Technologies

Here Are The Most Annoying iOS 17 Features on Your iPhone (and How to Fix Them)

You don’t have to live with every new iOS 17 feature and setting.

If you have a supported iPhone, like the iPhone 15, you can download Apple’s latest iOS 17 software update. The new iPhone OS brings several new features to iPhones, like StandBy mode, interactive widgets, full-screen contact posters for phone calls, an improved and more personalized autocorrect and more.

Read more: iOS 17 Cheat Sheet: Everything to Know About the New iPhone Update

Though most of these features are welcome, if you’re like me, you might not love every single new offering from iOS 17. Sometimes I don’t want change, especially when it’s super drastic, because I get used to a way of doing certain things.

I wasn’t a fan of the new search button at the bottom of each home page when I upgraded to iOS 16, because I’d accidentally trigger it all the time. It isn’t necessarily a bad feature, I just personally didn’t like it.

And with iOS 17, there are also a few features I’m not a huge fan of. If you want to find out about some of the iOS 17 settings I sometimes find annoying, keep reading. And best of all, there’s a «fix» for all of them, so you can either get rid of them or at least never have to deal with them again.

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone

Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

Text message verification codes on iPhone

+15 more

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While you’re here, check out the iOS 17 settings you need to change ASAP and the best hidden features in iOS 17.

Stop NameDrop from automatically sharing your contact info

The new NameDrop feature on iOS 17 allows you to quickly swap contact information via AirDrop simply by bringing your iPhone near another iPhone or Apple Watch. Your name and Contact Poster (also new with iOS 17) are shared with NameDrop, along with your phone number, email address and other information.

However, some people have had issues with NameDrop sharing info when they don’t want to. For example, if you place your iPhone near another iPhone in general, NameDrop may attempt to transfer your contact information. If you carry two iPhones in your bag — one personal and the other for work — NameDrop could attempt to share contact info between the two, which can be annoying when you’re not trying to use the feature on purpose.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to disable NameDrop completely. In the Settings application, go to General > AirDrop and toggle off Bringing Devices Together. Once the feature is off, you won’t be able to swap numbers and information via NameDrop.

Hide notifications in StandBy

The StandBy feature is arguably one of the biggest new iOS 17 features to the iPhone, turning your phone into a smart display when it’s charging horizontally and showcasing information, like the time, your calendar, photos and notifications, in large blocks that are easy to see. StandBy is a great way to quickly absorb information by glancing at your phone, but if there are people around and you want to keep some of your information private, you may not want StandBy to show notifications.

In Settings > StandBy, toggle off Show Notifications. Now when you’re in StandBy mode, you won’t see all of your notifications displayed. Critical notifications, like weather emergencies, will still be shown in StandBy mode.

Alternatively, you can hide notification previews instead of the entire notification. That way, you can still see what notifications you’re getting, you just can’t check out exact details unless you tap on the notification. For this to work, you’ll need to enable Show Notifications, as well as the Show Preview on Top Only setting underneath.

Stop Siri from activating so easily

Siri received a few major changes in iOS 17, including the ability to activate the voice assistant by only saying «Siri» — no more «hey» needed. It’s an easier way to quickly open an application or run a shortcut with just your voice, but at the same time, you might accidentally trigger Siri more often, since the new trigger is just a single word now.

If you want to go back to only having Siri activated when you say «Hey Siri» and not just «Siri,» go into Settings > Siri & Search > Listen for and choose the solo «Hey Siri» option. Your iPhone will no longer activate Siri simply when you say «Siri.»

For more on iOS 17, learn how to automatically delete multifactor authentication messages in texts and email and how to create Live Stickers.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 5, #500

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 5, No. 500.

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. As an old-school Minnesota Twins fan, I was excited to see the last name of our most legendary player on the grid. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle 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: QB is another one.

Green group hint: Hit it out of the park.

Blue group hint: Great gridiron signal-callers.

Purple group hint: Half of a thousand.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Football positions, abbreviated.

Green group: Members of the 500-HR club.

Blue group: First names of QBs to throw 500 career TDs.

Purple group: ____500.

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 football positions, abbreviated. The four answers are CB, OT, S and TE.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is members of the 500-HR club. The four answers are Banks, Bonds, Foxx and Killebrew.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is first names of QBs to throw 500 career TDs. The four answers are Aaron, Drew, Peyton and Tom.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____500. The four answers are ATP, Daytona, Indy and WTA.

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

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, Feb. 5

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 5

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

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? The Across clues were kind of tricky today, but the Down clues helped me fill in the grid. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Battery warning from a smoke detector
Answer: CHIRP

6A clue: Word that can precede «book» or «tour»
Answer: AUDIO

7A clue: Extreme edge
Answer: BRINK

8A clue: Like a wobbly screw
Answer: LOOSE

9A clue: Type in
Answer: ENTER

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Alternative to streaming
Answer: CABLE

2D clue: One of the Great Lakes
Answer: HURON

3D clue: Dummy
Answer: IDIOT

4D clue: Wash under a tap
Answer: RINSE

5D clue: Game in which Paul Newman successfully cons a crime boss in «The Sting»
Answer: POKER

Technologies

Fitbit Launches Luffu, AI-Powered Health Tracking for the Whole Family

Soon, you may be able to access every family member’s health data in one place.

If you’ve ever wanted a way to keep all of your family’s health records in place, Fitbit may have come up with a solution. Fitbit, well-known for its fitness wearables, announced the launch of its own health care system on Wednesday.

Luffu, which translates to the Old English word for «love,» uses AI to create what it calls an «intelligent family care system.» The platform allows family members to share all their health information through an app.

It’s unclear when Luffu will be officially available, but you can sign up for the waitlist to get access to the limited public beta. Pricing or other details have not been announced.

Luffu will allow families to keep track of everyone’s doctor’s appointments, test results, vaccine records, medications, symptoms, diet and more. The platform uses AI to learn your family’s health history and patterns, and to alert you to any changes that should be addressed, such as missed medications or abnormal vitals. The AI function organizes the data submitted into the system. The app will also connect to third-party apps and wearables, such as the Fitbit.

Luffu is meant to lighten the mental load of family care by organizing all this health data in one place, its co-founder said.

«I was caring for my parents from across the country, trying to piece together my mom’s health care across various portals and providers, with a language barrier that made it hard to get a complete, timely context from her about doctor visits,» said Luffu co-founder James Park.

Luffu will include alerts and a space to log health and medication information via voice, text, photos, and other health portals and devices. The key medical information can be shared across the platform with spouses, caregivers and parents.

A representative for Fitbit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.