and sound. If you're running late, it's smart enough to realize that and check in with you. And if you don't respond, it sends an alert to your buddies, sharing your location, battery level, and even your cell service status.
AirDrop has been updated too. Now you can just bring iPhones close together, and boom, you can transfer content in the background. Similarly you can swap numbers too. Just bring your phones close and use the NameDrop feature. It's like a digital high-five for sharing contact information.
The keyboard and dictation have also gotten smarter. The new transformer language model works wonders with autocorrect, so you can bid those typos goodbye. And they’ve introduced a new Journal app! It helps you capture memories with a mix of people, places, activities, music, and photos. You can set reminders to jot down daily entries and create a journal to treasure.
Then there is a new mode called Standby for when your iPhone is horizontal. It displays the time, widgets, and other useful info, giving you a sleek view for a quick glance. And last but certainly not least, our good ol' friend Siri has become even more attentive. You can now simply say "Siri" to get its attention, without the need for a "Hey Siri."