iPadOS 17 and iOS 17 are here, and Apple has made the annual updates available to all users on eligible iPhones and iPads, meaning you can install them right now without bothering with beta programs.
The 2023 iPhone software update includes significant updates to Messages, FaceTime, the keyboard, and more.
You can install iOS 17 on any iPhone from 2018 or later. Once you know your device is eligible, you can head to Settings > General > About > Software Update to manually initiate the download and installation.
This year’s iOS upgrade includes audio message transcriptions and a rethinking of the Messages app. (iMessage apps and other tools now live behind a plus button next to the text entry field.)
FaceTime adds video voicemails, and you can even take calls on an Apple TV, using an iPhone or iPad as the camera. StandBy mode is a new feature that turns your handset into a smart display when it’s charging and positioned horizontally.
Meanwhile, NameDrop lets you quickly exchange contact info with new friends by tapping your devices together, and a new inline predictive text feature lets the keyboard predict and (optionally) finish your sentences for you.
With iPadOS 17, perhaps the most noticeable change is that you’ll be able to personalize your lock screen in a way that’s similar to what Apple added to iPhones with iOS 16. The update adds interactive widgets — a feature that’s available in iOS 17, too. Stage Manager got some much-needed improvements, too.
Apple also released tvOS 17, and Chris Welch argues that the update marks a quietly big year for Apple TV and tvOS.
