iOS 17.1: discover all the new features coming soon to your iPhone

The update iOS 17 was already well stocked with new features, but Apple does not intend to stop there, and is already preparing iOS 17.1, a version which includes quite a few improvements. Let’s discover together which ones are worth the detour.

With iOS 17.1, Apple continues the work of improving its mobile operating system. Rather than offering all these new features in its major update, which accompanies the release this year of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, the Californian manufacturer seems to adopt a new approach consisting of spreading out its developments over time, in order to offer a enriched experience to its users throughout the year.

iOS 17.1 will therefore be an important update which will bring, with the essential fixes and optimizations, some new features to be found across the major applications of the system. We’ve installed the latest beta to check them out and give you a sneak peek.

Music: adding “favorites” to improve its recommendations

Apple Music drops the “Like” button (in the shape of a heart) with iOS 17.1, for a more classic system of favorites, represented this time by a star-shaped icon. You can favorite songs, albums, artists, and even playlists.

The icon is present on the playback screen, next to the title. You can also add a song from a playlist or the presentation of an album by pressing a few moments on a song with your finger, and finding the option in the context menu that appears on the screen.

For albums or playlists, you will need to use the “…” button at the top of the page on the right, then use the dedicated option to add your different elements to your favorites list. Apple pushed the vice by offering a “Favorites” button on the reading widget, which is displayed on the iPhone’s lock screen. You can quickly add a title currently being broadcast with a simple click, without having to go through the Apple Music interface again.

Latest addition: a long press on the Music icon on the home screen gives you a new option to play all your favorite tracks.

Personalized song suggestions in Apple Music

Apple Music also brings a major novelty, which arises directly from its favorites. In each of your personal playlists, you will find at the end of the list songs suggested by the streaming service to complete your selection. Obviously, these tracks are offered based on your listening history, but also on your favorites which tell the platform about your musical tastes. A “+” button allows you to add a suggested song to your playlist with one click.

Cover templates for your personal playlists

Until now, Apple Music offered few options for illustrating its playlists. You had the choice between importing a photo from your library, or a canvas created from the covers of the first four songs present in the playlist.

iOS 17.1 now gives you a collection of visuals to use to dress up your playlist. Around ten models are present and the background color of the cover automatically adapts to that of the visual of the first song on your list. If you don’t have inspiration to find an image, this new feature comes at the right time.

New options for “Standby” mode

“Standby” is one of the major new features of iOS 17. As a reminder, this feature allows you, when the phone is charging and placed in a horizontal position, to use the iPhone screen to display the time, information or even your most beautiful photos. We have also prepared a complete guide for you to discover all the options included in “En Veille”.

iOS 17.1 adds improvements to the display duration of “In Standby”, in a new “Screen” section, to be found in the iPhone settings, then in “In Standby”.

In addition to an automatic screen off option, which uses the iPhone’s motion sensor to detect when you are not in front of the phone, or when you are sleeping, a new setting appears to turn off the screen immediately after 20 seconds of inactivity. You can also choose to never turn it off with a dedicated option.

“Night Mode”, which changes the display of information on the screen to red when the room is plunged into darkness, is integrated into this new section.

AirDrop across the web

AirDrop is a very useful solution for sharing a few photos or videos with friends, as long as you stay close enough during the transfer. This can take several minutes for very large files, and can quickly become annoying if you have to leave at any moment.

iOS 17.1 will bring a new option allowing you to complete the transfer via the web, if the two iPhones find themselves far apart during the sending of files. These will be automatically switched to Apple’s iCloud servers, and sent to the iPhone of the person to whom you wish to share them, via the Internet, using the data included in your mobile plan. The option is activated by default in the AirDrop options, and you can deactivate it, especially if your data envelope is limited.

An indicator for the flashlight

The appearance of an indication when the flashlight is on was a feature mysteriously reserved for the iPhone 15. Apple half-repairs this error by offering it for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

When you activate the flashlight, an icon will open the Dynamic Island, the new interactive notch that equips the iPhone 14 Pro, as well as the latest iPhone 15. The button will remain on the screen as long as the lamp is on, in particular to inform you that the flash is on in broad daylight. Under the sun or in a well-lit room, you may quickly not realize that the component is activated, and this can quickly reduce the battery life of the phone. You can also click and hold on the Dynamic Island to turn off the flashlight from this area, without going back through the Control Center.

It’s a shame that earlier models didn’t benefit from this very useful addition.

Choose a photo album to display on your locked screen

With iOS 16, Apple reinvented the iPhone’s locked screen by allowing you to personalize it to your liking. The emphasis was placed on photos, which can be chosen as wallpaper to adorn your phone. The new locked screen notably allowed you to display random photos, but iOS 16 offered few choices, namely photos of your loved ones, nature or your animals.

iOS 17.1 offers more flexibility with the ability to now choose a specific album from your photo library. To do this, simply create a new locked screen, then click on the “Random photos” option. In the list of options presented, you will notice the new “Albums” section, which allows you to select the collection of photos you want to display on the screen.

The iPhone 15 may not exceed 80% battery, for better longevity

With iOS 17, Apple offers a new option reserved for iPhone 15s which allows them to block charging once 80% is reached. Lithium batteries can in fact retain their capacity longer when kept between 20 and 80%, and going up to 100% battery is not without consequences on the lifespan of the component.

iOS 17.1 is a little stricter on the subject. While it was still possible to override this setting and go to 100% battery, the latest update removed this possibility. If you activate the option, the iPhone will no longer be able to exceed 80% battery, unless you deactivate it in the phone’s settings.

An annoying bug in Messages fixed

Finally, iOS 17.1 corrects a bug encountered by many people who recently changed their iPhone. Users can no longer use the search box to find old messages if they transferred their data from their old iPhone.

iOS 17.1 fixes things, indexing all messages again. This may take several hours after installing the update, but appears to work for anyone who has already installed the beta. If you want to wait for the final version to be released, it should be available before the end of October.