On Tuesday, Apple released iOS 17.4 RC (Release Candidate) to public beta testers and developers. This release comes more than a month after iOS 17.3 was released to the public. The latest iOS RC brings new features, including big changes for people in the European Union and new emoji and bug fixes on some developers’ and beta testers’ iPhones.
Read more: Why you should download iOS 17.3 now
We recommend downloading the RC to something other than the primary device. Since this isn’t the final version of iOS 17.4, these features can be buggy and battery life can be short, so it’s best to keep those issues to a secondary device.
If you’re a developer or public beta tester, here are some of the new features you can find in iOS 17.4 RC. There’s no word yet on a public release for iOS 17.4, but Apple has indicated that it will likely be in March.
Downloading other app stores in the EU
Apple introduced a significant change to Safari, the App Store, and iOS with iOS 17.4 beta 1, but only for people in the EU. With iOS 17.4 beta 1, people in the EU can download alternative app stores and apps outside of the App Store. According to CNET’s Katie Collins, this marks one of the biggest changes to the App Store since its launch in 2008. People in the EU will also get new default app controls, giving them more ways to customize their iPhone experience.
People in the EU will soon have access to other app stores and more.
Apple made these changes, which were announced on Thursday, to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. The company said these changes will take effect when Europeans download iOS 17.4 in March or later. No word on whether these changes will be available globally.
Read more: Apple will allow competing app stores to be installed on iPhones in Europe
More options for in-app payments
Apple introduced more ways to make in-app payments with the first iOS 17.4 beta. If you go to Settings > Privacy & Securityyou will see the option called Contactless and NFC, or near field communication. If you tap the new option, you’ll be taken to a mostly blank page that has a small disclaimer saying that the page will show apps that have requested the ability to use contactless and NFC payments in the future. Apple announced these options alongside the changes for people in the EU, and there’s no word on whether apps outside of that region will use it.
At least 100 new emoticons
Some of the new emojis coming to iOS 17.4 include a phoenix, a lime wedge, and broken chains.
Apple introduced over 100 new emojis to iPhone users with the first beta version of iOS 17.4. These emoji include heads shaking up and down, as well as left and right, a phoenix emoji, and a lime wedge. These emoji were announced in 2023, and some Android devices, including the latest Samsung phones, already have them.
Improved iMessage security against future threats
With iOS 17.4, your iMessage chats will receive enhanced security to protect them from cyberattacks involving quantum computing. According to David Lumb of CNETApple said it has not seen cyberattacks like this before, but the company now wants to preempt the potential threat.
Read more: Apple’s next iOS update protects iMessage from future quantum computing attacks
Podcasts can now show transcripts
You can read a transcript of your favorite podcasts with the first iOS 17.4 beta.
In the first beta version of iOS 17.4, you can read the transcripts of your favorite podcasts while you listen to them. To view transcripts, go to the Podcasts app and start listening to a show, then tap the show banner at the bottom of the screen. Look at the bottom of the show’s title card and you’ll see a new button in the lower left corner that looks like a speech bubble with quotes inside it. Tap this button and you’ll see a transcript of the show you’re listening to.
You can also search within the transcript, so if someone mentions the title of a book or movie and you only remember part of it, you can search for the part you know and find the full title.
Read more: Apple Music is launching a monthly version of Replay
Virtual card numbers come in Apple Cash
Your Apple Cash it also gets an upgrade with the latest iOS 17.4 beta. Now you can have a virtual card that can access your Apple Cash. This card comes with its own number, expiration date and three-digit security code, just like a physical card. You can also easily request a new card number if you think your card has been compromised.
This feature is useful if you want to use your Apple Cash at an online store that doesn’t accept Apple Pay.
Another digital clock widget
In the second iOS 17.4 beta, Apple introduced a new digital clock app widget called City Digital. This widget displays the time as well as a set location as opposed to where your iPhone is currently located. This can be helpful if you’re traveling or living far from family and friends but want to stay in touch without waking them up in the middle of the night.
Apple introduced a digital clock widget on the iPhone with the release iOS 17.2.
More options to protect against a stolen device
Stolen device protection now allows you to always request a security delay or only when you’re away from locations like your home.
With iOS 17.4 beta 1, Apple introduced several new options in Stolen Device Protection. The new options let you choose whether you always want to request a one-hour security delay to access certain settings or make changes, or only want to request a delay when you’re away from a familiar location like your home.
