Apple Releases iOS 17 RC Version: Full Feature List & Release Notes
New RC Versions & Build Numbers
Following the release of iOS 17 Beta 8 two weeks ago, Apple is finally releasing iOS 17 Release Candidate before seeding iOS 17 to the public next Monday, September 18. iOS 17 is a major update and Apple keeps releasing new features, even in this RC version, making our iPhones more stable. The build number for this version is 21A329 and the update file size is 6.32 GB for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Apple also released the RC versions of iPadOS 17 (build number: 21A329), macOS 14 (build number: 23A339) watchOS 10 (build number: 21R356) and tvOS 17 (build number: 21J354). All but macOS 14, will be available to the public on September 18, while macOS on September 26.
How-to Update to iOS 17
The beta update process is quite simple after iOS 16.4. Users are no longer required to download a beta configuration profile and install it on their iPhones. To update your iPhone to a beta version, simply go to Settings - General - Software Update and select iOS 17 Developer Beta if you are a registered developer or iOS 17 Public Beta if you have been enrolled as a public beta tester. You can always select “Off” to opt-out of beta updates which is advised for your primary device.
Should the RC versions released by Apple today end up being the final builds or public release builds that we will receive next Monday, your iPhone will not update to the stable public version from the RC. This means that your phone will have beta software installed until Apple releases the next public iOS version.
If you wish to revert your device back to non-beta software, we advise against upgrading to the RC version from Beta 8 or any previous beta version of iOS 17.
Release Notes
iOS 17 Release Candidate release notes are quite extensive and include detailed information regarding all considerable new iOS 17 features:
Phone
Contact Posters let you customize how you appear on other people’s devices when you call them with a customized poster
Live Voicemail displays a live transcription as someone leaves a message and allows you to pick up the call
Messages
Stickers iMessage app brings all your stickers into one place including Live Stickers, Memoji, Animoji, emoji stickers, and your third party sticker packs
Live Stickers can be created by lifting the subject from photos or videos and stylizing them with effects like Shiny, Puffy, Comic, and Outline
Check In automatically notifies a family member or friend when you arrive at a destination safely and can share helpful information with them in case of a delay
Audio message transcription is available for audio messages you receive so you can read them in the moment and listen later
Search improvements help you find messages faster by allowing you to combine search filters such as people, keywords, and content types like photos or links to find exactly what you are looking for
Swipe to reply to a message inline by swiping to the right on any bubble
One-time verification code cleanup automatically deletes verification codes from the Messages app after using them with AutoFill in other apps
FaceTime
Leave a video or audio message to capture exactly what you want to say when someone does not pick up your FaceTime call
Enjoy FaceTime calls on Apple TV by using your iPhone as a camera (Apple TV 4K 2nd generation and later)
Reactions layer 3D effects like hearts, balloons, confetti, and more around you in video calls and can be triggered with gestures
Video effects allow you to adjust the intensity of Studio Lighting and Portrait mode
StandBy
Full-screen experience with glanceable information like clocks, photos, and widgets designed to view from a distance when iPhone is on its side and charging in places such as your nightstand, kitchen counter, or desk
Clocks are available in a variety of styles including Digital, Analog, Solar, Float, and World Clock, with elements you can personalize like the accent color
Photos automatically shuffle through your best shots or showcase a specific album you choose
Widgets give you access to information at a distance and appear in Smart Stacks that deliver the right information at the right time
Night Mode lets clocks, photos, and widgets take on a red tone in low light
Preferred view per MagSafe charger remembers your preference for each place you charge with MagSafe, whether that’s a clock, photos, or widgets
Widgets
Interactive widgets let you take actions, like mark a reminder as complete, directly from the widget by tapping it on the Home Screen, Lock Screen, or in StandBy
iPhone widgets on Mac enable you to add widgets from your iPhone to your Mac desktop
AirDrop
NameDrop lets you exchange contact information with someone new by bringing your iPhones close together
New way to initiate AirDrop allows you to share content or start a SharePlay session over AirDrop by bringing your iPhones close together
Keyboard
Improved autocorrect accuracy makes typing even easier by leveraging a powerful transformer-based language model (iPhone 12 and later)
Easier autocorrect editing temporarily underlines corrected words and lets you revert back to what you originally typed with just a tap
Enhanced sentence corrections can correct more types of grammatical mistakes when you finish sentences (iPhone 12 and later)
Inline predictive text shows single and multi-word predictions as you type that can be added by tapping space bar (iPhone 12 and later)
Safari and Passwords
Profiles keep your browsing separate for topics like work and personal, separating your history, cookies, extensions, Tab Groups, and favorites
Private Browsing enhancements include locking your private browsing windows when you’re not using them, blocking known trackers from loading, and removing identifying tracking from URLs
Password and passkey sharing lets you create a group of passwords to share with trusted contacts that stays up to date as members of the group make changes
One-time verification code AutoFill from Mail autofill in Safari so you can log in without leaving the browser
Music
SharePlay makes it easy for everyone to control and play Apple Music in the car
Crossfade smoothly transitions between songs by fading out the currently playing song while fading in the next so the music never stops
AirPlay
