Technologies

iOS 17: Upcoming iPhone Features I’m Excited About

A new passcode grace period, offline mode for maps and more are expected to come to your iPhone in the fall.

Apple announced a number of new software updates at its Worldwide Developers Conference, including the iPhone’s next software version, iOS 17. While the software brings a lot of new and exciting features to your iPhone, Apple said it won’t be available to the general public until the fall.

I switched to iOS from Android about a decade ago, and I’ve been testing iOS 16 betas since last year. While iOS 17 doesn’t fulfill all my iOS wishes, it has some new features that I’m really looking forward to.

Here are the cool and useful new iPhone features I’m most excited about in iOS 17.

StandBy mode

With iOS 17, you get a new mode called StandBy. If you enable this mode on your iPhone while it’s charging and in landscape mode, your phone can act as a smart display. It will be able to display the time, widgets, Live Activities and more in this mode.

This feature is helpful, especially if you charge your phone in your kitchen while you cook or on your bedside table at night, but it won’t work for all iPhones. Right now, only the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max can use this feature effectively because of these models’ always-on display. Earlier iOS 17-compatible iPhones can use StandBy mode, but your screen will turn off at a certain point.

72-hour passcode grace period

Have you ever changed your passcode, and forgotten what it is later when trying to log into your device? In iOS 17, your old passcode can be used for 72 hours to reset your new passcode in case you forget what you set it as. This new feature will surely save people — myself included — a big headache.

Autocorrect gets an improvement

Your iPhone’s keyboard in iOS 17 will get an upgrade. The keyboard will use a transformer model, similar to what OpenAI uses in its language models, so it’ll better predict what you’ll type next, whether that’s a name or a curse word. Autocorrect will also be able to help with grammar, similar to word processing software like Microsoft Word.

While this is all very cool and helpful, my big takeaway is I won’t have to retype swear words multiple times in order to get them to stay in a message. I’ve probably wasted entire days of my life correcting words like “duck” and “shot” back to my intended curse, so I’m excited to save myself that time.

New Journal app

Journaling can help you manage stress, achieve your goals and more, and your iPhone will get a new journaling app, called Journal, later this year with iOS 17. Other journaling apps are out there already, but Apple’s will use on-device machine learning to create personalized prompts to help you out. You’ll also be able to schedule notifications to remind yourself to write. The app keeps all entries private with on-device processing, end-to-end encryption and the ability to lock the app.

If you’re more comfortable typing than using a pencil or pen and notebooks, this app could help you get into, and stay consistent with, journaling. Even if you already journal regularly, you could get some benefits from the app. I’ve been journaling for years, and while I won’t give up my notebooks or pencils, I’ll probably use this app to help me reflect on my day when I can’t think of what to write — it happens more often than you might think.

New Messages improvements and features

Messages gets some upgrades with iOS 17, too. The new Check In feature, for example, lets you quickly and easily tell a family member or friend that you made it to your destination. And if you’re a parent you can use this new feature to make sure your child made it safely to their friend’s house.

You will also be able to jump to the first message you haven’t seen in a conversation in Messages with iOS 17. This can be especially helpful if you’re in a lively group chat. Imagine you go into an hour-long meeting and come out to find the group chat you’re in with your friends has 50 notifications. With iOS 17 you can go back to the first unread message and read all the context of the latest drama. After all, no one likes spoiled tea.

And if you want to reply to a specific message in Messages, you can also swipe on that message to reply to it directly. Before you had to long hold on the message and select Reply.

You can also create stickers for messages from your photos. Apple calls these Live Stickers, and you’ll be able to add effects to these stickers and save them in your iPhone for quick access later. Now you can make your pet’s side-eye into a fun sticker — your pet will probably still be annoyed.

New Contact Posters

Three iPhones, each showing a different Contact Poster — Contact Posters aim to make your contact cards more compelling.

Apple

A fun new feature that iOS 17 brings to your iPhone is Contact Posters. Think of these posters as highly customizable contact cards. On previous iOS versions, you could differentiate contacts with their own ringtones and thumbnail photos on your phone. Contact Posters takes this further, letting you customize contacts with emoji pictures, editing the color and font of contacts and more.

