iOS 17 Beta, Release Date, Features, Supported Devices, and More

Apple has been diligently working on the next-generation of iPhone operating system – iOS 17. The mobile operating system is yet to be announced officially, but rumors and speculations about the next version of the mobile operating system are already circulating.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what we know so far about iOS 17, including its rumored features, compatible devices, roadmap, and more.

iOS 17 Release Date

Apple is holding its first big event of 2023 – World Wide Developer Conference aka WWDC in June. The event will begin on June 5 and last through June 9. Apple is expected to announce its next mobile operating system – iOS 17 at the same event. The public build also known as stable build is expected to release in September along with new iPhone lineup.

iOS 17 Supported Devices (Rumored)

While it’s still early days, it’s safe to assume that most of the recent iPhone models will be compatible with iOS 17. Here are the devices that are expected to be eligible for the update:

• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 13 Pro / Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Mini
• iPhone 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Mini
• iPhone 11 Pro / Pro Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone XS / XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone SE (2020)
• iPhone SE (2022)

As per the previous trends, we can expect all these models will get the new update. Some leaks also hint the same. There are some leaks hinting at iOS 17 will run on all iPhones running on iOS 16, which means that iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus will also get the new update.

iOS 17 Features

iOS 17 is expected to come with a slew of new features as well as accessibility tools. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman hints the same in its last month’s Power On newsletter. He said, iOS 17 to include the most requested features that users have been waiting for. However, it remains to be seen which features Apple considers essential.

Apart from these changes, iOS 17 might bring changes to Control Center, Dynamic Island, as well as widgets. Here’s the complete list of changes coming with the upcoming iOS 17 software update.

Note: All below mentioned features are based on the leaks surfaced online in recent days, nothing is confirmed yet.

Lock Screen

Apple revamped the iPhone lock screen with iOS 16 last year. The lock screen received a big overhaul which includes a number of fonts for clock, depth effect, widgets, and more. The company is expected to bring some refinements to the lock screen changes by including some new fonts, changing size of the font, along with some other improvements.

We can also expect the ability to share a lock screen with friends and family.

Dynamic Island

Dynamic Island, the biggest highlight of last year’s iPhone 14 Pro may also get some refinements with upcoming iOS 17 update. As per the rumors, the company is planning to add more functionalities to the Dynamic Island, will be introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro alongside the iOS 17 software upgrade.

Control Center

The control center has not seen a major upgrade since iOS 11. Apart from the UI changes, we can expect some new functionalities to come to the control center. At the moment, there’s no information available about the changes, we will share more details once available.

Sideloading Support

Apple might bring app sideloading support with iOS 17. However, this functionality will be limited to Europe. According to Mark Gurman, iOS 17 will allow users to download apps hosted outside the App Store to their iPhones. This change alone will make iOS 17 a major upgrade for many users especially developers as they will not have to pay the 30% cut to Apple.

Dynamic Widgets

Apple introduced widgets on iPhone with iOS 14 and there are some reports hinting at dynamic widgets coming to the iPhone. Although, the new change will be limited to the home screen. Active or Dynamic widgets may allow users to operate widgets with one-tap, sliders, or even more.

Journaling App

Apple is working on a new app, named, Journaling. The app is designed to allow users to track and record their activities as well as other data. According to The Wall Street Journal, the app will analyze user behavior and activities throughout the day. The app will replace the current system on the iPhone.

Apple Music UI Changes

Apple Music received sing-along functionality with incremental iOS 16 upgrade, and there are some rumors that Apple might bring some UI refinements to the Apple Music app which will make the app easier to use.

AR / VR integration

Apple Mixed Reality VR headset is also expected to be released this year and we can expect support for the headset with the upcoming iOS 17 software upgrade.

App Library Folders

App Library may also get minor changes and leak hints at folder renaming. But I feel Apple should allow users to manually make a folder in the library with the apps user want to add to it.

Improved Search and Spotlight

With each iOS update, Apple made some improvements to the Search and Spotlight, and the same is expected with the upcoming iOS 17 update. The details are not available yet.

CarPlay Updates

Last year, Apple showed off a preview of upcoming CarPlay and it is expected that Apple will add more features and functionalities to the new CarPlay. The new features might be the widgets, support for multiple devices, and more. The new CarPlay will be released with iOS 17 itself as the compatible cars are set to release late this year.

Digital Wellbeing Improvements

We can expect more improvements coming to the Focus Mode and other features that helps in improving quality of life.

Beta Update Changes

These are not the only changes coming with iOS 17. Apple recently changed the system to get access to beta updates with iOS 16.4 upgrade. With the new system, Apple will prevent users from installing free developer beta profiles, the change vanishes the older beta configuration profiles. The developer beta profile is not available for free, instead, you need to opt-in to the Apple Developer Program and then change the settings.

You can’t try out the iOS 17 developer betas for free on your iPhone.

Other Changes

Apart from the above-listed changes, we can expect refinements coming to the Always On Display, Notifications UI, Focus Mode filters, CarKey, Apple Maps, changes in the Apple Wallet app, Find My, and more.

Other than that, we can expect system-wide improvements. iOS 16 was one of the most terrible upgrades for the iPhone, due to the initial buggy releases. Hopefully, Apple has learned from past experiences and will release more stable upgrades this year.

iOS 17 Beta Roadmap

So, Yes, Apple will show off the next-generation of iOS at WWDC next month. And we can expect the first developer beta immediately after WWDC on June 5 or the next day.

Last year, Apple released the first public beta after one month of first developer beta and we can expect the same this year.

The final public release is obviously scheduled after the launch of the next-generation iPhone – the iPhone 15. Yes, the stable build will be released sometime in September within the same of the iPhone 15 launch.

iOS 17 Beta – How to Install

Once iOS 17 beta is released, updating your device will be a straightforward process. If you are a developer, then you can select the iOS Developer Beta in the Beta Updates inside the Software Update, the same can be done for the public beta updates once available. Once done, you will receive the new updates over-the-air and install by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update > Download and Install.

So, this is all about the iOS 17. If you still have any queries left about the iOS 17, then leave a comment in the comment box. Also, share this article with your friends.

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