Apple
has rolled out the
iOS 17.4 update
for users worldwide. The latest software update for iPhone brings multiple changes and new features depending on the region the users live in.
Biggest changes for users living in the EU
The biggest highlight of the update is the support for
third-party app stores
in Europe. The Cupertino-based tech giant brought this change to comply with the
European Union
’s
Digital Markets Act
.
With this change, Apple will have to offer the option to download apps from third party app stores. However, the iPhone maker will still get to approve what apps are allowed from third party stores. With iOS 17.4, Apple will also open up
Apple Pay
and NFC to allow alternative payment options to users. The company has also confirmed that it won’t disable
Progressive Web Apps
(PWA) in the region.
New features for users worldwide
Apart from this, the latest update brings several new features and changes for iPhone users in other markets as well. This includes transcripts for the Podcasts app, new emojis, support for game streaming apps, Stolen Device Protection and more. Here are the list of features and changes that will be available with the
iOS 17.4
update in regions outside the EU (including India):
Transcripts in Apple Podcasts: Apple’s Podcast app will now support transcripts that will allow users to follow an episode with text that highlights in sync with the audio in English, Spanish, French and German. The app will let users read episode text in full, search for a word or phrase, tap to play from a specific point and other accessibility features like Text Size, Increase Contrast and VoiceOver.
New emojis: iOS 17.4 also adds some new emojis including a new mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain and shaking heads. These new emojis are available in the emoji keyboard. Also, 18 people and body emojis have also got the option to face them in either direction.
Security features: With this update, Apple has also improved on the Stolen Device Protection, which now offers increased security at all locations. Then, the iOS 17.4 update also upgrades the end-to-end encryption in iMessage to a post cryptographic protocol (PQ3). The company claims that the latest security protocol will protect users against quantum-attack which is not available in other widely used messaging apps.
Other enhancements and bug fixes: The latest iOS update also includes several other enhancements and bug fixes to improve user experience. Apple Music and Apple Music Classical now have a new music recognition tool that will enable users to add songs that they have identified on these apps. This new update will also enable an option for
Siri
that will allow the virtual assistant to announce messages they receive in any supported language.
Moreover, iPhone’s Battery Health menu in Settings will now show more details like battery cycle count, manufacture date and first use on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models
Alongside these new features, Apple has also fixed an issue where contact pictures are blank in Find My tool. The company has also resolved the issue for dual SIM users where the phone number changed from primary to secondary and was visible to a group where they had shared messages.
English (US) ·