Apple also said Contact Posters will be available for third-party calling apps, not just your iPhone’s contacts.

This feature feels like the integration of Apple’s customizable lock screens with Contacts, and it makes me think Apple will one day let you customize other apps and features on your iPhone. Hopefully Apple will continue to give people more customization options in the future, like letting you edit the display, color and font for different chats in Messages.

Delete password verification messages automatically

In iOS 17, if you go to Settings > Passwords > Password Options, there is a new option called Clean Up Automatically under Verification Codes. If enabled, this option will automatically delete messages in Messages and Mail that contain verification codes after you’ve inserted the code using AutoFill.

I like to keep my messages and email tidy, and this feature will surely help me in that pursuit. When I open Messages or Mail I want to see messages from my friends and family, not random messages filled with code.

Make a grocery list in Reminders

To access this feature you have to upgrade your Reminders app after upgrading to iOS 17. The app will prompt you to upgrade when you open it the first time after downloading iOS 17. Afterward, there are a few steps to make a grocery list.

A hand holding an apple — In iOS 17, the Reminders app can sort your grocery list for you.

Getty Images

1. Open a new reminder.
2. Tap the three dots (…) in the top-right corner of your screen.
3. Tap List Info.
4. Tap Standard next to List Type to select Groceries.

Once enabled, Reminders will automatically separate different grocery items into sections like Produce and Breads & Cereals.

I usually use Notes to make a grocery list, and it works fine. But my list is typically a jumbled mess that doesn’t adhere to rhyme or reason, which means I backtrack through the store to grab something I forgot about. This feature should make it easier to keep track of what I need from certain sections of the store, saving me the time and frustration of walking through the store two or three times.

Conversation Awareness on AirPods

The second-generation AirPods Pro are getting a few new upgrades with iOS 17, like Adaptive Audio and Personalized Volume, to give you a better listening experience, but Conversation Awareness is the new feature I’m most excited about.

With Conversation Awareness, second-generation AirPods Pro will recognize when you start talking, lower the volume of your music, reduce background noise and amplify the voices in front of you. No more fumbling with your AirPods or iPhone to turn down the volume to say “Hi” to someone.

This is another feature Apple will hopefully build and expand upon. A future version of this software might allow your AirPods to recognize when someone within a certain range is talking to you and lowers the volume automatically.

No more ‘Hey, Siri’

Hey Siri voice controls — You don’t need to say, “Hey, Siri” in iOS 17 if you don’t want to.

James Martin/CNET

On iOS 17, you no longer have to greet Siri to activate it. With the update, you can just say “Siri” and the digital assistant will activate and listen for any questions or commands you might have, similar to how you can address Amazon’s digital assistant, Alexa.

You can also still greet and be respectful to your digital assistant; that way if there’s a robotic uprising in the future, the robots might leave you alone because you were nice to their great-grandparent, Siri. I know what I’m picking.

Back-to-back Siri requests

You’ll also be able to ask Siri back-to-back requests with iOS 17. So once you activate Siri, you can ask your digital assistant to send a text to your partner, then ask Siri to set an alarm for later without having to say “Hey Siri” or “Siri” again.

This will make talking with Siri feel more conversational, and for me, it’ll help me keep my train of thought when I’m asking for Siri’s help.

AirTags can be shared with more people

AirTags are a good way to keep track of personal items, like your wallet or luggage. With iOS 17, AirTags can be registered with more than one person, making it easier for friends and family to keep track of items. The update also allows multiple people to use the same item, like a piece of luggage, without changing trackers.

Apple AirTag 4-pack — AirTags can be registered to more people in iOS 17.

Apple/CNET

The new feature can also cut back on some minor AirTag annoyances. If you’re with someone who carries an AirTag with them, you’ll receive a notification that an unknown AirTag is traveling with you. While these notifications can help people guard against unwanted tracking, receiving these warnings can be tedious if the AirTag belongs to your partner or a friend.

