Social network X, previously known as Twitter, may soon offer more than one subscription tier. Code in the app suggests that the Premium offering could be split into three, including Premium Basic, Premium Standard, and Premium Plus.
Premium Basic lists "full ads" in the For You feed, while Premium Standard says it has "half ads" in For You. Premium Plus says there will be no ads in For You. Given the specific mention of the For You feed, it sounds like all of the tiers will continue to have ads in replies. Revenue from reply ads is used for paying content creators on the social network.
X Premium will be broken up into 3 tiers:
Premium Basic - Full Ads Premium Standard - Half Ads Premium Plus - No Ads pic.twitter.com/I0CyaQf2ME
— Aaron (@aaronp613) October 5, 2023
At the current time, a Premium subscription is priced at $8 per month or $84 per year, and there is no word yet on what the new tiers might be priced at. There are also no other details on the differences between the plans or launch information.
With the Apple Vision Pro headset, the built-in cameras will create a customized "Persona" that resembles the user, and this Persona is used in video chat apps like FaceTime.
Creating a Persona involves a 3D capture of the face and upper body, but it turns out that Apple's technology won't be advanced enough to take glasses into account.
As noted by @M1Astra, visionOS code requires users to remove anything that covers the face, such as glasses. There does not appear to be any kind of secondary scanning mechanism to separately capture a user's glasses, and instead, Apple will allow users to "Select Eyewear" from a variety of options.
visionOS code suggests that Vision Pro users will be able to choose from a range of different glasses and sunglasses options that come in common shapes like square, rounded, oval, aviator, and more, with thick and thin frames.
Users will likely be able to find something that is close to their own frames, but there may not be an exact match available. It is not yet clear if color options will be available, but it seems like a level of customization that Apple would offer.
Apple uses the Vision Pro cameras to bring a user's facial expressions and hand movements to their Persona, giving it a more realistic feel that mimics person-to-person interactions.
Personas are one aspect of visionOS that Apple is working on perfecting before the launch of the Vision Pro headset. In September, Apple began surveying developers who have the Vision Pro about their Personas, soliciting opinions on facial expressions, appearance matching, and more.
The Vision Pro headset is set to launch in early 2024 in the United States, and it will be priced at $3,500.
Apple is working on two new versions of the iPad Air 6, according to a report from 9to5Mac. The site claims that Apple has four separate models in the works (two each in cellular and Wi-Fi), though it is not clear what the differentiating factor would be if there are indeed two separate iPad Air models coming.
Apple makes two versions of the iPad Pro because it comes in two sizes, and 9to5Mac speculates that Apple could release a larger version of the iPad Air to go along with the current 10.9-inch version, or debut "a more expensive model with better specs."
Given that the iPad lineup already features two sizes of the iPad Pro, a low-cost iPad, and the iPad mini, a larger or higher-end iPad Air may not make a lot of sense. 9to5Mac warns that Apple's plans could change and that a second iPad Air model might not appear.
Prior rumors have suggested that Apple is working on a seventh-generation iPad mini and an 11th-generation low-cost iPad, with neither tablet expected to feature major changes. 9to5Mac says that its sources believe the iPad mini 7 is coming "soon," but the report also says that all of the new iPads are on track to be announced "between now and WWDC 2024 in June," which is a wide window.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in September that Apple is not likely to introduce new iPads in 2023, and that iPad mini and iPad Air models will instead come in 2024. Bloomberg's Mark Gurmanalso said in September that Apple is working on a new iPad Air and that it could be "coming soonish," so it continues to be unclear if we'll see an iPad of some kind before the end of the year.
Apple has not refreshed the iPad Air since March of 2022, so it has been over a year since the last update. The current model includes the M1 chip, and Apple could wait for the debut of the M3 chip for an update, so iPad Air launch timing could be tied to M3 launch timing.
As for the iPad mini, it has not been refreshed since September 2021, though it is not a tablet that Apple updates regularly.
Nanoleaf today announced the upcoming launch of the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights, which are able to integrate with Matter-compatible smart home platforms like HomeKit.
