Apple’s iOS 17 will mean big changes for your iPhone

Apple’s (AAPL) iOS 17 is coming, and that means you’ll be seeing big changes the next time you fire up your iPhone. The latest version of the software that powers Apple’s smartphone, iOS 17 includes updates to the Messages, Phone, FaceTime, and Health apps, among others. It also marks the debut of StandBy, which turns your iPhone into a kind of high-tech alarm clock when you charge it overnight.

It’s important to note that you’ll need an iPhone XS or newer to get your hands on the newest iteration of the software. With that said, here’s how your iPhone is going to change with iOS 17.

Phone, Messages, and FaceTime

Apple is making some of the biggest upgrades in iOS 17 to its trio of calling, messaging, and video chat apps. No, the Phone app isn’t the coolest piece of software, but iOS 17 manages to bring worthwhile and impressive features to it.

First up are Apple’s new Contact Posters, full-screen, customizable contact cards that appear on your contacts’ iOS 17 devices whenever you call, Message, or FaceTime with them. You can use photos, Memojis, or just regular text. You can also change the background of your photo, adjust the font, and more. The idea is to make your Contact Post as personal as possible.

While Contact Posters are fun, the more substantive development for the Phone app is Live Voicemail. Voicemail transcription already exists, but Live Voicemail does the transcription as the caller is leaving a message.

Not sure who’s calling and if what they have to say is important? Live Voicemail can tell you right away. What’s more, if the call sounds important, you can pick it up while the caller is still leaving the voicemail. It’s basically a high-tech version of screening your calls. Importantly, Apple says it won’t translate calls identified by your carriers as spam.

Messages also gets an update via a new Check In function that allows you to let a friend or family member know when you’re heading to a destination. If you appear as though you’re going the wrong direction, or you haven’t arrived within a certain time window, Check In will send you a notification asking if everything is alright. If you don't respond it will fire off a message to your contact letting them know something might be up.

FaceTime, meanwhile, is getting a slick upgrade that will allow you to leave video messages when the person you’re calling doesn’t pick up. I’m personally excited about this option, because I can’t wait for the first time my nephew sends a message my way.

Hello, StandBy

One of the most unique additions to the iPhone in iOS 17 is Apple’s StandBy mode. The feature turns your phone into a kind of smart display when you turn it on its side while charging. You can use it to sift through widgets, notifications, and even calls.

Night mode will adjust the display brightness and colors so that it doesn’t bother you when you’re going to sleep. While you can prop up your iPhone against, say, a glass of water you brought to bed, Standby mode is best used with a third-party charging stand.

Apple says its MagSafe charging stand will also save your preferences for your specific room location. So if you have a MagSafe by your bed, it will always be your alarm clock, while the one in your kitchen might display your calendar.

Mental health

Apple has been building up its Health app for some time now, and this year the company is adding a new feature called Mental health. As the name suggests, Mental health is designed to help you track your mental wellbeing.

You’ll enter information like your current state of mind on a scale ranging from very unpleasant to very pleasant. Apple has added a star-shaped visual to give you a better sense of how you’re feeling. You can also add what’s impacting your mood, whether that’s work, your friends, spouse, or something else.

Notifications will prompt you to log your mental state throughout the day, and a calendar will help you plot out your mood over weeks and months. Apple is also including mental health assessments to help you determine if you are at risk of depression and anxiety and allows you to share the information with your doctor to seek treatment.

There are a slew of other changes coming to iOS 17 including improved keyboard capabilities that, among other things, will finally stop putting “duck” into sentences when you absolutely mean another word.

IOS 17 will likely land on iPhones starting Sept. 12. Be on the lookout.

Daniel Howley is the tech editor at Yahoo Finance. He's been covering the tech industry since 2011. You can follow him on Twitter @DanielHowley.

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