The Maps app gets a boost

Apple’s Maps app is getting an upgrade with iOS 17. With the update, you’ll be able to download a map for a specific area, access turn-by-turn navigation, see estimated times of arrival and more while offline. Apple also said park trails in the US will be easier to find and EV drivers will be able to see charging station availability within the app.

Being able to use Maps offline can be very helpful if you’re a hiker and hiking an unknown trail, or if you’re visiting or driving through a remote area. This new feature, as well as the iPhone 14’s Emergency SOS via Satellite and the Apple Watch Ultra, makes it feel like Apple is making a push to make products for all your home, office and outdoor digital needs.

In Maps on iOS 17, you can select how large of an area you want to download.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Sharing is easier with AirDrop and NameDrop

With iOS 17, you’ll be able to share content more easily with others using Airdrop and a new functionality called NameDrop.

With the next iOS version, you won’t need to stay in range of another person to finish sharing content with them via AirDrop. If you’re AirDropping a lot of files and it’s taking a while, as long as you started the process within range, you don’t have to stay in range for the transfer to finish. You’ll also be able to start listening to music or watch a video with others via SharePlay by bringing your iPhones together.

NameDrop is a new functionality that lets you share contact information with another person by bringing your iPhone or Apple Watch close to their device.

Sensitive content warnings

This new iOS 17 feature is meant to help protect you from any unwanted nude images or videos you might run across. You can blur those images or videos before you view them, and this feature will be available in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, FaceTime messages and third‑party apps, according to Apple.

Looks like some guys on dating apps will have to figure out how words work and not just send unsolicited nudes to people.

Apple released iOS 17 to developers Monday, and beta testers will be able to download a beta version of the software in July — here’s how you can sign up to be an iOS beta tester. Apple plans on releasing iOS 17 to the general public in the fall.

For more Apple news, check out CNET’s WWDC recap and what to know about Apple’s Vision Pro headset and its new 15-inch MacBook Air.

Technologies

Trump Maintains US‑Iran Negotiations Continue Amid Tehran’s Denials of Duplicity

President Trump insists that US‑Iran talks are ongoing despite Tehran’s denial of any negotiation plans, while warning that only a deal or total surrender will allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Conflicting statements from both sides have heightened uncertainty as the conflict enters its sixth month.

On Monday, President Donald Trump asserted that negotiations between the United States and Iran are still taking place, even after Tehran stated it has no intention of engaging in direct talks with Washington.

In a fiery Truth Social post, Trump labeled Iran’s leaders “unbelievably duplicitous,” claiming they are lying about ongoing peace talks “whether Iran wants to admit it or not.” He repeated his assertion that the United States completely controls the Strait of Hormuz, despite maritime traffic through the crucial route lingering at only a small fraction of pre‑conflict levels.

He wrote, “Nothing reaches Iran unless we allow it, and nothing will pass unless a deal—or total surrender—is achieved.”

Earlier that day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters there is no imminent plan for U.S.–Iran negotiations, contradicting Trump’s earlier comment that talks would resume Monday afternoon. Baghaei added that Iran’s only current discussions are with Oman concerning the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflicting statements have heightened uncertainty over the peace‑talk process and the broader conflict, now in its sixth month.

Trump’s assertion about new negotiations came a day after he said on Truth Social that he had agreed to cancel a massive strike against Iran “subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.” He said in the same post that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked him to hold off on that attack because “the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

Trump has claimed dozens of times throughout the more‑than‑five‑month‑long war that a deal is at hand. No permanent deal has been signed, and a temporary ceasefire reached in June has fallen apart.

Trump has also repeatedly threatened to launch devastating strikes against Iran before backing off. After the latest example, oil prices on Monday fell and stocks surged.

BMI, a research unit of Fitch Solutions, said in a note Monday that a broader diplomatic understanding on reopening the Strait of Hormuz is still achievable this quarter, while raising the probability of its escalation scenario to 35% from 25%, citing mounting military, diplomatic and economic signs of rising U.S.-Iran tensions.

