Technologies

With iOS 17, Apple ‘Catches Up’ to Rivals in the Messaging Wars

Commentary: There’s one new Messages feature that should be mimicked by Apple’s competitors pronto.

Apple’s iOS 17 plans to overhaul the Messages app, bringing some of the best features we’ve already seen on WhatsApp, Signal, Google Messages and other rivals to iMessage. And in a move that takes the Messages app forward, Apple is also bringing a new Check In feature — to help alert friends or family when you get home — which could very well be the next feature we see get copied back by other texting apps.

More from WWDC 2023

Even if some of these new-to-Messages features are already familiar for someone who juggles multiple texting apps and group chats, wider adoption will only make communicating on phones better, regardless of your preferred chat app. On top of that, some of iOS 17’s new features will indirectly assist you when texting in a non-Apple chat app — such as the updates to autocorrect keyboards that’ll contextually recognize if swearing is a regular part of how you speak.

It’s worth noting that while these iOS 17 improvements are certainly welcome, there are definitely a few areas Apple could still improve for a better universal chatting experience. Chief among them are the infamous green bubble-blue bubble conflicts. So far Apple hasn’t announced any SMS conversation improvements, but there are features that are also on other messaging services and apps that are worth taking a closer look at.

A Check In message in a chat — iOS 17 comes with a new location sharing tool called Check In.

Apple

Check In is the new Messages feature that should get copied

Apple’s upcoming Check In feature takes a very common request and makes it easier to honor. There’ve been many times after a gathering with friends or family when we’ve asked each other to text after getting home. It’s so common in my life it’s practically part of the goodbye ritual, just to get assurance that everyone’s arrived safely by subway or car. Despite that, it’s also very common to forget to send that text.

Apple’s Check In could fix that problem. Though CNET has yet to test the feature, theoretically it could be turned on right as friends or family ask for that «made it home» message. Then it could automatically send the ping when I’ve walked through my door. That way, if the hour’s late or I’m just too tired from the journey, the status update still goes out.

Check In builds on a location-sharing tool for friends and family members that Apple has had in Messages for years, and the new feature makes that tool far more automated. Check In takes things a step further by allowing for notifications when a delay could be holding up someone. For friends and family who want that kind of safety check, it could be an additional tool that helps loved ones look out for each other.

There are currently other ways to set up a similar ping, using navigation apps like Google Maps, but the version Apple previewed during WWDC shows an easy way to get these notifications directly in the Messages app. Hopefully other chat apps find their own ways to mimic this idea, whether it’s through integration with a maps service or through improvements to an already-existing location sharing feature.

A text message screen with the Catch Up arrow highlighted. — The Catch Up arrow in iOS 17 shows where you left off in a group chat.

Apple

Catch Up will make group chats much easier to follow

Apple’s Catch Up feature for group chats caught my eye when it was revealed. An arrow indicates where you left off in a busy group chat that carried on while you were away from your phone.

This is a feature that’s quite common in other chat apps, and I didn’t realize Apple lacked it until the company pointed it out. The unread label in WhatsApp, for instance, helps me when I check in with a neighbor group chat I have for my apartment building within that app. This is a group chat I don’t participate in actively — and I often mute it — but on days when I do want to check it, a label for unread messages helps me with finding the last part of the conversation I looked at.

Currently there’s an unread filter in the iPhone’s Messages app, but the Catch Up arrow should make it clearer what messages you missed. The adoption of Catch Up in iOS 17 could be an indirect sign that Apple is bridging the gap between iMessage group chats and an SMS/MMS chat that includes other types of phones. Though we’ll have to wait for iOS 17’s release this fall to confirm, a simple indicator that helps with organizing any conversation only serves to help when chatting with friends or family.

A screenshot showing a transcribed audio message in iOS 17 — You’ll see transcriptions of audio messages in iOS 17.

Apple; screenshot by CNET

Audio message transcription brings a great Pixel feature to the iPhone

Google’s Pixel phones have included various audio transcription features for years, with the Pixel 7 series adding the ability to transcribe any audio message that’s received within the Google Messages app. Now Apple plans to bring the feature across its iPhone line using iOS 17.

New audio messages received in the Messages app will be transcribed automatically, and that’s a boon for accessibility. For someone who prefers to do audio messages, the gist will immediately be available for the receiver, and at times that transcription could be more than enough.

Until the transcription feature gets adopted into more services though, anyone who frequently sends audio messages should please remember to be patient while waiting for others to get a chance to listen.

Swipe to reply in iOS 17 — Apple is adding a swipe-to-reply feature to its Messages app.

Apple

Swipe to reply fits right (or left) in

I’ve been using Signal a lot lately, and like Telegram it offers the ability to quickly reply to messages with a swipe. It’s faster than pressing and holding on a message, and then tapping a corresponding option.

Swipe to reply could streamline the menu of options that pop up when you press and hold on a message. Apple’s Messages app already includes shortcuts for emoji reactions, reply, copy, Translate and a «More…» option for selecting multiple texts. By moving this into a swipe action, Apple could eventually decide to tack additional features onto this menu, or simplify the menu down to basics.

In an unrelated organizational move, Apple moved iMessage apps from a row above the keyboard in the Messages app to a list that pops up when you tap a plus-sign icon. It shows that Apple is trying to declutter where it can, and make replies faster.

A screenshot of voice typing in Apple's messaging app — Apple says voice typing is improving in iOS 17.

