iOS 17—Stunning New iPhone Features Arriving Any Minute Now

Apple’s iPhone event has been confirmed for September 12, which can only mean one thing—iOS 17 is imminent.

Announced at Apple’s WWDC conference in June, iOS 17 will be worth the wait. Apple’s updated iPhone software comes with some stunning features that could be game-changing for your security and privacy.

Take, for example, iOS 17’s Live Voicemail—a stand-out feature that’s pretty darn convenient too.

In true Apple fashion, iOS 17 also comes with multiple subtle enhancements that ensure it will be the iPhone maker’s most secure and private operating system yet.

Here’s a taster of what’s to come in iOS 17 and why it’ll be game-changing for your iPhone.

Link Tracking Protection

One of the best new features coming in iOS 17, in my opinion, is Link Tracking Protection. Building on Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature that helps stop tracking across websites and apps, Link Tracking protection prevents websites from adding extra information to their URLs for marketing purposes. Apple does this in iOS 17 by seamlessly removing tracking URLs from links you send in your Messages, Mail and Safari.

NameDrop

Want to share your details with someone securely, privately and with ease? Look no further—NameDrop in iOS 17 will allow you to do that in the same way as Apple’s famous AirDrop, and it’s super-secure because it’s over an encrypted connection.

Live Voicemail

Live Voicemail is an amazing feature because it lets you see who’s calling you via a transcription on your screen when they leave a voicemail. Better still, this iOS 17 feature allows you to pick up the call while they leave the voicemail, if you wish to.

Passkeys

In iOS 17, anyone with an Apple ID will be assigned a Passkey, which means you can use the new authentication method when you want to sign in anywhere using your Apple ID. First announced in iOS 16, Passkeys allow you to sign into services securely, without the need for a password, using Face ID or Touch ID.

When Will iOS 17 Arrive?

While iOS 17 will be launched at the Apple event alongside the new iPhones, it won’t appear straight away. It will probably come later in the week though, probably by Friday September 15, so keep your eyes peeled.

At the time of writing, iOS 16.6 is the most recent update available, and it comes with some security fixes, so you should make sure your iPhone is running it now.

I’d usually expect another security update to arrive in August, but it’s possible Apple is waiting until its September iPhone launch to fix security issues in iOS 17. I’m pretty sure Apple will also release an iOS 16 update to cover any security holes for people who want to wait to update to iOS 17.

Which iPhones and iPads can run iOS 17?

Apple’s latest and greatest operating system won’t be available for all iPhones, and iOS 17 can only be run on the iPhone XS and newer. Sadly, that means the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X won’t run iOS 17; however, Apple will keep iOS 16 up to date with security fixes.

More iOS 17 features coming soon

Other iOS 17 features coming soon include improvements to Apple’s super-secure Lockdown Mode and multiple Communication Safety enhancements to protect kids and vulnerable adults.

More security and privacy features are sure to arrive too, so keep checking back here for updates on iOS 17, including how-to articles and other Apple news.