Apple launched the second beta of iOS 17.4the next big update for the iPhone, with important changes for European users but not only for them.
iOS 17.4 will be one of the versions that will mark a before and after, especially in Europe, where Apple has had to break a good handful of “red lines” required by European regulations on digital markets. But even though the biggest changes will be limited to Europe, there are still a lot of news that will reach everyone. Here is the list of them all:
- Third-party stores may be installed where we can purchase and download applications outside of the App Store. These app stores can be set as default instead of the App Store. (Europe only)
- Payment methods external to Apple will be permitted. Developers can include other payment methods and can even link to other websites to create them. (Europe only)
- Internet browsing applications will be able to use their own engines instead of being forced to use WebKit, the Safari engine. (Europe only)
- Banks and payment apps will have access to the iPhone’s NFC to be able to use their own payment platforms other than Apple Pay. These payment methods can be configured by default. (Europe only)
- Cloud gaming applications will be allowed. GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud and other platforms will be able to have their own applications without relying on Safari to function.
- New Emoji including: mushroom, lime, phoenix, broken chain, head saying ‘yes’ and head saying ‘no’.
- Ability for Siri to read messages in the language of your choice.
- The “Listen Now” tab is now “Home” in the Podcasts and Music apps.
- Podcasts will offer you automatic transcriptions of the podcast you are listening to.
- Safari’s navigation bar is longer.
- iPhone Theft Protection (released in iOS 14.3) lets you choose whether the one-hour delay for making certain changes is always required or only when you’re away from your familiar locations.
- CarPlay improvements (when the new version is released, for now only in the USA).
- SharePlay can now also be used on HomePod and Apple TV.
- The timer now has live activity on the lock screen.
- In the App Store, in your account, you have a purchase history that includes all purchases made, not just apps.
In addition to this new beta we also have the respective ones for watchOS, iPadOS, macOS and even visionOS. Final versions are expected to be released worldwide during the month of March.
