Apple announced at its WWDC event in June that iOS 17, the latest version of its mobile operating system, will be released on September 18, 2023. The update will be available as a free software update to eligible iPhone users.

iOS 17 includes a number of new features and improvements, including:

• A new lock screen with more customization options, including the ability to add widgets and change the font and color of the time and date.
• A new Focus mode that lets you filter out distractions based on your activity or location.
• Live Text and Visual Look Up in more apps, including Messages, Notes, and Mail. This allows you to interact with text and images in new ways, such as translating languages, copying text from images, and searching for information online.
• New accessibility features, such as VoiceOver support for more languages and new features for people with mobility impairments.
• Improvements to productivity apps like Mail and Notes, including the ability to undo and redo actions, schedule emails, and create tasks in Notes.
• And more!

In addition to the new features listed above, iOS 17 also includes a number of performance improvements and bug fixes.

To check if your iPhone is compatible with iOS 17, go to Settings > General > About. If your iPhone is listed under “Software Update,” then you will be able to update to iOS 17 on September 18.

Here is a more detailed look at some of the new features in iOS 17:

New lock screen

The new lock screen in iOS 17 is more customizable than ever before. You can now add widgets to the lock screen, such as weather, calendar, and news widgets. You can also change the font and color of the time and date, and add a photo or wallpaper to the background.

New Focus mode

The new Focus mode in iOS 17 lets you filter out distractions based on your activity or location. For example, you can create a Focus mode for work that filters out notifications from social media apps, or a Focus mode for sleep that filters out all notifications.

Live Text and Visual Look Up in more apps

Live Text and Visual Look Up are two powerful features that were introduced in iOS 15. Live Text lets you interact with text in images and videos, such as copying text, translating languages, and searching for information online. Visual Look Up lets you learn more about objects and scenes in images and videos, such as identifying plants and animals, or getting information about landmarks.

In iOS 17, Live Text and Visual Look Up will be available in even more apps, including Messages, Notes, and Mail. This will make it even easier to interact with text and images in your everyday life.

New accessibility features

iOS 17 includes a number of new accessibility features, such as VoiceOver support for more languages and new features for people with mobility impairments. For example, you can now use VoiceOver to control your iPhone with your head movements.

Improvements to productivity apps

Apple has made a number of improvements to productivity apps like Mail and Notes in iOS 17. For example, you can now undo and redo actions in Mail, schedule emails, and create tasks in Notes.

These are just a few of the new features and improvements in iOS 17. I am excited to see all of the new ways that iOS 17 will make iPhones even better devices.