iOS 17.4 brings a lot of useful innovations to the iPhone, but not all of them are immediately noticeable: there are too many changes to notice every one. The SlashGear portal shared the most useful non-obvious features of the update and explained why they are important.
Battery diagnostics
iOS has been providing users with information about the health of the iPhone’s battery for a relatively long time. The menu, which can be opened in the smartphone settings, shows the current energy capacity of the battery and what maximum power it is capable of delivering. But on iOS 17.4, the battery information has become more detailed. In addition to numbers and statistics, the system additionally shows the status, date of production and first activation of the battery, as well as the number of charging cycles completed.
Stolen Device Protection
In iOS 17.3, for the first time, smartphone protection tools appeared in case it falls into the hands of intruders. If you enter an unknown location where the owner of the smartphone has never been before, the iPhone will require the user to be verified using biometrics. With iOS 17.4, security measures have become more reliable: the system now allows you to enable double biometric verification. Namely, by fingerprint and photo.
Screen distance warning
Using screens may not harm your eyes, but it can easily cause eye irritation or pain if you don’t take care of yourself. It is for this reason that Apple introduced a special warning in iOS 17.4, built into “Screen Time”. If you turn it on, the smartphone will warn the user every time he holds the device too close to his eyes. iPhone calculates distance using the front camera.
Podcast transcription
One of the most useful hidden features of Apple Music is the ability to view the lyrics to any song without opening another app. And the Podcasts service received a similar tool in iOS 17.4. The application provides a transcription of the conversation in real time, and even allows you to go to the corresponding point in the podcast by clicking on a sentence.
PQ3 security protocol
Apple always takes a responsible approach to protecting personal data on iPhone. In iOS 17.4, the company introduced a new PQ3 security protocol for the iMessage platform: it is designed to protect correspondence even from machines based on quantum technologies that can quickly break conventional protection. Of course, quantum computers will not soon become part of our daily lives, but Apple is trying to stay ahead of the curve.