5 hidden features in iOS 17 ZDNET

Apple spent just over two hours Monday showing off its first augmented reality headset, the Vision Pro, and unveiling new Macs and Apple silicon. Additionally, as with previous Worldwide Developers Conferences (WWDC), Apple announced a number of software features coming to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.

However, cramming nearly a decade of research and development into the afternoon keynote will reveal some information that won’t be mentioned live. This information is useful technical information that only enthusiasts and enthusiastic developers discover. Those who can find it, perhaps, include a journalist who wants to write a blog post about “Apple is quietly releasing X features.” It’s about me.

Here are five new features in the first developer beta of iOS 17. iOS 17 will be officially released in fall 2023. After reading this article, you must also wish you could take advantage of these features now.

1. Interactive widget

Have you ever seen a widget placed on your home screen and wished you could tap, scroll and interact with it without having to expand it to full screen?

At WWDC, Apple announced interactive widgets for the iPad, but the feature is also available on the iPhone, allowing you to play or pause music, uncheck the reminders panel, and smart home, albeit to a lesser degree than on the iPad. Functions such as turning on and off the device can be accessed directly from the home screen.

Interactive widgets seem like a nice evolution of the resizable widgets first introduced in iOS 14 in 2020. Currently, apps that support this feature include first-party services like Reminders, Apple Music, Home, and some third-party services like Quizlet. By the time iOS 17 leaves beta, more apps should support interactive widgets.

2. Automatically enter the verification code into Mail

With the prevalence of multi-factor authentication (2FA), it’s clear that we need to streamline the way we receive and enter verification codes on our iPhones. Apple has already implemented autofill for verification codes received via text message, and extending this feature to email is the most logical next step.

With iOS 17, verification codes sent through the Mail app will also be automatically filled into 2FA prompts, allowing users to confirm login attempts more efficiently and quickly. Previously, you had to open a separate email, copy the code, and paste it into the verification text field.

3. Automatic deletion of used verification codes

Don’t be confused by the features I just introduced. Clean Up Automatically tells your iPhone to automatically delete verification codes in Messages and Mail that have been used with Autofill. This new feature is built into iOS 17’s password options. Some may wish they introduced it sooner.

4. Third-party app video effects

Compared to Android, iPhone can be said to offer a better camera experience with third-party apps (Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.), but the new video effects feature makes iOS and Android more different. will spread.

With a third-party camera app open, swipe down on the Control Center and you’ll see the Video Effects toggle. Within the app, you can set up studio lighting effects, blurry photos, and even augmented reality interactions that are superimposed on what is being recorded in the background app.

The effects of the iPhone’s built-in filters look more natural than those calculated by third-party services.

5. Lock Private Browsing in Safari with Face ID

Private browsing (Safari’s incognito mode) allows users to enjoy web browsing without worrying about trackers, browser history records, or sensitive information leaking to public devices. iOS 17 introduces a new security feature that locks private browsing sessions using Face ID.

Previously, anyone with access to a smartphone could see a user’s browsing activity if the smartphone was unlocked. It was the same even when using private browsing. With iOS 17, you can now protect your activity in Safari with Face ID scanning and passcodes.