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Apple introduced several new safety-focused features in iOS 17, including measures to keep you safe when you're traveling and to prevent you from seeing images you don't want to see.

iOS-17-Safety-Feature.jpg

This guide highlights all of the safety functions that Apple added to iOS 17, and it accompanies our iOS 17 privacy and security guide.

Sensitive Content Warnings

With Sensitive Content Warnings, incoming files, videos, and images are scanned on-device and blocked if they contain nudity. It is a function that will put a stop to unsolicited nude photos and similar content.

nude-photo-block-ios-17.jpg

The opt-in blurring can be applied to images in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters for the Phone app, FaceTime messages, and third-party apps. This is separate from the Communication Safety features implemented for children, and is designed for people of all ages.

All nudity will be blocked by default if the feature is enabled, but it can be viewed by tapping on the "Show" button. Sensitive Content Warnings can be enabled in the Settings app.
  1. Open up the Settings app.
  2. Choose Privacy & Security.
  3. Tap on Sensitive Content Warning.
  4. Tap to toggle on Sensitive Content Warning.
You can turn on Sensitive Content Warnings for specific services, including AirDrop, Messages, and Video Messages. All detection of images is done on device, and there are Safety Resources that can be accessed.

Messages Check In

Messages Check In is a feature that lets you inform other people when you're going somewhere so they can keep tabs on you and make sure that you get to that location safely.

messages-check-in.jpg

It tells a friend or family member your destination and the time that you're meant to be there, and if you don't check in at the proper time, they can ping you to see what's going on and get access to your location in case of emergency. Here's how to use it:
  1. Open up the Messages app.
  2. Open the conversation with the person you want to use Check In with.
  3. Tap on the "+" button next to the text input bar.
  4. Tap on More.
  5. Tap on Check In.
  6. Tap on Continue.
  7. Follow the prompts to start the feature.
With Check In, a friend or family member will be notified of your destination and approximate travel time, with another automatic notification sent when you reach your destination. So if you're going from a friend's house to your house late at night, you can set up Check In and your friend will get an alert when you make it home.

messages-check-in-changes.jpg

If you are not making progress toward your destination, you'll be prompted and will have 15 minutes to respond on your iPhone. If you don't respond, your friend will get an alert.

There are two data sharing options for Check In. With "Limited," current location, details about battery level, and network signal for your iPhone and Apple Watch are shared. With "Full" data selected, all of that information will be shared along with route traveled and location of last iPhone unlock and Apple Watch removal.

Check In requires your friends or family members to be running iOS 17 in order to get your alerts.

Communication Safety

Apple last year introduced Communication Safety, an opt-in feature that warns children when sending or receiving photos that contain nudity. It blurs nude photos and provides children with helpful resources and suggests that they get in touch with a trusted adult.

communication-safety-feature-yellow.jpg

Communication Safety in iOS 17 is expanding worldwide, so it will be available in more countries than it was previously. It will be turned on by default for children under the age of 13 who are signed in to their Apple ID and who are part of a Family Sharing group.

Parents can enable it for older teens as well, with the option to turn it on available in the Settings app under Screen Time.

In addition to being available worldwide, Communication Safety's protections will expand to AirDrop, the systemwide photo picker, FaceTime messages, and third-party apps in addition to the Messages app.

Offline Maps

The Maps app works offline in iOS 17, providing access to turn-by-turn directions and information for the area that you're in even if you do not have a cellular or Wi-Fi connection.

Apple-Maps-Offline.jpeg

Offline Maps is useful if... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: iOS 17 Safety Features: Sensitive Content Warnings, Messages Check In and More
 
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Looking forward to the final release this year!

I wanted to do some beta testing on my iPhone 14 pro max and on my ipad Pro M2 12.9 but last time I ran the beta train, I ended up with 9% down on my battery health on previous iPhone 12 Pro so I will hold back this time.

After checking some reviews and threads, it seems that battery life is quite bad and I don’t expect even the PB to be much better.
 
There will be people that will use adult blocking. Frankly speaking Some parts of the world (like here in Japan) we have censorship. It's not as enforced as say 20 years ago. But still, we have it.
 
Does anyone know if the offline maps will update themselves as and when Apple update their maps? Or will have to re-save locally?

Not expecting a definitive answer - just an impression and expectation.
 
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Does anyone know if the offline maps will update themselves as and when Apple update their maps? Or will have to re-save locally?

Not expecting a definitive answer - just an impression and expectation.
The original article said that the maps could be saved. Knowing Apple, I imagine they will update in the background. They wouldn't risk lawsuits because some numb nut drives off a cliff when the bridge is out.
 
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I’d say Apple has failed to reach that balance by giving passcode way too much weight. Too convenient to the detriment of security.
It's a difficult balance. Apple developed fingerprint and FaceID©️ because they found that only about half of owners were using passcodes at all or were using 0000. I agree that Apple can tighten this hole but they may be afraid of going too far.
 
It's a difficult balance. Apple developed fingerprint and FaceID©️ because they found that only about half of owners were using passcodes at all or were using 0000. I agree that Apple can tighten this hole but they may be afraid of going too far.

Do you have a reference for the 0000 PIN usage? Things like this make me wonder how much Apple really knows and has access to. Apparently one can bring a Mac to the Apple Store with proof of purchase and they’ll unlock it. That shouldn’t be possible unless Apple has a backdoor. Same thing with this. Do they really have records of what everyone’s PIN is?
 
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