The two 10-meter light strands include 250 addressable LEDs that can be set to 16 million colors and multiple shades of white that range from 2700 to 6500K. With IP44 water resistance, the 250 lumen lights are able to be used indoors or outdoors.
Lights can be controlled with the Nanoleaf app, with the Home app, or with Siri voice commands. With the Nanoleaf app, there are customizable color palettes and light animations, plus an option to sync with music that's playing. There are nine preset scenes such as Holiday Magic and Crackling Fireplace.
Because Nanoleaf's lights are Matter-enabled, a Matter-compatible smart home hub like the HomePod mini or recent Apple TV 4K is required to use them with HomeKit. The lights can be controlled via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Matter over Wi-Fi, plus there are physical controls available in case a smart device is not around when you want to change the color or turn the lights off.
Apple today introduced SF Symbols 5, a new version of the library of iconography that it provides to developers for use in apps. The icons have been created to integrate with San Francisco, the system font that Apple uses for its devices.
There are more than 5,000 symbols in total, with SF Symbols 5 adding 700 characters. Some of the new symbols in the update include game controller buttons, weather conditions, additional currencies, and automotive indicators. The symbols are available in apps running iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, tvOS 17, and watchOS 10.
The update also introduces symbol animations with behaviors like bounce, scale, and pulse defining how symbols and their layers move. Apple says that the animated effects bring "bring vitality to interfaces and provide feedback to user input while communicating changes in status and ongoing activity." To support animations, symbols have been redrawn and optimized for motion.
Apple included improved tools for developers who want to create custom symbols, including a library of enclosure shapes, badges, and slashes, along with updated annotation tools. A new inspector allows for animation previews for system symbols and custom symbols.
Developers are able to use Apple's SF Symbols wherever there are interface icons, including navigation bars, toolbars, tab bars, and context menus.
Only one activity is available when mirroring or sharing your view through AirPlay or FaceTime.
This suggests that users will be able to mirror their Vision Pro display to an external monitor or TV, or share their view with others through AirPlay or FaceTime. Other headsets like Meta Quest have similar features which can help to reduce the feeling of isolation of the headset user from others.
Reset EyeSight Data
Apple's visionOS 1.0 beta 4 also includes a new option to reset EyeSight data. EyeSight is the feature that displays a user's simulated eyes on the external display of the Apple Vision Pro. The option reads:
You can reset EyeSight by going to Settings > People Awareness and tapping Reset Personalized EyeSight. This will remove personalized eye details from EyeSight, like your eye shape and measurements, but EyeSight will still use your skin tone where available. After you have reset EyeSight, you can restore it by recapturing your Persona.
Sharing of Persona Data
The code indicates that a user's Persona will be sent to all participants in a FaceTime call in order to allow other participants to view the user's Persona. Apple Vision Pro can generate Personas via machine learning that allow users to share virtual representations of themselves that reflect face and hand movements in real time with others over FaceTime.
For FaceTime calls on a visionOS device, your Persona will be sent securely to all of the people on the call so they can view your Persona. After a call is completed, your Persona may remain stored encrypted on the other call participants’ devices for up to 30 days. The other call participants will be able to access your Persona only when they are on a call with you.
The code also indicates that Personas, but not the data used to generate them, could be stored on Apple's servers, albeit in a manner that isn't accessible to Apple.
To create your Persona and personalized EyeSight, Apple Vision Pro cameras capture images and 3D measurements of your face, head, upper body, and facial expressions. The data used to build your Persona and EyeSight do not leave your device. Your Persona may be stored on Apple servers, encrypted in a way that Apple cannot access.
Additional New Alerts
visionOS 1.0 beta 4 also includes the following new alerts:
Calling unavailable while in Travel Mode
Brighten your lighting to use your Persona.
This video has excess motion, and could cause discomfort if expanded.
Apple has stated that Apple Vision Pro will launch in the U.S. in early 2024 before expanding to other countries at later dates.
