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Apple Releasing iOS 17.4 in March With These New Features and Changes

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Apple last month confirmed that iOS 17.4 will be released in March, and the update includes several new features and changes for the iPhone.

iOS-17.4-Feature-Blue.jpg

Key new features in iOS 17.4 include major App Store changes in the EU and Apple Podcasts transcripts. The update also includes new emoji and preparations for the launch of next-generation CarPlay later this year.

Apple's press release confirmation that iOS 17.4 will be released in March:
Inevitably, the new options for developers' EU apps create new risks to Apple users and their devices. Apple can't eliminate those risks, but within the DMA's constraints, the company will take steps to reduce them. These safeguards will be in place when users download iOS 17.4 or later, beginning in March.
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More details about the new features and changes in iOS 17.4 follow.

App Store Changes in EU

apple-ios-app-store-safari-changes.jpeg

To comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, Apple announced major changes to the App Store, Apple Pay, Safari, and more. These changes will be implemented with iOS 17.4 for iPhone users who reside in the 27 countries that belong to the EU.

First and foremost, Apple now allows alternative app marketplaces and alternative payment options on the App Store in the EU. Other changes in the EU include a new default web browser selection screen in Safari, the ability for third-party web browsers to use web engines other than Apple's WebKit on the iPhone, the ability for third-party mobile wallet apps to access the iPhone's NFC chip for contactless payment functionality, and more.

For more details, read our recap of all of the EU changes in iOS 17.4 and Apple's overview.

Apple Podcasts Transcripts

Apple-Podcasts-Transcriptions.jpg

Starting with iOS 17.4, the Apple Podcasts app now offers transcripts for podcasts, allowing listeners to read the full text of an episode, search for a specific word or phrase, and tap on the text to jump to a certain part of the episode. As an episode plays, each word is highlighted, similar to Apple Music song lyrics.

Apple says it automatically generates transcripts after a new episode is published. Transcripts are available for podcasts in English, French, German, and Spanish, and they will be added for older episodes in a podcast's catalog over time.

New Emoji

iOS-17.4-New-Emoji-Feature-2.5.jpg

iOS 17.4 adds new emoji, including a broken chain, a brown mushroom, a head shaking horizontally, a head shaking vertically, a lime, and a phoenix.

Next-Generation CarPlay Preparations

Next-Generation-CarPlay-Porsche-1.png

The first iOS 17.4 beta includes code for eight new CarPlay apps:
  • Auto Settings: This app will let you manage paired iPhones and adjust vehicle settings.
  • Car Camera: This app will display the vehicle's rear-view camera feed.
  • Charge: For electric vehicles, this app will display battery level, charging status, time remaining until the battery is fully charged, and more.
  • Climate: This app will provide access to a vehicle's climate controls within CarPlay, allowing you to adjust the temperature of the A/C or heating system, fan speed, heated seats, heated steering wheel, and more.
  • Closures: This app will display if any of the vehicle's doors are opened, and it might also display vehicle warning symbols.
  • Media: This app will provide access to FM and AM radio station controls within CarPlay, along with other media options like SiriusXM. It is unclear if SiriusXM will offer satellite connectivity, or remain limited to internet streaming. Users will be able to select from a list of music genres, such as Top 40 and Rock.
  • Tire Pressure: This app will display air pressure for each of the vehicle's tires, and provide low pressure, high pressure, and flat tire warnings.
  • Trips: This app will provide a variety of driving-related data, including the vehicle's average speed, fuel efficiency or energy efficiency, the total time elapsed and distance traveled on a trip, and more.
Apple recently confirmed that the first U.S. vehicle models with next-generation CarPlay will be released at some point in 2024.

More

Read our full list of iOS 17.4 features to learn about more changes, including Live Activities support for the Clock app's stopwatch, and the "Listen Now" tab being renamed to "Home" in the Apple Music and Apple Podcasts apps.

