What's new in iOS 17 on your iPhone

If you use an iPhone, the what's new in iOS 17 They have marked a turning point in how you make calls, send messages, listen to music, or use your phone on your nightstand. Although iOS 18 already exists and there's even talk of iOS 19, the reality is that iOS 17 is the foundation of almost everything we take for granted in the Apple ecosystem today.

Whether you're still on iOS 17 by choice or want to know What exactly changed on your iPhone with this version? (and its subversions 17.1, 17.2… up to 17.7), here is a complete guide in Spanish, explained calmly and with a friendly touch so that you don't miss anything.

Compatible iPhone models and end of support for older models

Before you get excited about the features, it's important to be clear Which iPhone can install iOS 17 And which ones have been left behind? Apple ended support for models with the A11 Bionic chip, leaving several classics by the wayside.

They are compatible with iOS 17 next iPhone models:

• iPhone SE (2nd generation)
• iPhone SE (3nd generation)
• iPhone XR
• iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
• iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 mini, 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 mini, 13, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max

Devices such as iPhone 8, 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone 7 and earlierIn addition to the first-generation iPhone SE, which no longer receives this version or its security patches.

Big leap forward in Phone, Messages, and FaceTime

iOS 17 focuses heavily on improvement how do you communicate with your peopleStarting with classic calls, followed by iMessage, and finishing with FaceTime.

Contact posters and new call interface

The Phone app debuts a revamped call interface that displays the call details in full screen. custom contact postersThey are huge cards with a photo, emoji or Memoji, large typography and bright colors that appear when you make or receive a call.

These posters are edited from the Contacts app and also sync with services like iCloud or even third-party accounts, so that Each contact can have their own styleIn incoming calls, they appear full size and give the address book a much more visual touch.

More powerful messaging: stickers, check-in, and improved search

The Messages (iMessage) app is being reorganized with a new app tray and, most importantly, a Stickers app that centralize all your stickersLive Stickers, Memojis, Animojis, third-party packs, and emojis turned into stickers.

You can create Live Stickers Press and hold on the subject of a photo or video and apply effects like glow, emboss, comic book, or outline. These effects are saved to your collection and work in Messages and other compatible messaging apps.

The feature of Check-in or Arrival RegistrationDesigned to automatically notify family or friends when you reach a destination. If something goes wrong along the way (you don't move, the route is blocked, etc.), relevant information such as battery level or location can be shared to increase safety.

Audio messages can be transcribed on the fly so that so you can read them without needing to hear themThis is very useful if you're in a meeting or a noisy place. Furthermore, the search now includes filters to combine people, keywords, and content types (photos, links, etc.), and you can simply swipe a message to the right to reply in a thread.

FaceTime with video messaging and 3D reactions

FaceTime adds several features that make it a more flexible and fun toolIf you call and they don't answer, you can leave a video message or an audio message in the style of voicemail, but in a modern version.

During video calls, you can activate 3D reactions (Hearts, balloons, fireworks, confetti, and more) appear around you on screen with gestures. Video effects allow you to adjust the intensity of Portrait mode and studio lighting to better illuminate your face.

Furthermore, FaceTime arrives in the living room: you can use your iPhone as a continuity camera and Make video calls on Apple TV 4K, seeing your contacts on a big screen on TV.

Sleep mode: Your iPhone as a bedside display

One of the new features that has made the biggest impact is the Standby modewhich turns the iPhone into an always-on display when you leave it charging horizontally.

When placed on its side while charging, the phone displays a full-screen interface with clocks, photos and widgets Designed to be seen from afar: perfect for the bedside table, kitchen or desk.

There are several clock styles (digital, analog, solar, floating, world), with possibility to adjust the accent colorYou can also have your featured photos or a specific album appear, rotating automatically.

Widgets in Standby mode are grouped into smart stacks that display the most relevant information at the moment (weather forecast, upcoming events, reminders, etc.). In low-light conditions, the Night mode applies a reddish tone Everything to avoid dazzling you and to facilitate rest.

If you use a MagSafe charger, the iPhone remembers your preferred view for each location, so each support has its own configuration (clock on the bedside table, calendar in the office, etc.).

Interactive widgets and a more prominent role on iPhone and Mac

With iOS 17, widgets cease to be mere informational elements and become interactiveNow you can mark reminders as completed, control music playback, or interact with apps directly from the home screen, lock screen, or sleep mode.

Furthermore, thanks to its integration with macOS, you can Use iPhone widgets on your Mac desktopThe system brings more widgets for apps like Weather, Health or Music, and new formats like the digital clock, ideal for always having the time in view.

AirDrop, NameDrop, and sharing made easier than ever

AirDrop gets a good facelift and becomes much more practical both for sharing huge files and for exchanging contacts on the fly.

On the one hand, when you start sharing content with AirDrop and move away from the other device, The transfer can continue via the internet connectionso you don't depend on being physically attached to the other iPhone.

On the other hand, it appears NameDropThe easiest way to exchange contact cards: just bring the top of your iPhone close to someone else's (or even a compatible Apple Watch) to make the contact cards appear on both of you, and you can choose whether to share or only receive.