Intelligent AirPlay device list makes finding the right AirPlay-compatible TV or speaker even easier by showing your devices in order of relevance, based on your preferences
Suggested AirPlay device connections are proactively shown to you as a notification to make it even more seamless to connect to your preferred AirPlay devices
Automatic AirPlay device connections are made between your iPhone and the most relevant AirPlay-compatible device so all you have to do is tap “Play” to begin enjoying your content
AirPods
Adaptive Audio delivers a new listening mode that dynamically blends Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency to tailor the noise control experience based on the conditions of your environment (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)
Personalized Volume adjusts the volume of your media in response to your environment and listening preferences over time (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)
Conversation Awareness lowers your media volume and enhances the voices of the people in front of the user, all while reducing background noise (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)
Press to mute and unmute your microphone by pressing the AirPods stem or the Digital Crown on AirPods Max when on a call (AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation), or AirPods Max with firmware version 6A300 or later)
Maps
Offline Maps allow you to select an area you want to access, search, and explore rich information for places to download for use when your iPhone doesn’t have a Wi-Fi or cellular signal
EV routing improvements give you routes based on real-time EV charger availability for supported chargers
Siri
Option to say “Siri” in addition to “Hey Siri” for an even more natural way to make requests
Back-to-back requests can be issued without needing to reactivate Siri in between commands (iPhone 11 and later)
Visual Look Up
Expanded domains in Visual Look Up help you discover similar recipes from photos of food, Maps information from photos of storefronts, and the meaning of signs and symbols on things like laundry tags
Multiple or single subjects can be lifted from the background of photos and videos and placed into apps like Messages
Visual Look Up in Video helps you learn about objects that appear in paused video frames
Visual Look Up for subjects in photos enables you to look up information about objects you lift from photos directly from the callout bar
Health
State of Mind reflection allows you to log your momentary emotion and daily mood, choose what factors are having the biggest impact on you, and describe your feelings
Interactive charts give you insights into your state of mind, how it has changed over time, and what factors may have influence such as exercise, sleep, and mindful minutes
Mental health assessments help you understand your current risk for depression and anxiety and if you might benefit from getting support
Screen Distance leverages the TrueDepth camera that powers Face ID to encourage you to increase the distance you view your device to reduce digital eye strain and can help reduce the risk of myopia in children
Privacy
Sensitive Content Warnings can be enabled to prevent users from unexpectedly being shown images containing nudity in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, and FaceTime messages
Expanded Communication Safety protections for children now detect videos containing nudity in addition to photos that children may receive or attempt to send in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, FaceTime messages, and the system Photo picker
Improved sharing permissions give you even more control over what you share with apps, with an embedded photo picker and an add-only Calendar permission
Link tracking protection removes extra information from links shared in Messages, Mail, and Safari Private Browsing that some websites use in their URLs to track you across other websites, and links still work as expected
Accessibility
Assistive Access distills apps and experiences to their essential features in Phone and FaceTime, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Music, including large text, visual alternatives, and focused choices to lighten cognitive load
Live Speech lets you type what you want to say and have it be spoken out loud in phone calls, FaceTime calls, and for in-person conversations
Personal Voice enables users who are at risk of losing their voice to privately and securely create a voice that sounds like them on iPhone, and use it with Live Speech in phone and FaceTime calls
Point and Speak in Magnifier Detection Mode uses iPhone to read text out loud on physical objects with small text labels, such as keypads on doors and buttons on appliances
This release also includes other features and improvements:
Roadside Assistance via satellite lets you contact AAA to help you with vehicle issues when out of Wi-Fi or cellular range (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max)
Pets in the People album in Photos surfaces individual pets in the album just like friends or family members
Photos Album widget lets you select a specific album from the Photos app to appear in the widget
Item sharing in Find My allows you to share an AirTag or Find My network accessory with up to five other people
Activity History in Home displays a recent history of events for door locks, garage doors, security systems, and contact sensors
Grid Forecast in Home shows when your electrical grid has cleaner energy sources available (Contiguous US only)
Grocery Lists in Reminders automatically group related items into sections as you add them
Inline PDFs and document scans in Notes are presented full-width, making them easy to view and mark them up
New Memoji stickers in Keyboard include Halo, Smirk, and Peekaboo
App Shortcuts in Spotlight Top Hit offer you app shortcuts to your next action when you search for an app
Redesigned Sharing tab in Fitness provides highlights of your friends’ activity like workout streaks and awards
Email or phone number sign-in lets you sign into your iPhone with any email address or phone number listed in your Apple ID account
New drawing tools in Freeform include a fountain pen, watercolor brush, ruler and more to create expressive boards
Crash Detection optimizations (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max)
