iOS 17 is the latest version of Apple’s operating system for iPhones and iPads.The array of new enhancements and upgrades it offers bolsters the potency, individuality, and productivity of your devices.
iOS 17 has officially been announced by Apple on June 5, 2023, but the first public stable release will be coming later in the year.
You can expect iOS 17 to be released to the public in September 2023, right when the iPhone 15 series launches.
This piece centers on three compelling highlights of iOS 17: the Journal App, Standby Mode, and Live Voicemail.
These features will help you organize your life, save your battery and communicate better.
The Journal App
The Journal App is a new app that comes pre-installed with iOS 17. The design serves to maintain a record of your sentiments, aspirations, and accomplishments, aiding in the organization of your thoughts. You can use it to write daily entries, add photos, videos, audio clips, stickers, and emojis, and create collections of your favorite memories. You can also sync your journal entries with iCloud and access them from any device.
How to use the Journal App
To use the Journal App, you need to launch it from your home screen or app library. You will see a calendar view of your journal entries. You can tap on any date to view or edit your entry for that day. You can also swipe left or right to navigate between months.
For a new entry, select the plus icon, situated at the screen’s bottom right corner.You can then type your text, add media files, and customize your entry with different fonts, colors and backgrounds. You can also use Siri to dictate your entry or use the voice-to-text feature.
Collect your journal entries by selecting the collections symbol located at the screen’s bottom left corner. This action allows you to handpick the entries for your collection and
name it. Moreover, sharing your collections through email, messages, or social media platforms is possible.
Benefits of the Journal App
The Journal App has many benefits for your personal and professional life. Some of them are:
- It helps you express yourself and reflect on your experiences.
- It helps you improve your mental health and well-being.
- It helps you set and achieve your goals and track your progress.
- It helps you preserve your memories and relive them anytime.
- It helps you boost your creativity and productivity.
Comparisons with other similar apps
The Journal App stands apart, despite not being the only iPhone or iPad journaling platform. Other applications, such as Day One, Evernote, Penzu, and Journey, provide similar features. Nonetheless, the Journal App holds distinct benefits that elevate it above its counterparts.
- It is free and does not require any subscription or in-app purchases.
- It is integrated with iOS 17 and works seamlessly with other Apple apps and services.
- It has a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy to use.
- It has more options to customize your entries and collections.
- It has more security features to protect your privacy and data.
Standby Mode
The Standby Mode represents an innovative function, allowing your iPhone or iPad to enter a power-efficient state during periods of non-use. It reduces battery consumption by turning off some functions and processes that are not essential. It also preserves your network connection and notifications so that you can resume using your device quickly.
How to use Standby Mode
To use Standby Mode, you need to enable it from the Settings app. Go to Battery > Standby Mode and toggle it on. You can also choose when you want Standby Mode to activate automatically: after 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour of inactivity.
When Standby Mode is activated, you will see a moon icon on the status bar of your device. You can also check the battery percentage and time remaining in Standby Mode by tapping on the icon.
To disengage from Standby Mode, your device requires a press on the power button or a tap on the screen. Upon doing so, a concise recapitulation of events occurring during Standby Mode, including unanswered calls, messages, and alerts, becomes visible.
Benefits of Standby Mode
Standby Mode has many benefits for your battery life and performance. Some of them are:
- It extends the battery life of your device by up to 50%.
- It reduces the heat generation and wear-and-tear of your device.
- It improves the responsiveness and speed of your device when you resume using it.
- It does not affect your network connection or notifications.
- It does not interfere with important functions such as alarms, timers or emergency calls.
Comparisons with other similar features in different operating systems
Standby Mode is not the only feature that lets you save battery on your smartphone or tablet.Yes, similar functions to Doze Mode in Android are available: Battery Saver in Windows 10 Mobile and Low Power Mode in iOS serve comparable purposes, aiding in extending battery life by managing device activity. However, Standby Mode has some advantages over these features, such as:
- It activates automatically and does not require any manual intervention.
- It does not compromise the functionality or performance of your device.
- It does not limit the frequency or quality of your network connection or notifications.
- It does not affect the accuracy or reliability of your location services or sensors.
- It does not require any additional hardware or software support.
Live Voicemail
Live Voicemail is an innovative function permitting real-time voicemail listening while callers record their messages. You can also interrupt the message and answer the call if you want to. It is like having an answering machine on your iPhone or iPad.
How to use Live Voicemail
To use Live Voicemail, you need to enable it from the Phone app. Go to Voicemail > Settings and toggle on Live Voicemail. In activating Live Voicemail, visual alerts appear on your lock screen or in your notification center during voicemail recording. The option to experience a beep sound for incoming voicemails is at your discretion.
You can tap on the notification to listen to the message live. Swipe left on the alert to take the call, or swipe right to disregard it.
To check your voicemail messages at a later time, navigate to the Voicemail section within the Phone application. There, you have the capability to play, pause, rewind, fast-forward, remove, or disseminate your messages in the standard manner.
Benefits of Live Voicemail
Live Voicemail has many benefits for your communication and accessibility. Some of them are:
- It lets you decide whether you want to answer a call or not based on the content of the message.
- It lets you avoid missing important or urgent calls that you might otherwise ignore.
- It lets you save time and data by listening to your messages live instead of downloading them later.
- It lets you respond faster and more effectively to your messages.
- It lets you use voice transcription and translation features to read or understand your messages better.
Comparisons with other voicemail systems
Live Voicemail stands as a notable voicemail system, permitting iPhone and iPad users to access messages. Other systems, including Visual Voicemail, Google Voice, and Skype, offer similar provisions. Despite this, Live Voicemail maintains a unique edge over these systems, revealing distinct benefits such as.
- It does not require any third-party app or service to work.
- It does not depend on your carrier or network provider to support it.
- It does not charge any extra fees or use any extra data to work.
- It does not store your messages on any external server or cloud service.
- It does not compromise the quality or security of your messages.