The current iPad Air was introduced in March last year, adding the M1 chip, Center Stage on the front-facing camera, a faster USB-C port, and several new color options, but it was still a fairly minor upgrade over the previous model from September 2020. As we near a year and a half since the fifth-generation iPad Air was introduced, what can users expect from the sixth-generation model and when will it launch?
As of 2023, it has been some time since the iPad Air had a major hardware refresh. Yet due to its positioning between the entry-level iPad and the iPad Pro, it is not immediately clear what a new iPad Air model could gain without cannibalizing the iPad Pro.
There have been few concrete rumors about the features the next iPad Air will offer as yet, so the overall picture of what to expect is still somewhat fluid. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has repeatedly said that an iPad Air update this year with a minor "spec bump" is not out of the question, suggesting that the upgrade will be fairly iterative, targeting several small but significant areas.
A chip upgrade is the most certain feature coming to the next iPad Air. The iPad Air currently contains the M1 chip. There have been no reports about what chip the next-generation iPad Air will feature, but the M2 chip has now been in the iPad Pro for almost a year, meaning that it should be more than suitable for the iPad Air. For comparison, the M1 chip was present in the previous-generation iPad Pro for 11 months before it came to to the iPad Air. There is even the possibility that it could skip the M2 and get the M3 chip instead, depending on the timing of its release.
A minor spec bump is also likely to include upgrades to the front and rear cameras, potentially bringing features like Photonic Engine to the iPad for the first time. ProRes video recording, Audio zoom, stereo audio recording, Portrait mode, and Portrait Lighting support are all plausible upgrades in this area.
A horizontally oriented front-facing camera and a Thunderbolt port are among the other potential features for the sixth-generation iPad Air. The latest iPad Pro models brought connectivity upgrades like Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 to the iPad for the first time. By now, these capabilities are overdue to make their way to the iPad Air. Similarly, Apple Pencil hover, another iPad Pro-exclusive feature, could finally trickle down to the iPad Air in its next incarnation.
A new iPad Air launching this year is certainly more likely than a new iPad Pro emerging, but Apple historically has only updated the device around every two years. While a refresh to add the M2 chip is certainly possible in 2023, it may be more probable that Apple will again wait two years to update the device and target 2024 for a more worthwhile upgrade.
Last month, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that new iPad models are "unlikely" to launch this year, seemingly leaning into a 2024 launch for the next-generation iPad Air. However, a reliable Weibo leaker recently said that the sixth-generation iPad Air should launch in October as the only iPad refresh of 2023, with "no mini and Pro this year."
More strikingly, on a September episode of The MacRumors Show podcast, Mark Gurman said that there is a new iPad Air with improved specifications in the works and the device is apparently "coming soonish," likely this month. As such, the sixth-generation iPad Air appears to now be pending release, meaning that a launch in the near future cannot yet be ruled out. If a month passes with no such occurrence, the first half of 2024 will become the most likely scenario.
Update: A new report suggests Apple is working on two separate sixth-generation iPad Air models, but it unclear if this refers to two different size options or something else.
A bug impacting search functionality in the Messages app for some iPhone 15 users appears to be fixed in the second beta of iOS 17.1 released this week.
Some early adopters of iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models have complained that the Messages app's search tool only displays recent messages after transferring content from another iPhone. The issue has been mentioned by several users across the MacRumors Forums and Reddit since the devices launched earlier this month.
The bug is present on all iOS 17 versions up to the first iOS 17.1 beta, but many affected users said it has been fixed as of the second iOS 17.1 beta. It may take a day or longer for the device to index and restore the older messages after installing the update. Some users said they needed to open the Settings app, tap on Messages, tap on Siri & Search, turn off all of the settings shown, restart the iPhone, and re-enable those settings to fix the issue.
iOS 17.1 is expected to be released in late October, so users not interested in installing the beta might have to wait a few more weeks for the fix.
Amazon today has Apple's 256GB 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro for $999.00, down from $1,299.00, along with a deal on the 512GB model as well. At $300 off, these discounts represent new record low prices for the 2022 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You can get the 256GB model in both Silver and Space Gray at this price on Amazon. Delivery is estimated for around October 12 through October 16, depending on your Prime membership status.
