The tip of the yr is normally a time when individuals mirror on what got here earlier than within the earlier yr, and the identical applies to Apple’s software program, iOS particularly.
Since 2007 with the debut of the iPhone and iOS, there’s been a yearly turnaround of latest software program updates that may deliver large adjustments or small enhancements, reminiscent of a redesign in iOS 7, or widgets on the house display screen in iOS 14.
Nonetheless, with iOS 16 bringing widgets to the lock display screen, customers appear to need an enlargement of current options, somewhat than new ones for iOS 17.
With this in thoughts, we have racked our brains and give you seven iPhone platform options that would profit lots of customers.
Begin-up display screen showcasing the brand new options
That is one thing I hear quite a bit: ‘I did not know my iPhone may try this.’ As I work in an open workplace, I will spot iPhones which might be up to date to iOS 16, however nonetheless on the previous lock display screen or others which might be nonetheless working iOS 13 on an iPhone 11 Professional.
Apple believes that design ought to be invisible, that you must intuitively know a function will probably be there, prepared to make use of, nevertheless it does not play out that means for everybody. A good friend had no thought you would reply calls on a Mac via an iPhone for instance – a function that is been round since 2014.
For this reason an additional start-up display screen ought to seem when you replace to iOS 17. Just like if you launch one among Apple’s apps and a display screen seems displaying what’s new. As a substitute, have this present if you go to the house display screen, and make it clear that the Suggestions app can assist you attempt these options out.
The Suggestions app is a lesser-known app from Apple, however for a brand new person it is nice – it is simply not talked about a lot by the corporate, and you almost certainly do not know you could go to the app and, because the above picture exhibits, have a look at an outline of all the brand new options.
Let’s examine or not it’s extra ubiquitous – maybe a random tip seems throughout the Dynamic Island in the course of the first day you replace to iOS 17, and even an electronic mail showcasing what you are able to do.
Redesigned Management Middle
That is one thing lengthy overdue, nevertheless it’s a troublesome problem to beat. First showing in iOS 7 with the large redesign to a flat methodology, you’ll swipe up from the underside of your iPhone to entry some settings. It was later moved to the top-right nook because the iPhone X and past use the swipe-up gesture to return to the house display screen.
Nearly ten years later and Management Middle has gotten worse, primarily as a result of variety of new options which have appeared, and in flip, stuffed up the menu a lot that it may be troublesome to exit the display screen if you attempt to swipe up.
Let’s examine a redesign the place we are able to resize the choices, much like widgets on the house display screen, and have third-party apps be given entry to Management Middle.
And as an apart, let’s additionally see Management Middle be a part of the multitasking menu on iPad, as a substitute of getting its personal part.
Stream video games extra simply from iOS to Twitch
Apple made an enormous push on gaming at WWDC 2022, the place it introduced Resident Evil Village coming to the Mac, and No Man’s Sky coming to each the Mac and iPad, however should you wished to stream video games in your iPhone via Twitch, you are out of luck.
Granted, SharePlay permits customers to stream what they’re doing in sure apps, however that is inside a FaceTime name. As a substitute, let’s have a look at a function the place you may press a button to load up your Twitch account and stream your Apple Arcade recreation.
Let’s additionally make it doable to take a look at the chat window of these watching your stream, and preserve observe of your subscriptions via notifications on one other Apple machine you’ll have.
We’re in an age the place many customers personal a number of merchandise from Apple, and whereas iCloud lets you handle recordsdata throughout these units, some particulars reminiscent of health and battery life can solely be discovered on some Apple merchandise.
For instance, if you wish to look at your Transfer aim on a Health widget out of your iPad, you may’t.
If you wish to test the battery of all of your units, you are out of luck. The one technique to test in the event that they’re working low on energy is to load up the Discover My app, go to the Units tab, and choose every of your Apple merchandise to test how full the battery icon is for every one.
If one app can do that, certainly a battery widget in iOS, and in addition macOS, and iPadOS is feasible.
The house display screen on iOS had barely modified since 2007, so when a redesign lastly arrived in iOS 16 with widgets, it was nice to see. Nonetheless, let’s have a look at this effort develop much more in iOS 17.
Six widgets and a Dwell Actions widget on the lock display screen aren’t sufficient for some – there’s loads of alternative to see extra widgets in additional sizes and extra locations.
For instance, the time ought to be allowed to get replaced by one other widget, alongside one other row of widgets under the three we are able to select already.
Extra widgets are at all times a great factor, so let’s have a look at extra of them, and in additional sizes.
Higher picture-in-picture controls
Whereas the power to look at a video anyplace in your machine debuted on the iPad solely in iOS 9, there’s barely been enhancements since, apart from it showing on iOS 14 in 2019.
Nonetheless, the power to higher management the video, reminiscent of timeline scrubbing and deciding on different movies nonetheless hasn’t arrived, which is why these ought to seem in iOS 17.
There’s additionally a hidden function when utilizing this in macOS – should you maintain Possibility whereas dragging a video, you may place it anyplace on the display screen. Let’s examine this seem in iOS 17 as nicely, so we now have extra management of its dimension and place.
Carry again panorama mode
Again once I had an iPhone 8 Plus, I cherished being able to show the cellphone in panorama, and the house display screen would rotate, alongside every thing else.
The keyboard would have added capabilities reminiscent of punctuation keys and shortcuts reminiscent of copying and pasting textual content, in addition to benefiting from the added size so some keys have been wider, however this was eliminated in future fashions by the point the iPhone XS launched in 2018.
Nearly each iPhone presently out there, from the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 14 Professional Max, all have the identical or greater shows than the common iPhone 8 Plus, due to the totally different all-screen design. So let’s have a look at iOS 17 reap the benefits of that, and develop it to different apps too, reminiscent of Apple Music and even the Lock Display screen with its helpful widgets.
Is your want lacking?
We’re at a degree with iOS the place the high-hanging fruit of options has been fulfilled by Apple through the years – from customized keyboards to redesigned widgets on the house display screen.
The seven listed here are what may improve somebody’s use of an iPhone, however individuality is one thing that Apple is aware of is essential, which is why we are able to customise our redesigned lock screens in iOS 16 to make them our personal.
Is there one thing you assume we have missed for iOS 17? Get in contact with us (opens in new tab) to inform us what you’d wish to see in a future launch from Apple.