Article Link: Apple Releasing iOS 17.4 in March With These New Features and Changes
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/02/04/ios-17-4-new-features-and-changes/
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By the time a version of iOS is running well and with many new features... another big upgrade to the next major version is upon us 😂

This is why I would really just prefer they extended the releases to every 2 years... or not even bother and just call it iOS (version xxx). They make a big deal about the big updates... but most consumers just want an OS that is stable/efficient.

In any case... there will come a point soon when you get to iOS 19, iOS 33, iOS 45.... and marketing will just say... let's just call it iOS and put that number in small print/background.
 
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I hope third-party developers will be allowed to grab the Apple-generated transcripts, like they're allowed to use the iTunes directory. Would love to see that same feature in Overcast.
 
munpip214 said:
Okay, so for Non-EU users, not much of anything
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I think most people just hope that nothing breaks... I know Apple will really try their best to avoid this while making these updates... but sometimes everything is working just fine... you update and then notice something off... then have to wait for another update... rinse and repeat.

Lets hope.
 
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Poking around the publicly available iTunes API, there *is* a "closedCaptioning" attribute (currently just set to "none") in podcast episodes. I have no idea if this is new, but I can't find any reference to it, so I guess it is.

Auto-generated transcripts coming to your favorite podcast app soon, probably.
 
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Act3 said:
The next big update I am looking for is when they add RCS support. Something that benefits everyone.
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No too little too late. Will not change anyone from using WhatsApp or WeChat and in the US the cellular companies will either not support RCS or have a solution that only reliably works within their own customer base.
 
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ifxf said:
No too little too late. Will not change anyone from using WhatsApp or WeChat and in the US the cellular companies will either not support RCS or have a solution that only reliably works within their own customer base.
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RCS can work without any carrier support whatsoever.

It's the only iOS feature I'm looking forward to as well, being a mixed Android/Apple household.
 
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Fuzzball84 said:
By the time a version of iOS is running well and with many new features... another big upgrade to the next major version is upon us 😂

This is why I would really just prefer they extended the releases to every 2 years... or not even bother and just call it iOS (version xxx). They make a big deal about the big updates... but most consumers just want an OS that is stable/efficient.

In any case... there will come a point soon when you get to iOS 19, iOS 33, iOS 45.... and marketing will just say... let's just call it iOS and put that number in small print/background.
Click to expand...

Definitely not rushing to install this one. Nothing for me in it as an American, and I have a strong suspicion it’s going to be one of those with a few point release updates.
 
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MrTangent said:
Looking forward to Sony, Microsoft, Steam, Tesla, Amazon Kindle, Nintendo, and all other digital companies having to also deal with these onerous rules. Otherwise it’s targeted. So get on with it, EU!
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Honestly I don’t know why the console makers are not forced to do the same. I just can think that there are more than just 2 companies in that market so neither of the companies (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) have a big enough percentage of market to be considered in this
 
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MrTangent said:
Looking forward to Sony, Microsoft, Steam, Tesla, Amazon Kindle, Nintendo, and all other digital companies having to also deal with these onerous rules. Otherwise it’s targeted. So get on with it, EU!
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This collection of rules already applies to Microsoft with regards to Bing, Edge and Copilot.

I'm fine with the EU targeting tech companies specifically. They have way too much undeserved power and influence over government and society, and the US government has completely reneged on its duty to its citizens, while letting companies do whatever they want.
 
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I might be jinxing it but the few bugs I’ve encountered so far in 17.4 beta 1 are fairly inconsequential. I’d say it might even legitimately be more stable than some of the more recent release build of iOS.
 
Sorinut said:
This collection of rules already applies to Microsoft with regards to Bing, Edge and Copilot.

I'm fine with the EU targeting tech companies specifically. They have way too much undeserved power and influence over government and society, and the US government has completely reneged on its duty, while letting companies do whatever they want.
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I’m as fine as can be with apple implementing a solution that complies with the law and attempts to protect the iPhone user as much as possible, even if some don’t like the solution.

No they don’t have too much power and it’s a wide open market. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to make a hit. The US has not reneged on anything and apple follows the law.
 
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