The 512GB 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro is available for $1,199.00 on Amazon, down from $1,499.00. Only Silver is available at this price, although there is an on-page coupon you can click to get the Space Gray model at a second-best price of $1,249.99.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
Update: As of the afternoon of 10/5, Amazon has ended these deals. We aren't sure if they will restock soon or not, so be sure to check back if you're interested.
The iPhone 14 now sits in the middle of Apple's iPhone lineup below the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, but above the iPhone SE and iPhone 13. The iPhone 13 starts at $599, while the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are priced at $699 and $799, so how different are the two successive iPhone generations?
In 2021, Apple unveiled the iPhone 13 as the successor to the popular iPhone 12, with improved rear cameras, longer battery life, the A15 Bionic chip, and more. The iPhone 14 launched one year later, with the headline upgrade being a new iPhone 14 Plus model with a 6.7-inch display – a screen size that was previously exclusive to Apple's "Pro" iPhones. Upon the debut of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, Apple dropped the price of the iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Plus to $599, $699, and $799, respectively. The iPhone 13 mini has now been discontinued.
The iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 both feature the same display size, 5G connectivity, A15 Bionic chip, and design. Nevertheless, the iPhone 14 still offers a number of upgrades, such as an additional GPU core, Emergency SOS via satellite, the Photonic Engine, and Action Mode.
As the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 share the overwhelming majority of their features and have the same design, should you consider sticking with the iPhone 13 to save money? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you, and serves as a way to clearly see the differences that the iPhone 14 brings to the table.
iPhone 13
iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus
Thickness of 7.65mm
Thickness of 7.80mm
Weighs 174 grams
Weighs 172 or 203 grams
4-core GPU
5-core GPU
4GB of memory
6GB of memory
12-megapixel Main camera with ƒ/1.6 aperture
12-megapixel Main camera with ƒ/1.5 aperture and larger sensor
12-megapixel front-facing camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture
12-megapixel front-facing camera with ƒ/1.9 aperture and autofocus
Photonic Engine
Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (1080p at 30 fps)
Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (4K HDR up to 30 fps)
Action mode
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.3
Emergency SOS
Emergency SOS via satellite
Crash Detection
19-hour battery life
20- or 26-hour battery life
eSIM optional
eSIM only (in the U.S.)
Available in Green, Pink, Blue, Midnight, Starlight, and PRODUCT(RED)
Available in Blue, Yellow, Purple, Midnight, Starlight, and PRODUCT(RED)
Starts at $599
Starts at $699 or $799
The iPhone 14's upgrades over the iPhone 13 are fairly minor, offering small refinements in terms of photography and videography capabilities, battery life, and GPU performance. 6GB of memory, Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite, three features that also came to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max in 2022, are moderate upgrades for the safety-conscious. That being said, the iPhone 14 is probably best suited to those coming from an older device and intend to keep their iPhone for a long time.
At face value, there is likely not enough to justify getting the iPhone 14 over the iPhone 13. Matters may be different if you want a larger display size, as there is no equivalent to the iPhone 14 Plus in the iPhone 13 lineup. Even then, the iPhone 14 Plus's $799 starting price is the same as the iPhone 15 – one of Apple's latest models. The iPhone 15 sports a wide array of new features, such as the Dynamic Island, a 48-megapixel camera, a USB-C port, and more, making for a much more attractive and future-proof purchase.
The iPhone 13 is still highly capable for everyday use, and iPhone 14 shares the vast majority of the iPhone 13's most versatile features, such as the A15 Bionic chip, OLED Super Retina XDR display, Ceramic Shield, Night mode, MagSafe, and IP68 water resistance, so it is generally better to save the $100 and get the older model, or opt for the iPhone 15 instead.
Today marks the 12th anniversary of Apple's co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs passing away at the age of 56, following a cancer diagnosis.
Apple shared the following message on its website when Jobs passed away:
Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.
Apple still has a "Remembering Steve" page on its website with condolences shared by customers around the world following his death in 2011.