AirDrop is also more integrated with SharePlay: by bringing two iPhones close together you can Start a shared session of music, video, or other contentAnd in iOS 17.2, the ability to share boarding passes, movie tickets, and other passes is expanded simply by putting phones together.

Keyboard, autocorrect, and dictation are much smarter

The iOS 17 keyboard takes a significant leap in quality thanks to a Transformer-based language model (on iPhone 12 and later) which improves the accuracy of autocorrect and predictions.

The corrected words are temporarily underlined so you can tap and return to the original text in a second, and now the system is able to learn your writing preferences over time, avoiding changing expressions you use often.

When typing, you can accept word or even whole phrase predictions by pressing the space bar, which makes writing will be much fasterDictation also benefits from the neural engine, with more accurate and natural speech recognition.

Safari, passwords, and enhanced privacy

Safari receives profiles, privacy improvements, and more advanced features for managing passwords and access keys, all very much geared towards Protect your online activity.

The Safari profiles They allow you to separate personal and work browsing, with independent history, cookies, extensions, tab groups, and favorites for each context. Ideal if you use the same iPhone for both leisure and professional tasks.

La private browsing It can now be locked when not in use, requires biometric authentication to reopen, prevents known trackers from loading, and removes tracking parameters from URLs without breaking websites.

Also, you can share passwords and access keys with trusted contact groups from iCloud Keychain, and one-time verification codes that arrive via Mail or Messages are automatically filled in in Safari, then deleted if you configure it that way.

Music, AirPlay and AirPods: Audio and entertainment enhancements

In Music, iOS 17 adds small changes that help enjoy the content more You can now share it with other people without complications.

With SharePlay in the car, all occupants can control Apple Music playback, even if only one is a subscriber. It also comes crossfade, which smoothly blends the end of one song with the beginning of the next so that there are no abrupt silences.

In later versions, such as iOS 17.1 and 17.2, expanded favorites (songs, albums, and playlists) were introduced, along with dynamic covers that change color depending on the playlist and song suggestions at the end of each list to add similar tracks with a tap.

AirPlay makes connecting to TVs and speakers even easier thanks to a Smart list of devices sorted by relevanceProactive notifications suggest where to play content and automatic connection to the most suitable device. Additionally, Apple is working with select hotels to allow content to be sent to in-room TVs using a simple QR code.

In the realm of AirPods Pro (2nd generation), a new mode appears adaptive audio It dynamically adjusts active noise cancellation and ambient sound, offers personalized volume that adapts to your environment and habits, and features conversation recognition that lowers the music, enhances voices in front of you, and reduces background noise. You can also mute or unmute the microphone directly from the earbud or the Digital Crown on AirPods Max.

Maps, offline use, and routes for electric cars

Apple Maps finally allows Download areas for offline browsingThis is something many users have been requesting for years, and it brings it closer to Google Maps in terms of functionality.

You can select an area of ​​the map to save locally and still have access to routes, points of interest, and basic searches even without mobile data or Wi-Fi. Ideal for trips, getaways to the countryside, or areas with poor coverage.

Furthermore, navigation for electric vehicles is improving and now It takes into account compatible charging points in real time.Calculating routes that include necessary charging stops, which is especially useful if you have an electric car integrated into the Apple ecosystem and want to consult data on electric car batteries.

Visual consultation, photos and pet recognition

The function of Visual Consultation (Visual Look Up) It becomes much smarter and expands the number of things it can recognize in your photos and videos.

It can now identify foods to suggest similar recipes, recognize storefronts and directly open their listing on Maps, and even interpret common symbols like clothing label icons to tell you how to wash them.

You can also separate one or more subjects from the background in paused photos and videos to drag them into apps like Messages or search for information about them in the information bar itself. All of this relies on the system's artificial intelligence engine, although Apple doesn't make much of a fuss about that term.

In the Photos app, the People album expands to also include your pets as if they were members of the familyIt automatically groups your images and lets you name them. Additionally, the Photos widget lets you choose which album you want to display on your home screen.

Mental health, well-being and function Screen distance

The Health app incorporates for the first time a serious approach to mental health and emotional well-beingSince iOS 17 you can record your daily mood or specific emotions, describe how you feel and what factors you think influence it (work, family, sleep, exercise…).

Interactive graphics show you how your emotions have changed over time and how they relate to factors such as rest and physical activity. In addition, standardized questionnaires are included to assess current risk of depression and anxiety, along with information to help decide whether to seek professional help.

The function Screen distance It uses the TrueDepth camera (the same one used for Face ID) to warn you if you hold your iPhone too close to your eyes for an extended period. The goal is to reduce eye strain and help lower the risk of nearsightedness in children and teenagers.

Privacy, security and protection against sensitive content

In the area of ​​privacy, Apple strengthens several layers of the system to better protect your data and your digital integrityespecially in the case of minors; if you are concerned about threats like Pegasus, find out how Find out if your mobile phone has Pegasus.

The sensitive content warnings They can be enabled to have the system automatically blur images with nudity in Messages, AirDrop, contact posters in the Phone app, and in FaceTime messages, giving you the option to view them or not.

