Apple recently released the public build of iOS 17.4 for eligible iPhones. The fourth major iOS 17 update brings a number of new features and changes especially for EU users. It includes some long-awaited changes. Here you will know all the main features of iOS 17.4 update.
iOS 17.4 is available for the iPhone XR and the new models including the two latest SE models. If you have an eligible iPhone and want to know what the update has in store for you before you upgrade, here’s all you need to know about the changes.
iOS 17.4 Key Features (Worldwide)
New Emojis
The iOS 17.4 update introduces an exciting list of new emojis that include a broken chain, mushroom, phoenix, lime, and shaking heads. Additionally, there are 18 people and body emojis that give users the option to use the emoji facing in any direction.
Apple Music App Changes
There have been many changes in the music app. The first noticeable change is the new home button in the Music app. And users can now also add recognized songs (via Music Recognition) to Apple Music playlists.
Apple Podcast
The Podcast app in iOS 17.4 introduces Transcript feature. Transcript in the Podcast lets users to follow along with podcast episodes via text that syncs with the audio. It currently support English, Spanish, French, and German. Moreover, users can even search for specific text within the podcast transcription. Selecting a paragraph of the transcript will play the corresponding segment of the podcast.
Battery Health Settings (iPhone 15 Models)
In iPhone 15 models, the Battery Health settings page now shows more battery information including battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use. It is currently available for iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models.
Game Streaming Apps
The App Store now allows cloud game streaming apps. There are many cloud gaming services like Nvidia GeForce Now, Xbox Game Pass, and others. These can be added to the App Store. Earlier it was possible to access them through the web.
Stolen Device Protection
The feature was added in the last update for iPhone, but with iOS 17.4, users can choose to enable it for all the places or only for unfamiliar locations.
Siri Announce Messages
iOS 17.4 brings a new announce option for Siri. Siri can now read back messages that users receive in any supported language. Users can choose multiple supported language in Settings.
Features available in EU only
Alternative App Stores and App Sideloading
App developers can now create alternative app stores for iOS. Yes, Apple now allows third-party app stores like Android. This means that apps that are not available in the official app store can also be sideloaded if they exist in a third-party app marketplace. In the future, we will see many third-party app stores.
Third Party Browsers
App developers can create browsers without the WebKit engine. Earlier Apple restricted developers to only use WebKit engine. Users will be able to choose the default web browser when they open Safari for the first time.
Third Party Payment options
iOS 17.4 adds the option to use third-party contactless payment methods. This means, apps or services are no longer required to use Apple Pay or Wallet. Alternative payment options can be added in the EU.
So these are the main changes that the iOS 17.4 update brings to iPhones. There are still some other minor changes and bug fixes. You can read the full changelog here. Of course, the big changes are only for users in the EU. What’s your thought on the region restrictions, should they bring EU-only features to all regions or not?
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