"There is not a day that goes by that we don't think about him," said Apple CEO Tim Cook, during the first media event at Steve Jobs Theater in September 2017.
The Steve Jobs Archive website contains a collection of quotes, videos, and emails from Jobs, and offers fellowships to young creators to follow in Jobs' footsteps.
Apple is preparing to release new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with more power-efficient mini-LED displays before the year is out, claims a new report by DigiTimes.
Apple is expected to ship new models of 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro devices in the fourth quarter of 2023 with miniLED backlighting that can increase the display brightness by 10% compared to the first-generation specifications, the sources said.
Perhaps counterintuitively on first reading, the claim is that the increased brightness the enhanced mini-LED displays are capable of will not result in perceivably brighter displays on the MacBook Pro. Instead, the mini-LEDs will output the same brightness but use less power in the process. From the report:
Apple has not made major changes to the miniLED backlighting specifications since adopting it for its tablets and notebooks, the sources said. But the upcoming MacBook Pro devices will feature miniLEDs that are 10% brighter than the previous ones without changing the number of miniLED chips in the backlighting module, the sources said. The brightness enhancement is not meant to improve picture quality, but rather to save power and improve battery life, the sources said, adding that the new devices will start shipping in the fourth quarter of 2023.
These claims are not out of the question, but there's good reason to doubt the launch timing in DigiTimes' latest supply chain report. Apple updated the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in January, and most rumors suggest refreshed models are coming next year.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the next version of these two machines are expected to feature M3 Pro and M3 Max chips and will "probably" launch by the middle of 2024 at the latest. Likewise, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes new MacBook Pro models with updated 3-nanometer M3 Pro and M3 Max chips are set to launch in 2024.
Having said that, MacRumors received information earlier this week that indicates Apple will likely begin accepting some of its latest Mac models for trade-in this month, suggesting it may be proceeding with plans to release a new Mac model imminently. Whether this correlates with the launch of at least one new machine around mid-October remains to be seen.
The second part of the report is more aligned with rumor consensus, and goes on to suggest that the iPad Pro series may give up mini-LED backlighting and switch to hybrid OLED in 2024, while the MacBook Pro devices will continue using mini-LED until 2026, citing the burn-in problem usually associated with OLED screens as a remaining concern given that laptops tend to be left on for extended periods.
Apple is widely rumored to be working on OLED technology for future Macs and iPads, and the company is expected to switch iPad Pro models to OLED displays next year. iPad Pro display sizes are expected to see a slight increase from 11 and 12.9 inches currently to 11.1 and 13 inches with the next models. Apple is rumored to be planning to start mass production at the beginning of 2024.
Meanwhile, the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are not expected to be upgraded with OLED display technology until 2026. That is when Apple's supply chain is expected to have sufficient notebook-optimized OLED display production capacity, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants. Until then, Young believes suppliers will be focused on OLED displays for tablets, such as the iPad Pro, although an OLED MacBook Air could come earlier.
DigiTimes obtains its information from the suppliers who manufacture parts for iPhones and other Apple products. Its sources often provide reliable information, but the site has a mixed track record when it comes to interpreting that information and accurately deciphering Apple's plans. It is often best to view information from the site with some skepticism until the info is corroborated by additional sources, especially when it comes to rumors.
Back in 2018, Apple held talks with DuckDuckGo to replace Google as the default search engine in private browsing mode, but ultimately rejected the idea, according to transcripts unsealed by the judge overseeing the US government's antitrust trial against Google in Washington.
Testifying in closed sessions, DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg said that his company had about 20 meetings and phone calls with Apple executives, including the head of Safari, in 2018 and 2019 about becoming the default search engine for private browsing mode.
According to Bloomberg, Apple did not move forward with the deal because John Giannandrea, who joined Apple as head of search in 2018, assumed that since DuckDuckGo relies on Bing for its search information, it also likely provides Microsoft some user information.
That led Giannandrea to believe that DuckDuckGo's privacy marketing is "somewhat incongruent with the details." In a February 2019 email to other Apple executives, Giannandrea said it was therefore "probably a bad idea" to switch to DuckDuckGo for private browsing in Safari.
