If you’ve updated to the latest iPhone software, iOS 17.3, you’ll know that the key new feature was Stolen Device Protection, so if someone steals your iPhone, heaven forbid, and knows your passcode, their ability to get into your digital life or remove you from your phone, is significantly curtailed. Now it’s emerged that an upgrade is on its way pronto.
As you may know, Apple is releasing an update to its iPhone software in time to meet a deadline from the European Union so it can comply with the Digital Markets Act. While that doesn’t affect anyone outside the EU, there are other elements in the next big update that are useful to all.
When Apple releases iOS 17.4, in time for the deadline of March 6, it will have a slew of other features that are worth knowing about.
Top of the list is an update to Stolen Device Protection, refining it so that the automatic security delay which currently kicks in when you’re away from a familiar location can be invoked in two different ways. One is the current “Away from Familiar Locations” setting, but you can also choose “Always” so a delay is always required to change security settings.
But there are other changes coming your way in iOS 17.4 and it looks like being a huge update.
There are new emoji, including a succulent slice of lime, a Smiley face shaking its head yes or no, a mushroom (oh, at last) a flaming phoenix and a chain that is broken in two. This last is useful for comments about the weakest link and so on, for instance. The phoenix would suit a newly resurgent career, while the lime would be good when you have to refer to, er, a lime. There are other new emoji but these are the most striking.
There could be a new version of CarPlay coming in iOS 17.4, it seems, and not before time.
Podcasts will transcribe spoken words into text, which will be very useful and the text can be copied. Siri will be able to respond to messages it’s reading out in multiple languages.
Release Date
So, when can we expect to see these glorious updates? Since Apple has said that it needs to meet the EU’s deadline of March 8, it’s going to be before then. The Monday of that week is March 4, the Tuesday, therefore is March 5. And that date is my prediction for the release of iOS 17.4. Mark your calendar now.
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