Apple appears to be on a roll with iOS 17 updates. Solely a day after releasing the primary iOS 17.1 beta to builders, Apple already has it out as a public beta for different early adopters to get pleasure from.
Whereas leaping into early public betas ought to by no means be taken flippantly, this one fixes just a few issues in iOS 17.0 that might make it price contemplating — particularly for Apple Mail followers.
As we reported earlier this week, the previous few iOS 17 betas mysteriously broke an vital productiveness characteristic in Apple Mail: the flexibility to supply up instructed folders when transferring a number of messages out of your inbox.
This single characteristic is a big time-saver for folk who use Apple’s built-in Mail app since routine messages like receipts, newsletters, and even conversations with pals and colleagues can all be rapidly dispatched to the right folder with out the necessity to scroll up and down by means of a complete folder checklist.
Whereas it received’t work with each message, because the Mail app has to acknowledge a sample of what you usually put in every of your folders, it makes triaging the inbox in your iPhone an extremely clean course of. I noticed the disappearance of that characteristic in mid-August, across the time that the sixth iOS 17 beta landed, and rapidly felt its absence. I reported it to Apple, hoping it will be fastened within the last launch, however sadly, nothing modified when iOS 17.0 arrived.
Evidently, it was one of many first issues I attempted after putting in yesterday’s iOS 17.1 developer beta, and I used to be pleasantly shocked when it instantly labored simply in addition to earlier than.
Past that, iOS 17.1 additionally fixes one other problem by bringing again the lacking checklist of customized tones for textual content and mail notifications. Whereas iOS 17.0 allowed you to maintain no matter customized tone you had beforehand set, you couldn’t choose some other customized tones, and should you selected one of many default ones, you wouldn’t be capable to get your unique one again.
In the event you’ve been pissed off by both of these issues in iOS 17, the excellent news is that it appears to be like like iOS 17.1 will repair them. At the very least, that’s definitely the case within the public beta that’s out now; we’re hoping nothing will break once more earlier than the ultimate iOS 17.1 launch.
Whereas that last launch will in all probability arrive by late October, should you’d slightly not wait, you possibly can replace to the general public beta proper now. That is simpler than ever earlier than, as all you should do is enroll at Apple’s Beta Software program Program web site after which choose the iOS 17 Public Beta below Settings > Common > Software program Replace > Beta Updates. As soon as enabled, your iPhone ought to give you the iOS 17.1 public beta as a routine software program replace.
What Else is New in iOS 17.1?
Along with these two fixes, updating to iOS 17.1 brings just a few different enjoyable new issues to play with, together with:
- Help for AirDrop transfers over the Web so you possibly can proceed sending a big video or different file to somebody even after strolling away, utilizing Wi-Fi or (optionally) Mobile. Word that the receiving system should even be working iOS 17.1 for this.
- Marking songs, albums, artists, and playlists as Favorites in Apple Music. This replaces the previous Love/Dislike system and can probably tie right into a Favorites Playlist that Apple plans to roll out later.
- You’ll be able to customise your playlists with your individual art work or select from a gallery of predefined photographs.
- When the Flashlight is switched on, a brand new icon will seem within the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Professional and iPhone 14 Professional Max. This got here to the iPhone 15 fashions in iOS 17.0, however there was by no means any logical motive for it to be an iPhone 15 unique characteristic.
- In the event you replace your Apple Watch to the watchOS 10.1 public beta, which can also be now out there, you’ll additionally be capable to make the most of NameDrop from any iPhone working iOS 17.
- iPhone customers within the UK can now add their financial institution accounts to Apple Pockets to see their present account balances.
Whereas there are nonetheless another iOS 17 options we’re ready to see present up “later this yr,” equivalent to Collaborative Playlists in Apple Music, it’s doable these might seem in later public iOS 17.1 betas.