Table of ContentsMore Options with Stolen Device ProtectionApple Cash Virtual Card NumbersBattery Health DetailsAutomatic Transcripts in Apple PodcastsNew EmojiOther Updates in iOS 17.4
Apple has released its latest iOS 17 update, which brings some security-focused upgrades, bug fixes and some fun additions with 100+ new emoji. Download iOS 17.4 or iPadOS 17.4 right now via the Settings > General > Software Update. See in detail what the new update includes.
More options with stolen device protection
(Credit: René Ramos/Apple)
THE Stolen device protection was introduced with iOS 17.3 and prevents someone from accessing key data or making changes to your iPhone by requiring authentication solely through Face ID or Touch ID. There is also a security delay level that will make you wait an hour before you can make any serious changes. By default, this is only enabled if you’re away from a known location, such as home or work, but with iOS 17.4, you can choose to have it enabled at all times, regardless of location.
Apple Cash virtual card numbers
Apple’s service will now let you spend Apple Cash at stores that don’t yet accept Apple Pay, like some websites, thanks to a new virtual card number option. Just enter your number from Wallet or use Safari’s autofill.
Battery health details
If you have an iPhone 15, the Battery Health section in Settings will now show the number of battery cycles, date of manufacture and first use. This comes just weeks after Apple said the iPhone 15 will retain 80% of its original battery capacity after 1,000 cycles, which is up from 500 cycles in previous models. Read more information on the subject here.
Automatic transcripts on Apple Podcasts
(Credit: Apple)
Shows published on Apple Podcasts get automatic transcripts, meaning users can read the full text of an episode, search episodes for a specific word or phrase, and tap the text to play the podcast from that specific point. episode. Apple Podcasts will highlight the words as they are spoken. This is currently supported for English, French and German podcasts and will automatically be available for new episodes as soon as episodes are published. Older episodes will be transcribed “over time”, says Apple.
New Emoji
Among the 118 new emoji in iOS 17.4 are mushroom, palm tree, lemon, and broken chain. Plus, you’ll find plenty of gender-neutral family plans. “Instead of showing colorful people emojis next to each other, all family emojis now show different combinations of white non-gendered silhouettes overlaid on a gray square icon,” according to Emojipedia.
Other updates in iOS 17.4
- Music recognition lets you add songs you’ve recognized to your Apple Music playlists and library, as well as Apple Music Classical.
- Siri has a new option to announce incoming messages in any supported language.
- Caller ID displays the Apple-verified business brand, logo, and department name when available.
- Business updates in Messages for Business provide reliable information about order status, flight alerts, fraud alerts, or other transactions you choose.
- Fixes an issue where contact images are blank in Find.
- Fixes an issue for Dual SIM users where the phone number changes from primary to secondary and is visible in a group they have sent messages to.
- In the EU, this update will allow users to download apps from alternative app purchase platforms as part of Apple’s compliance with the Digital Marketing Act (DMA), install web browsers with alternative browsers, manage the default web browsing when you first open Safari, and use alternative payment options for apps in the App Store that have an external payments label.