Apple introduced Stolen Device Protection with iOS 17.3, and the feature is intended to protect some of your data if your device is stolen or falls into the wrong hands. This feature doesn’t protect all of your data, but Apple still recommends that everyone turn it on.
New battery health readings for iPhone 15 models
With iOS 17.4 beta 4, if you go to Settings > Battery there is a new one Battery health reading in iPhone 15 models which tells you the battery health status in one word, such as Normal or Service. You can also tap this option for more details about your battery, such as the number of cycles and maximum capacity. Previously, your iPhone would show a percentage of your battery health without any indication of what it meant.
Read more: A new tool for iOS 17.4 shows if your iPhone 15’s battery health is normal
New Home button in the Music and Books apps
Apple introduced the Home button in Apple Music with iOS 17.4 beta 1 and in the Books app with iOS 17.4 beta 2. If you open any app and look at the bottom of the screen, the Home button is in the far left corner. This button replaced Listen Now in Apple Music and Read Now in Books.
If you’re an Apple Music subscriber and you tap the button, you’ll be taken to a page that shows you menus, like Recently Played, and recommendations based on the artists you’ve been listening to. If you tap this button in the Books app, you’ll see menus like Current Bestsellers and Start Reading for Free.
Previous iOS updates brought Home buttons to the Podcasts and Apple TV apps, so this change is likely Apple’s attempt to apply some uniformity to its apps.
Siri can send messages in more than one language
In the first iOS 17.4 beta version, Apple gave Siri the ability to send messages in multiple languages. If you go to Settings > Siri & Search, you will see an option Sending messages with Siriwhich he replaced Automatic sending of messages. Touch Messaging with Siri and you will see Add a language. If you tap this, you can send messages to Siri in other languages, such as Arabic, Spanish, and Thai. Apple notes that Siri will also read messages using the languages on this list, but selecting one from this list will not change the primary language in which Siri listens and responds. Before that, Siri could only send messages in English.
New Apple CarPlay and Maps experience in certain vehicles
Certain vehicles that support Apple CarPlay will have a new Maps dashboard with iOS 17.4 beta 4.
With the fourth beta of iOS 17.4, if you’re using Apple CarPlay with Maps in certain supported vehicles, you’ll see a new dashboard.
“With supported CarPlay vehicles, Apple Maps will present a new dashboard experience with information about upcoming maneuvers,” Apple wrote online. “Users will be able to switch their preferred display type between the main screen and the dashboard screen by tapping the map configuration button in the top right of the main Maps screen.”
However, Apple did not say which vehicles support the new feature, and the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Here are the full release notes for iOS 17.4 RC.
Emoji
New mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and head nodding emojis are now available on the emoji keyboard.
18 person and body emoticons add the option to rotate them in any direction.
Apple Podcasts
Transcripts allow you to follow the episode with the text highlighted and synchronized with the audio in English, Spanish, French and German.
Episode text can be read in full, searched for a word or phrase, tapped to play from a specific point, and used with accessibility features such as Text Size, Contrast Enhancement, and VoiceOver.
This update includes the following improvements and bug fixes:
Music Recognition lets you add songs you’ve identified to your Apple Music playlists and library, as well as Apple Music Classic.
Siri has a new option to announce the messages you receive in any supported language.
The protection against stolen devices supports the option for increased security in all locations.
Battery Health in Settings shows the number of battery cycles, date of manufacture and first use on iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models.
Caller ID displays Apple-verified company name, logo, and department name when available.
Business updates in Messages for Business provide reliable information for order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts, or other transactions you’ve opted in for.
Apple Cash virtual card numbers allow you to pay with Apple Cash at merchants that don’t yet accept Apple Pay by entering your number from Wallet or using Safari AutoFill.
Fixes an issue where contact images are blank in Find My.
Fixes an issue for dual SIM users where the phone number changes from primary to secondary and is visible to the group they messaged.
Some features may not be available in all regions or on all Apple devices. For information about the security content of Apple software updates, visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
These are some of the new features that developers and beta testers will see in iOS 17.4 RC. That doesn’t mean these are the only features coming with the next iOS update, or that these changes will remain in effect when iOS 17.4 is released to the public. There is currently no exact release date for iOS 17.4, but Apple has indicated that it could be released in March.
For more information about iOS 17, see all the new features included in iOS 17.3 and iOS 17.2. You can also check out our iOS 17 cheat sheet.
Watch this: Apple Sports is the next step in Apple’s big sports plans