iPhone owners will receive a hack that extends battery life and a Siri bonus upgrade
iPhone users are in for a FRESH Apple update, and with it comes a new battery boosting feature, as well as a bonus for Siri and a security upgrade.
It doesn’t stop there: there are also some bug fixes coming that will fix issues with the Find My app, as well as an annoying issue that Dual SIM users are currently facing.
iOS 17.4 is expected to hit phones in about a week.
iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro users will get a refresh on the Battery Status page in Settings.
It will show users the number of battery cycles, in addition to a production date.
The number of battery cycles on an iPhone is important and is a key indicator of the lifespan of your handset.
Knowing the battery cycle can help you determine when to replace your battery.
According to Apple, “iPhone 14 and earlier model batteries are designed to retain 80 percent of their original capacity through 500 full charge cycles under ideal conditions.
“Batteries of iPhone 15 models are designed to retain 80 percent of their original capacity over 1,000 full charge cycles under ideal conditions.”
Siri upgrade
With iOS 17.4, Siri gets a new option to announce messages you receive in any supported language.
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Inside Settings > Siri & Search the option To inform with Siri has replaced Send messages automatically.
In the Messages with Siri option is the ability to add a new language.
If you tap this, you can have Siri send messages in other languages, such as Arabic, Spanish and Thai.
Before this update, Siri could only send messages in English.
iOS 17.4: the biggest Apple change ever?
Apple’s iOS 17.4 update could be its biggest ever, as the tech company is forced to make some major changes to its App Store rules.
The Silicon Valley giant will soon allow alternative app stores to appear on iPhones bought in the EU, following a regulatory row with the bloc.
This not only offers iPhone owners a new selection of free apps, but also lower costs in Apple’s official App Store.
Currently, iPhone users around the world can only download apps through Apple’s own App Store.
But the company has been accused of creating a monopoly in the app world by giving developers no choice but to go through their own channels and pay for the privilege of doing so.
Apple charges developers up to 30 percent commission on all in-app purchases.
This regime has resulted in developers who do not meet Apple’s standards, or do not agree to pay the fees, being banned from all Apple gadgets and their users.
It’s this rule that led to Fortnite being banned from the App Store in 2020, after developer Epic Games violated its in-app payment guidelines.
Protection against stolen devices
The Stolen Device Protection feature that rolled out to iPhones in the latest update is also about to get better.
It aims to keep certain actions, like accessing your saved passwords or iCloud, behind a Face ID or Touch ID passcode in case a thief ever gets their hands on the device.
It works by requesting identity verification via Face ID or Touch ID for sensitive actions like changing your Apple ID password.
With iOS 17.4, users will soon have the option to choose between the feature that automatically turns on in all unknown locations, or ‘Always’.
Bug fixes
Bug fixes in iOS 17.4 include a fix for Dual SIM users where the phone number changes from primary to secondary and is visible to the group they messaged.
And a fix for the issue where contact photos are blank in the Find My app.