In a press release last month, Apple confirmed that iOS 17.4 will be released in March, and the update includes several new features and changes for the iPhone.
Key new features in iOS 17.4 include big changes to the EU App Store, Apple Podcasts transcripts, and an iMessage security upgrade. The update also adds new emoticons and includes preparations for the launch of the next generation of CarPlay later this year.
The changes in the EU are a response to the Digital Markets Act introduced there. Apple has until March 6 to comply with the new regulations to avoid fines, so iOS 17.4 will likely be released on or before that date.
More details on new features and changes to come.
Changes in the App Store in the EU
To comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, Apple has announced major changes to the App Store, Apple Pay, Safari and more. These changes will be implemented with iOS 17.4 for iPhone users living in the 27 countries that belong to the EU.
First and foremost, Apple now allows alternative app markets and alternative payment options on the EU App Store. Other EU changes 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 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 summary of all the EU changes in iOS 17.4 and Apple’s overview.
Transcripts of Apple podcasts
Starting with iOS 17.4, the Apple Podcasts app now offers transcripts for podcasts, allowing listeners to read the entire text of an episode, search for a specific word or phrase, and tap the text to jump to a specific part of the episode. As the episode plays, each word is highlighted, similar to the lyrics of Apple Music songs.
Apple says it automatically generates transcripts after a new episode is posted. Transcripts are available for podcasts in English, French, German, and Spanish, and will be added over time for older episodes in the podcast catalog.
iMessage Security Update
Apple recently announced a new post-quantum cryptographic protocol for iMessage called PQ3. Apple says this “revolutionary” and “state-of-the-art” protocol provides “comprehensive defenses against even highly sophisticated quantum attacks.”
iMessage already supports end-to-end encryption, but security researchers acknowledge that existing cryptographic protocols used by messaging apps rely on mathematical problems that could potentially be solved by future quantum computers. Although these computers don’t exist yet, Apple is preparing for the future with the new PQ3 protection.
PQ3 will be phased out for supported iMessage conversations starting with iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, macOS 14.4 and watchOS 10.4, according to Apple, and the company says it will completely replace iMessage’s existing cryptographic protocol within all supported conversations starting later this year. All devices in an iMessage conversation must be updated to the above software versions or later to be eligible.
For technical details, read Apple’s security research blog and our previous report.
New Emoji
iOS 17.4 adds new emoticons, including broken chain, brown mushroom, horizontal shaking head, vertical shaking head, lime, and phoenix.
Preparations for the next generation of CarPlay
The first iOS 17.4 beta includes code for eight new CarPlay apps:
- Automatic settings: This application will allow you to manage paired iPhones and adjust vehicle settings.
- Car camera: This app will display the rear view camera feed of the vehicle.
- To charge: For electric vehicles, this app will show the battery level, charging status, remaining time until the battery is fully charged and more.
- Climate: This app will provide access to the vehicle’s climate controls within CarPlay, allowing you to adjust the temperature of the air conditioning or heating system, fan speed, heated seats, heated steering wheel and more.
- Closure: This app will show if any of the vehicle’s doors are open and can also show the vehicle’s warning symbols.
- Media: This app will provide access to FM and AM radio station controls within CarPlay, along with other media options such as SiriusXM. It’s unclear whether SiriusXM will offer satellite connectivity or remain limited to Internet streaming. Users will be able to choose from a list of music genres, such as Top 40 and Rock.
- Tire pressure: This app will display the air pressure for each of the vehicle’s tires and give low pressure, high pressure and flat tire warnings.
- trips: This app will provide various driving related data including average vehicle speed, fuel efficiency or energy efficiency, total elapsed time and distance traveled during the trip and more.
Apple recently confirmed that the first vehicle models with the next generation of CarPlay will be released at some point in 2024.
More
Read ours full list of iOS 17.4 features to learn more about the changes.