Apple announced iOS 17, its next major update for the iPhone. The reveal came Monday during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. The new iPhone software builds upon the last several versions of iOS which is important since it will likely disrupt the status quo on your iPhone. iOS 17 brings updates to FaceTime, Messages and the phone app.

Last year’s software update, iOS 16 introduced the ability to edit or “unsend” messages you send via iMessage, Apple Pay Later, a major overhaul to the lock screen, revamped notifications and Live Activities. These additions didn’t all come out at once and were actually peppered in over the course of smaller iOS software updates throughout the year.

We can expect the same for iOS 17, which will likely release just before the rumored iPhone 15 goes on sale.

Contact Posters

Last year we got customizable lock screens in iOS 16. This year, iOS 17 has something similar for your iPhone’s contact cards to make them look more eye-catching. Contact Posters are beautiful treatments for contact photos and emoji paired with slick-looking typography that shows up when you get calls and for other services on your phone where you communicate and share.

Contacts’ new layout features vertical text and you can customize it similar to personalizing your lock screen. Pick a photo, font and color and that’s it.

AirDrop gets easier to use

iOS 17 brings an overhaul to AirDrop. You now just need to bring your iPhone close to someone else’s to share a Contact Poster, photos, videos or kick off a shared activity using Share Play. So you can bring your phones together to watch the same live stream for example. And of course, being Apple, there’s a name for sharing your Contact Poster: NameDrop.

Live Voicemail

When someone calls you and leaves a message. you’ll see a live transcription in real time as they speak. The new service is called Live Voicemail and It kind of feels like the days of answering machines, when my dad would screen a call. For Live Voicemail, you’ll see the voicemail right on your screen so you can decide whether to step out and take the call. The feature is powered by your iPhone’s neural engine in order to preserve your privacy.

FaceTime messages

iOS 17 will let you record a video message in FaceTime. It’s a heavily-demanded feature that will ensure you can document and share important moments, even if someone misses your call.

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Messages Check In

Apple is expanding and simplifying its location sharing via Messages. The new feature, called Check In, is for letting a loved one know you made it back home safely. Whether you’re walking home after dark or going for an early morning run, you can Check In with a family member or friend to let them know when you get home safely. As soon as you arrive home, Check In automatically detects that you’re home and lets your friend know. But if something unexpected happens, it can recognize that you’re not near your destination and check in with you. And if you don’t respond, Check In can automatically share your current location, the route you took, your iPhone’s battery level and cell service status; all of which is end-to-end encrypted.

Messages get a handful of fixes and additions

The tried and true Messages app gets a handful of updates including a visual overhaul of your iMessage apps. Searching through your Messages becomes a lot easier on iOS 17 with the addition of filters. When you start a search in the Messages app you will be able to add terms to narrow the results down.

Another welcome addition is transcription for audio messages. If you’re someone who has friends or family members who send you audio messages, you’ll be able to read a transcription of the recording right in the Messages app.
There’s a new “catch up arrow” in Messages. It sits in the top right of your conversation and lets you jump to the first message you haven’t read. This could be a killer feature for managing group chats. Apple also made inline replies faster. In iOS 17, you’ll be able to just swipe to reply on any message bubble.
iMessage stickers get a new drawer to bring all the stickers you’ve used into one place. And now emoji are stickers. You can peel and stick an emoji sticker, rotate and resize it.

Last year in iOS 16, Apple introduced the ability to lift a subject from the background of a photo as part of Visual Lookup. With iOS 17, you can turn a photo’s subject into a sticker by tapping the new live stickers tab. Stickers can be accessed system wide in things like Tapback, Markup and third-party apps.

Watch this: Apple Reveals iOS 17