If Apple seriously wanted to switch to DuckDuckGo, "I would probably insist on doing a lot more due diligence with DuckDuckGo," he said.
The trial is between the U.S. Department of Justice and Google, with the DoJ pointing toward Google's dominance on Apple devices as evidence that Google has a search engine monopoly. A multi-billion dollar deal between Apple and Google sees that Google is set as the default search engine on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Last week the trial revealed that Microsoft considered selling its Bing search engine to Apple. Had the acquisition happened, Bing would have replaced Google as the default search engine on Apple devices.
Apple's services chief Eddy Cue also had to testify, and he explained why Google is the iPhone's default search engine. "We make Google be the default search engine because we've always thought it was the best," Cue said. He went on to say that Apple has not gone with another search engine provider because there is no "valid alternative."
Apple has announced that it will report its earnings results for the fourth quarter of the 2023 fiscal year on Thursday, November 2. The report will be available at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time on that day, and Apple's CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will discuss the results on a conference call with analysts at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
A live audio stream of the call will be available on Apple's Investor Relations page, and a recording will be available later in the day for replay.
The quarter ran from July 2 through September 30. During this period, Apple's key product launches included the iPhone 15 lineup, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and updated AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case.
Apple has not provided formal guidance since early 2020, but analysts expect the company to report quarterly revenue of around $89.2 billion on average, according to Yahoo Finance. Apple reported $90.1 billion revenue in the year-ago quarter.
Maestri provided the following commentary on Apple's earnings call last quarter:
We expect our September quarter year-over-year revenue performance to be similar to the June quarter, assuming that the macroeconomic outlook doesn't worsen from what we are projecting today for the current quarter.
AAPL closed at $173.66 today, down from a 52-week high of $198.23.
In a support document, Apple revealed that iOS 17.0.3 includes several enterprise-related bug fixes. The update resolves an issue where devices managed via Apple Business Essentials are unable to complete setup after updating to iOS 17, and it fixes bugs related to managed Wi-Fi networks and Microsoft Exchange event invitations.
From the support document:
iOS 17.0.3
- Resolves an issue where Apple Business Essentials users were unable to complete setup after updating to iOS 17. - iOS 17 devices no longer become unresponsive when joining a managed Wi-Fi network. - The Calendar app will no longer resend invitations to all participants after accepting or declining an Exchange event invitation.
The device enrollment issue with Apple Business Essentials had been mentioned on Reddit.
iOS 17.0.3 is available for the iPhone XS and newer. The update can be installed in the Settings app under General → Software Update.
The same enterprise-related bug fixes are also included in iPadOS 17.0.3.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview 180 includes fixes and updates for Accessibility, CSS, JavaScript, Loading, Media, Web Animations, and Web API.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is compatible with machines running macOS Ventura and macOS Sonoma, the latest version of macOS that Apple released in September 2023.
The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Apple is currently testing iOS 17.1, the first major update to the iOS 17 operating system that came out in September. Apple plans to release iOS 17.1 later in October, so we still have several betas to go before the software sees a public debut.
In this guide, we've rounded up all of the feature additions and changes in the iOS 17.1 beta, and we'll be updating it throughout the testing period.
Apple Music Favorites
You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1 Music app. Favorited music is added to the Library and improves recommendations. Favoriting replaces the prior "Love" system and favoriting can be done from the Lock Screen's Now Playing widget.
A star next to a track in an album means that it's a favorite, while a dot is next to the most played track. With the favorites system, the Music app is suggesting songs to add to playlists.
Eventually, Apple plans to provide a Favorite Songs playlist and offer collaborative playlists, but these features do not appear to be implemented as of yet.
Apple Music Playlists
iOS 17.1 provides color-matched playlist artwork options that can be selected as a new customization option for your playlists. There are eight artwork styles that feature geometric shapes and gradients, with the colors featured pulled from the album artwork of the first song in the playlist.
AirDrop Over Internet
AirDrop transfers can now be completed over a cellular connection or Wi-Fi if you walk out of the range of the person you're sharing with. That means you will not have to stay close to someone if you are transferring a large number of files.
