Summary
- iOS 17 RC version is now available for beta users and the stable release is expected on Sept. 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET for non-beta users.
- Recent beta versions introduced several changes and fixes, including streamlining the End Call button across different screens and restoring haptic feedback for the mute switch.
- iOS 17 focuses on upgrades to the Messages, Phone, and FaceTime apps, including new features like Contact Posters, NameDrop for easier contact card exchange, and Standby mode.
It's been around three months since we got our hands on iOS 17 beta 1. And now that iOS 17 has become stable and polished, Apple has seeded the Release Candidate (RC) version of this operating system to beta users. This build could be the final one before the company starts testing iOS 17.1. As for non-beta users, they can expect iOS 17 to land on their compatible iPhones as soon as Sept. 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
What's new in iOS 17 Release Candidate
iOS 17 Release Candidate includes dozens of new iPhone tones and ringtones, support for two new watchOS 10 watch faces, and a clean energy schedule in the Home app.
Beta 7
iOS 17 beta 6 moved the End Call button from the bottom right corner to the center, but only when the keypad is hidden. iOS 17 beta 7 now streamlines this button's location when the keypad is displayed by moving it to the center of that interface. Furthermore, beta 7 restores the haptic feedback when toggling the mute switch. A bug in a previous beta had disabled it.
Beta 6
iOS 17 beta 6 introduces a few changes, including a new splash screen when launching the Photos app for the first time. Additionally, the End Call button has been centered again after Apple had moved it to the bottom right corner in previous releases. Lastly, when toggling the mute switch, your iPhone will no longer produce a haptic feedback. Whether this is a bug or intentional behavior is yet to be seen.
Beta 5
iOS 17 beta 5 brings some noticeable tweaks. These include sample data sets for the new Check In feature that demonstrate the difference between Full and Limited sharing. The samples, along with the aforementioned options, can be found in the Messages section of the Settings app. Furthermore, when viewing the State of Mind category in the Health app, you'll notice a new graphic at the very top.
Beta 4
New icon in the Settings app
When updating to iOS 17 beta 4, you will notice a new, more colorful icon for the Home Screen & App Library section in the Settings app. Prior to this update, the icon used to show a basic iPhone glyph with a blue background.
New toggles in the Settings app
Other changes introduced in iOS 17 beta 4 include new toggles in the Settings app. There's now an option to prevent AirDrop/NameDrop from activating when bringing devices together and another to show notification previews only when tapping the screen in Standby mode.
New app icons in the Messages app
Apart from the aforementioned changes, iOS 17 beta 4 also overhauls the iMessage app icons. They're now uniform circles rather than freeform shapes. This consequently reverts the dynamic Photos app icon that was introduced in beta 3.
Apple TV Remote tweaks
Additionally, iOS 17 beta 4 tweaks the Apple TV Remote icon in the Control Center and the Pause/Play button the in actual app.
Beta 3
More detailed credits in Apple Music
iOS 17 beta 3 introduces a dedicated button for song credits in the Apple Music app. When you tap it, you get to view a clean list of composers and songwriters, in addition to the actual lyrics and available audio quality.
New splash screens
iOS 17 beta 3 also includes two new splash screens in the built-in Home and Podcasts apps. When you first launch these applications after the update, you get a summarized preview of the new features included in them.
Dynamic Photos app icon in iMessage
Additionally, when updating to iOS 17 beta 3, you may notice that the Photos app in iMessage now shows the thumbnail of the latest photo added to your library. This icon changes as you add more photos to your Camera Roll. Prior to this beta build, it used to show a generic, static image.
Beta 2
Tap to AirDrop
When trying to AirDrop an item on iOS 17 beta 2, the interface now mentions that you can bring two iPhones close to each other to initiate the transfer. The feature was first announced during WWDC, and it seemingly was missing in beta 1.
Fitness section in Settings
In the Settings app on iOS 17 beta 2, there's a new section dedicated to the Fitness app. There users get to control some of the app's permissions and view how their data is managed.
Standby tweaks
iOS 17 beta 1 first introduced Standby mode. Beta 2 now adds a new toggle in Standby settings, allowing you to optionally disable non-critical notifications. This way, regular notifications don't take over your screen when you're in this mode.
Crossfade in Apple Music
iOS 17 beta 1 introduced a Crossfade toggle in the Music settings. When enabling it, though, the Settings app would crash, and users would have no way to access the Music section again. Fortunately, iOS 17 beta 2 fixes this bug and introduces a slider, allowing you to pick the number of seconds for the crossfade feature.
Software Update tweaks
When updating to iOS 17 beta 2 from beta 1, you will notice a refreshed Software Update settings page with more prominent Update Now and Update Tonight buttons.
iOS 17 focuses on upgrades to the Messages, Phone, and FaceTime apps. Through this release, users can create and set Contact Posters, exchange their contact cards more easily through NameDrop, utilize new FaceTime reactions and effects, in addition to being able to share stickers in new ways.
Apart from the communication updates, users on this version get to take advantage of Standby mode, which turns compatible iPhones to smart displays of sorts when charging in landscape orientation. That's not to mention the Apple Journal app, which will be debuting later this year through an iOS 17.x update.
If you're interested in this release, you can install iOS 17 beta on your compatible iPhone by following the steps in our guide. Alternatively, you could wait for the stable, public release, which will become available next week.