“Diplomatic progress is likely to be punctuated by periodic military flare-ups, while miscalculation by either side could trigger a renewed escalation,” BMI analysts wrote in a note. The firm said the key issue to watch is the future governance of the strait, as the Iran-Oman talks — potentially backed by Gulf states, China and the U.S. — point to efforts to build a post-conflict shipping framework.

Shipping risks persist even as diplomacy appears to be advancing. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said it received a report of an incident 20 nautical miles (23 miles) northeast of Khasab, Oman — at the mouth of the strait — with a tanker’s master reporting an explosion in close proximity to the vessel at about 20:37 UTC Sunday (4:37 pm ET). The vessel and crew were safe and authorities are investigating, UKMTO said, advising ships to transit with caution.

The proposal Trump announced over the weekend calls for the U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations and continue ironing out some of the thorny issues that had derailed diplomatic efforts, according to The Associated Press, citing a regional official involved in the mediation efforts.

The official said the proposal also includes a reopening of the Hormuz Strait and halting attacks across the region, including by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq on the Arab Gulf countries and Jordan.

The U.S., for its part, will end its naval blockade on Iran and allow Tehran to export its oil, the official said, adding that no deal has been reached, although the mediation efforts remained underway.

Trump’s weekend reversal has lowered the temperature after days of escalating attacks across the Gulf. Kuwait said Saturday that Iranian forces launched a wave of drones within its airspace, with its military destroying multiple aircraft after Iran targeted critical infrastructure in the country’s north.

A parallel track with Muscat is also advancing. Iranian diplomats said Tehran was close to reaching a new arrangement with Oman to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a deal critical to preventing the war from escalating further, according to the Financial Times.

Iranian officials said negotiations over future management of the Hormuz Strait with Oman, which sits on the opposite shore of the waterway, are in their final stages. The agreed shipping route would be different from those used before, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Baghaei, adding that the new route was separate from the issue of the strait’s reopening or continued closure.

Technologies

Oil Prices Slide as Trump Halts Planned Iran Strike

Oil prices dropped after Trump cancelled a planned strike on Iran, with WTI down about 5% and Brent near 5% lower. He said the move followed requests from Tehran and regional allies for a pause while a deal shaping the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program is negotiated.

Oil prices fell on Monday after President Donald Trump announced he had cancelled a planned strike on Iran. WTI futures dropped roughly 5% to $80.34 a barrel, while Brent slipped about 4.7% to $83.77 a barrel.

Trump said early Sunday he called off the strike after Iran and several Middle Eastern nations asked him to hold off, noting that the outlines of a deal had been agreed upon. He added that the prospective accord would entail the immediate, full opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, according to his Truth Social post.

The president had been considering another round of strikes as diplomatic hopes waned since the conflict began on February 28. He said the U.S. and Iran would meet for talks on Monday, but Iran denied any scheduled negotiations with Washington, citing PressTV. Iran’s foreign‑ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei clarified that Tehran was only discussing shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman. In a follow‑up Truth Social message, Trump insisted that, regardless of Iran’s acknowledgment, the United States is indeed discussing a solution to a long‑standing problem created by Iran.

Technologies

Oil Prices Drop as Trump Cancels Planned Attack on Iran

Oil prices fell sharply after President Trump announced the cancellation of a planned strike on Iran, citing a new deal that would open the Hormuz Strait and end Iran’s nuclear threat.

Oil prices fell sharply on Monday after President Donald Trump announced that he had called off a planned strike on Iran.

West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. benchmark, slipped roughly 5% to close at $80.34 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international benchmark, declined 4.7% to settle at $83.77 a barrel.

Trump made the announcement early Sunday, saying he had canceled the strike following requests from Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries.

In a Truth Social post, he wrote: “We have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

The president indicated that the proposed agreement would include the immediate, complete, and total opening of the Hormuz Strait, as well as an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.

Trump had been weighing additional strikes amid diminishing prospects for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict that began on Feb. 28. He stated that the U.S. and Iran would hold negotiations on Monday.

Tehran denied that talks were planned with Washington, according to state news outlet PressTV.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was only holding talks with Oman regarding the routes ships can use through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a subsequent Truth Social post, Trump added that whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused for decades.”