There is a new "Out of Range" toggle in the AirDrop section of the Settings menu that you can toggle to allow or disallow transfers over cellular.
Play Favorite Songs Quick Action
If you long press on the Apple Music icon on the Home Screen, you can now choose a "Play Favorite Songs" option.
Double Tap on Apple Watch
Double Tap is enabled in the watchOS 10.1 update that is also in beta testing, and the settings for it can be managed using the Apple Watch app.
Double Tap allows Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 owners to tap their thumb and index fingers together to control the Apple Watch with one hand. The gesture can be used for opening up the Smart Stack, answering/ending calls, playing/pausing music, stopping alarms and timers, and more.
StandBy Display Options
Apple added a new "Display" section to the StandBy section of the Settings app, which houses some new customization options. The display can be set to turn off automatically, after 20 seconds, or never.
The existing Night Mode function that adds a red tint and dims the screen has been relocated to this section, as has the Motion to Wake toggle. The Display section also replaces the prior Always On toggle that limited the display to turning off intelligently.
UK Bank Balances in the Wallet App
UK users can add their UK bank accounts to the Wallet app in iOS 17.1, allowing them to see their account balances, payments, purchases, and deposits.
Wallet App and Discover Cards
U.S. Discover users who add their credit cards to Apple Wallet can see their total card balance and transaction history right on the iPhone with iOS 17.1.
Books App
The "Reading Now" section in the Apple Books app has been renamed to "Read Now."
Dynamic Island Flashlight Indicator
When the flashlight is activated on an iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, or iPhone 15 Plus, there is now a flashlight icon in the Dynamic Island that lets you know that It is on. The flashlight icon for the Dynamic Island was previously limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Controller Support
iOS 17.1 includes support for the Nintendo Switch N64 Controller.
Extend Wallpaper
When you are setting up a new wallpaper, Apple has added an "Extend" option that can be used if the image does not fit the display.
Photo Shuffle
When you add a Photo Shuffle Lock Screen in iOS 17.1, you can select a specific album of photos that will be shown on the Lock Screen rather than having to rely on Apple's pre-selected options like People, Pets, or Nature.
When selecting any of the main Photo Shuffle images, you're brought into a customization screen where you can choose your Favorites album or opt for any other album you have created, giving you complete control over the images that show up on the Lock Screen. There was previously a tool for manually selecting photos, but being able to choose an entire album is quicker.
Photo Shuffle frequency remains the same at on tap, on lock, hourly, or daily.
Reachability
On iPhones with a Dynamic Island, you'll now see a black background when you use the Reachability feature. In prior versions of iOS 17, a blurred version of the device's wallpaper was shown. The change to a black background prevents the Dynamic Island from being displayed twice when Reachability is used.
Journal App
There is no sign of the promised Journal app in iOS 17.1, but there are mentions of Journaling Suggestions in the code, which indicates that it could be coming before too long.
80% Charging Limit Fix
With the iPhone 15 models, Apple added a toggle that prevents the devices from charging past 80 percent in order to keep the battery healthy for a longer period of time. In iOS 17, the iPhone could ignore this setting and charge past 80 percent, but that no longer happens following the second beta update.
Messages Bug Fix
iOS 17.1 addresses an issue with the search function in the Messages app in iOS 17. Some iPhone 15 users have been able to search for older messages after transferring their data over from an older iPhone. The Messages search feature only works for recent messages, but the update fixes the issue.
Action Button Update
In iOS 17.1, Apple changed the functionality of the Action Button to prevent certain actions from being triggered while the iPhone is in a pocket or a bag. The Camera, Flashlight, Voice Memo, Focus, and Magnifier functions will no longer activate when the Action Button is pressed if the iPhone is tucked away in a pocket.
Actions that make sense to trigger in a pocket like the mute function and a shortcut can still be activated while the iPhone is inside of a pocket by long pressing on the Action Button, but other features are disabled.
More iOS 17.1 Beta Features
Know of a feature that we've missed on this list? Let us know in the comments below.
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