iOS 17 wants to make your messages more dynamic
Here are the new features of iOS 17 announced at WWDC 2023.
It’s not a surprise, Apple took advantage of WWDC to unveil iOS 17, the future update for the iPhone. Particular emphasis was placed on communication, as well as artificial intelligence.
More complete contacts
With Contacts Posters, Apple wants to make our smartphone more beautiful during calls and in the contact book. For each of them, it is possible to add a photo, a memoji and a name (which can be displayed vertically in Chinese and Japanese). You can then choose the font, color and more to make the display more attractive and personalized.
Moreover, this function is compatible with CallKit to also work on third-party VoIP applications.
Your answering machine changes
The answering machine is not new, but it has changed little in recent years. With iOS 17, another step forward has been taken.
When someone leaves you a message, you’ll see a real-time transcription of what’s being said on the screen. The fact that it is in real time then makes it possible to pick up at any time, which can be very useful in the event of an emergency.
And to preserve privacy, all the work is done directly in the iPhone’s Neural Engine.
FaceTime
Other good news: FaceTime gains a function to leave a video message.
Ever more practical messages
iOS’s Messages app is at the heart of the system, just as its blue and green bubbles are at the heart of the controversy. In September, the new update will bring new features.
First of all, new filters will make it easier to find messages in a conversation and an arrow will allow you to go back to the last message read. Those who participate in multiple groups will be happy to see this feature.
With iOS 17, Messages also catches up with some direct messaging, such as swiping on a bubble to reply directly, automatic transcription of audio messages or location sharing.
Check in
And since it is a question of localization, let us mention “Check-In”. This function allows you to choose a contact who will be automatically notified when you arrive at your home.
If something happened to you on your way home, the person could then access your geolocation as well as the battery level of your iPhone.
stickers everywhere
Photos, GIFs, emojis, memojis… messages can be embellished in a multitude of ways. Apple has therefore added a “+” button which displays your most regular additions, then the other possibilities.
Just like clipping for lock screens, iOS 17 allows you to clip any photo or video to create a sticker (fixed or animated). You can then paste the sticker in the conversation or directly in response to a message by simply dragging and dropping.
The keyboard
The iPhone keyboard is getting better (finally). Apple has worked on the Neural Engine to improve the autocorrector. It should thus be more reliable and able to predict both the end of your word and the end of your sentence, as Gmail already does for example.
And more
iOS 17 brings other new features, such as the Journal application or StandBy mode, but also the removal of the “Hey” keyword to trigger Siri and animal recognition in Photos.
If Apple sticks to its habits, iOS 17 arrives in beta in the hours that follow, for a final version in September.
