At the iPhone manufacturer’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), iOS 17 and a slew of dazzling new features are now officially available.
What does iOS 17 signify for privacy and security? Multiple iPhone security and privacy enhancements, including Passkeys, Rapid Security Response, and numerous safety features, have been added to iOS 16 by Apple.
This emphasis on privacy and security is expected to continue in iOS 17, as the importance of these areas for all iPhone users grows. iOS 17 is also expected to support sideloading. However, this feature is currently absent from the iPhone beta software.
Here are a few of the most anticipated additions to iOS 17 when it is launched later this year.
Check In
Check In is a new iOS 17 safety feature that allows you to select specific contacts who will be notified when you return home after a night out. Check In will send you a message if it detects you are not at home at the expected time.
If there is no response, it can send your exact location and other details to the contact of your choosing. The data is protected by end-to-end encryption, the industry standard, so even Apple cannot view it.
Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, told Fast Company in an interview –
“There are so many people who have said [they] feel a little insecure when they’re walking home from dinner, walking from the library to their dorm.”
We can “provide a level of comfort and security for a large number of people” by having them check in.
Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET, says that the new Check In feature will impress those who wish to remain physically secure and will provide “simple and non-intrusive peace of mind” to users and selected contacts.
However, he warns that incorrect positives are possible. For instance, he says, people may remain out longer than anticipated, causing selected contacts to “worry needlessly.” However, this will “no doubt iron out over time,” he believes.
An Increase In Lockdown Mode
Lockdown Mode, the iPhone security feature designed to safeguard journalists and dissidents from attacks such as spyware, will receive a boost in iOS 17. Lockdown Mode is not for everyone, as it renders your iPhone nearly ineffective, but it is an indispensable tool for those who may be the target of these attacks.
In iOS 17, Lockdown Mode will include new capabilities to prevent iPhones from connecting to 2G networks and joining insecure wireless networks automatically. Apple will also add Lockdown Mode to the Apple Watch.
Do you know that when it comes to operating system upgrades, it is suggested that customers install them as soon as possible? Some updates add cool new features, but the ones that fix bugs and make the system safer are the most essential.
However, the updates iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, and macOS 13.3 were worth the wait. Depending on the issues you’ve encountered with your devices, these updates may be the most essential of the year:
Link Tracking Security
Apple will implement Link Tracking Protection in iOS 17 applications such as Messages, Mail, and Safari Private Browsing. This will result in the updated operating system removing the portions of links that permit marketers to monitor your web browsing activity. Moore appreciates iOS 17’s inclusion of reduced tracking.
“Omitting or at least limiting site tracking is one of those features that may not be front and center of everyone’s minds, but it can prove essential when trying to protect privacy. The auto stripping is a brilliant feature offering confidence that marketers will not easily track by default through every click you make.”
Password And Passkey Sharing
There are exceptions to the rule against sharing passwords, such as the need to share login information for a streaming service with family or acquaintances. If you have used two-factor authentication to protect a password-protected account, Apple’s iOS 17 will deliver the two-factor authentication code to your designated contact.
Moore acknowledges that sharing passwords is “a big faux pas,” but admits that there are situations when it is necessary, such as when sharing a home or business Wi-Fi password.
“The latest upgraded password sharing feature will help protect physical as well as digital eyes from viewing private data.”
Live Voicemail
One of my fave new features is this. Live Voicemail is a new feature introduced in iOS 17 that allows users to screen incoming conversations. Apple will send you a live transcript when you receive a call and the caller leaves a voicemail so that you can decide whether or not to answer the call. I will find this to be extremely beneficial.
iOS 17 Is Coming Soon
The updated iPhone operating system, iOS 17, will likely be released in September when Apple releases its newest smartphones. Expect numerous privacy and security enhancements in the interim. If you want to know more about the most exciting new features in iOS 17, be sure to check back here or hit the Follow button.