iOS 17 was previewed during the WWDC 2023 keynote early in June. While Apple had already announced that at least five features wouldn’t be available with the official release of this operating system update in September, we discovered that up to 13 functions would be delayed. Here’s what’s still missing from Apple.
Two main iOS 17 features that are still missing from iPhone and iPad
Apple Music Collaborative Playlist: Apple Music won’t have many iOS 17 new features, but one big function is being delayed. While this was expected to land in late 2023, Apple is now delaying this function to 2024. Once it’s out, you’ll be able to invite friends to collaborate on playlists. They will be able to add, reorder, and remove songs. In addition, you’ll be able to react to the song choices in Now Playing.
AirPlay in your hotel room: AirPlay will be available in 2024 in supporting hotel rooms. Apple is working closely with hotels so people can scan the QR code on their room TVs to securely share videos, photos, and music from their iPhones to the TV.
More iOS 17 features that will delay
Even with iOS 17.2 out, Apple is delaying a few other features, such as:
- Sync additional settings with Messages in iCloud: Text Message Forwarding, Send & Receive accounts, and SMS filters across devices;
- Apple ID proximity sign-in with an existing signed-in and trusted iPhone or iPad.
Delayed features that were added with iOS 17.1
NameDrop from iPhone to Apple Watch: NameDrop is a feature that lets you easily share your contact information from one iPhone to another by approaching them. While this function was available with the release of iOS 17, Apple needed an extra period to add iPhone to Apple Watch integration.
AirDrop via Cellular connection: Did you ever start sending tons of photos at once via AirDrop to a friend, but one of you had to leave? With iOS 17.1, you can keep sending this data securely and with full quality over the internet if you leave the AirDrop range. It requires that both people are signed in to iCloud.
Favorite Songs in Music app: You can favorite songs, artists, and albums. They can be seen in a new Favorite section, which also helps improve the Music algorithm.
Delayed features added with iOS 17.2
With iOS 17.2 released on December 11, Apple added several iOS 17 delayed features, such as:
- Journal app: Apple says this app lets you “capture your thoughts on life’s big events or everyday activities. Add details to any entry with photos, music, audio recordings, and more. Mark important moments and revisit them later to find new insights or set new goals.”
- Catch-up arrow in the Messages app so you can easily go to the last message you saw;
- The ability to react to a message with any sticker through the Tapback menu;
- Play and pause podcasts or Apple News+ audio stories in the Apple News widget;
- Intelligent form detection and enhanced AutoFill for PDFs (one of the most important features for iPadOS 17);
- Audio Focus feature for Apple Fitness+ so you can prioritize the volume of the music or the trainers’ voice;
Wrap up
As we wait for iOS 17.3 beta testing to start, we’ll learn what iOS 17 delayed features will be available with this upcoming operating system update.