The enhanced child communication protection detects both photos and videos with nudity that children may receive or attempt to send via Messages, AirDrop, FaceTime, or the system's photo picker, displaying clear warnings and offering help resources.

Permissions for sharing content are becoming more granular: there is a integrated photo selector which allows you to grant access only to certain images, and a new "just add" permission in the Calendar app, so that an app can create events without reading the ones you already have.

La anti-tracking protection on links It removes tracking parameters that some websites add to URLs to track you across different sites, cleaning up the links you share in Messages, Mail, and Safari's private browsing without breaking their functionality.

Accessibility and new features for people with special needs

iOS 17 continues Apple's commitment to accessibility with powerful tools that They simplify the use of the iPhone. to those who need it.

Mode assisted access It reduces several apps (Phone, FaceTime, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Music) to their essential functions, with very large text, clear icons, and simplified flows so that people with cognitive difficulties or older users can operate the iPhone with fewer distractions.

The function Live Speech It allows you to type what you want to say so that the iPhone reads it aloud during phone calls, FaceTime calls, or face-to-face conversations, which is very useful for people with speech disabilities.

Within the detection mode of the Magnifying glass app, the following appears: Write down and read, which uses the camera to read aloud the tiny text on physical labels, door keypads, or appliance buttons, making them much more accessible.

Other improvements spread throughout the system

Beyond the big headlines, iOS 17 includes a lot of small changes that They improve everyday life sometimes without them receiving any attention.

In Reminders, the Shopping lists are automatically organized by sections (fruit, cleaning, etc.) and a Kanban board-type view appears with columns and sections to organize tasks and drag them between states.

In Notes, PDFs and scanned documents are displayed integrated at full width for view and annotate them more easilyAnd the Freeform app adds new drawing tools such as a fountain pen, watercolor brush, and ruler for more creative drawings.

The Search app now allows share an AirTag or other accessories The Search network allows up to five people to see the location of the same item (suitcases, keys, bike, etc.). Home, meanwhile, adds a recent activity history for locks, garage doors, security systems, and contact sensors.

In Fitness, the Share tab is redesigned to highlight streaks, achievements, and top activity from your friends, and you can now log in on your iPhone with any email or phone number associated with your Apple IDnot only with the main address.

New ringtones and message tones are added, classic tones are moved to a dedicated section, and on the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro, the battery health section displays number of charging cycles, date of manufacture and first usegiving a much more complete view of the device's status.

iOS 17.1 to 17.7 Updates: Daily, Security, and EU Changes

Following the initial release of iOS 17, Apple has released a number of sub-versions that add features, fix bugs, and above all They strengthen the security of the system.

iOS 17.1 includes adjustments to Sleep mode, improvements to Apple Music widgets, and the ability to Continue AirDrop transfers online upon leaving the range, in addition to a specific patch for the iPhone 12 radiation levels that were worrying French authorities.

With iOS 17.2 it finally arrives the app JournalDesigned to help you write about your day-to-day life, record important moments with photos, locations, workouts, and more, receive smart suggestions for memories to add, and protect entries with Touch ID, Face ID, and iCloud encryption. It also includes spatial video recording for iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max (designed for Apple Vision Pro), contact key verification in iMessage, and improvements to TV, Messages, and Weather.

iOS 17.3 introduces the Device protection in case of theftThis update mandates the use of biometrics (no longer accepting just a passcode) for certain sensitive actions and adds a one-hour security waiting period before critical changes such as the iPhone passcode or Apple ID password can be made. It also includes a new Unity wallpaper for Black History Month, collaborative playlists on Apple Music, and improved accident detection features.

iOS 17.4 is historic in Europe because it allows for the first time Install apps from third-party stores and from browsers with alternative enginesNew features include choosing your default browser when you first open Safari, setting a contactless payment app as your default, and using alternative payment methods in certain apps. New emojis, Apple Podcasts transcripts, and an expanded battery section for the iPhone 15 are also included.

iOS 17.5 takes another turn in the European market, allowing, under certain conditions, Apps can be downloaded directly from the developer's website.It improves the Find My app for when you take your iPhone in for repair and adjusts the Podcasts widget to change color according to the content, in addition to fixing the serious bug of old photos reappearing.

iOS 17.6 adds new features to the TV app such as the Catch Up function for MLS, the option to mark the Apple Pencil Pro as lost from Find My, and security alerts for suspicious SMS messages coming from abroad. Finally, iOS 17.7 serves as the last stop for those who don't want to jump to iOS 18 but do want to stay up to date with security patches.

Throughout all these intermediate versions, Apple has been releasing critical security updates, fixing problems such as iPhone overheating, failures to transfer data from another device during setup, NFC errors with Apple Pay in some cars, or wireless charging that didn't work in certain vehicles, among many other fine details.

iOS 17 and all subsequent versions have transformed your iPhone into a device much more completeMore customizable, with better tools to communicate, more options to protect your privacy and health, new ways to install apps in the European Union and a string of small changes that, added together, make using your mobile phone every day more convenient, safer and, why not say it, a little more fun.