Apple; screenshot by CNET

iMessage improvements (hopefully) still to come

While we wait for iOS 17’s final version, which comes out this fall, there’s the possibility that even more Messages features will be added as Apple continues development. For instance, the XDA Developers website says the iOS 17 developer beta keeps a number of iMessage features available for group chats with Android phones. Should this indeed make it into a public release, it could be a relief for iPhone users who still want to use threaded replies and message edits. XDA’s report notes, however, that non-iPhone participants might not see any of these Messages changes.

We’ll ultimately have to sit tight for iOS 17’s official release to see whether all these iMessage features announced at WWDC make it, or whether some get pushed to a later release. For instance, iOS 15’s SharePlay missed the September launch of that year’s operating system but arrived a month later. But the fact that these Messages improvements are in the pipeline shows that substantial improvements to iPhone texting are on the way.

Technologies

Your Bluetooth Audio Devices Could Be at Risk of Hijacking, Researchers Say

Google says it has addressed security vulnerabilities that could affect Bluetooth products, but researchers contend that issues persist.

Researchers working at KU Leuven University in Belgium are warning people who use Bluetooth audio products that their devices may be at risk due to vulnerabilities in Google’s Fast Pair technology, a feature that makes it quicker and easier to connect Bluetooth devices.

Google says it has addressed issues that could allow hackers to hijack audio devices and track their location. But the researchers say the vulnerabilities, which it collectively refers to as WhisperPair, still affect products from device makers including Sony, Harman and Google itself. In their tests, the researchers found these products could be hacked from as far as about 46 feet away.

A Google representative told CNET that it has updated the software for some of its own audio products, including its Pixel Buds Pro, and that some of the vulnerabilities stemmed from other companies not properly following Fast Pair specifications. Google said it had informed companies about this in September.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

«We appreciate collaborating with security researchers through our Vulnerability Rewards Program, which helps keep our users safe. We worked with these researchers to fix these vulnerabilities, and we have not seen evidence of any exploitation outside of this report’s lab setting,» Google said in a statement provided to CNET. «As a best security practice, we recommend users check their headphones for the latest firmware updates. We are constantly evaluating and enhancing Fast Pair and Find Hub security.»

In response to specific concerns about device tracking, Google added, «We rolled out a fix on our end to prevent Find Hub network provisioning in this scenario, which completely addresses the potential location tracking issue across all devices.»

Google has issued two security updates this month, one for Wear OS and one for Google Pixel devices. Each contains information about the company’s security patches.

The WhisperPair research group said it’s working on an academic paper detailing its findings. On its website, the researcher group said, «Our findings show how a small usability ‘add-on’ can introduce large-scale security and privacy risks for hundreds of millions of users.»

The research group released a YouTube video discussing problems with Fast Pair, a Google technology introduced in 2017 that connects Bluetooth devices with one tap across Android and Chrome OS.

The group said that it worked with Google after reporting its findings and was awarded a $15,000 bounty. The researchers said they agreed to a 150-day disclosure window in which Google would release security patches. However, the website points out that users of Bluetooth devices like earbuds may not be aware of security updates that could protect them.

The website includes a page where users can look up which audio products are vulnerable, with details on how to get them updated. Google doesn’t have detailed information about these vulnerabilities on its Fast Pair Known Issues page.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 16, #950

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Jan. 16 #950.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a very intriguing blue group. You’ll notice some band names, but can you locate what they have in common? Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Worn on heads.

Green group hint: Nighty-night.

Blue group hint: Bands with something alphabet-related in common.

Purple group hint: Like great.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Kinds of hats.

Green group: Components of a kid’s bedtime routine.

Blue group: Musical acts with «A» as the only vowel.

Purple group: Grand ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is kinds of hats. The four answers are derby, fedora, Panama and porkpie.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is components of a kid’s bedtime routine. The four answers are bath, brushing, pajamas and story.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is musical acts with «A» as the only vowel. The four answers are Alabama, Bananarama, Kansas and Santana.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is grand ____. The four answers are Bahama, Canyon, piano and slam.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Quick tips for Connections

#1: Say the clue words out loud, pausing before and after each. That helps you hear the words in the context of a phrase. The Connections editors love to group words together that are used in similar phrasing, like ____ Up.

#2: Don’t go for the obvious grouping. These editors are smart. Once, they offered SPONGE, BOB, SQUARE and PANTS in the same puzzle. None of those words were in the same category. If you like, hit the «shuffle» button to give yourself a different perspective on the words.

#3: Break down any compound words and look for similarities. «Rushmore» was once in a puzzle where the connection was that each word started with the name of a rock band.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Jan. 16, #480

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 16, No. 480.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one, with some odd words and bizarre categories. If you’re struggling with it but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Don’t get hurt!

Green group hint: Exaggerated language.

Blue group hint: Ouch!

Purple group hint: Not northern.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Protective gear.

Green group: Hype.

Blue group: Sharp things.

Purple group: «Southern ____» schools.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is protective gear. The four answers are gloves, helmet, mouth guard and shoulder pads.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is hype. The four answers are anticipation, ballyhoo, buildup and buzz.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is sharp things. The four answers are dart, hairpin turn, ice skate and javelin.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is «Southern ____» schools. The four answers are California, Illinois, Methodist and Miss.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Quick tips for Connections: Sports Edition

#1: Don’t grab for the easiest group. For each word, think about other sports categories it might fit in – is this a word that can be used in football, or to describe scoring options?

#2: Second meanings are important. The puzzle loves to use last names and even college names that mean other things, to fool you into thinking they are words, not names.

#3: And the opposite is also true. Words like HURTS might seem like a regular word, but it’s also the last name of at least one pro athlete.