iOS 17.4 beta 1 brings many new features to the iPhone. Here we tell you what the most important ones are!
iOS 17.4 beta 1: these are the new features
iOS 17.3 has only just been released and Apple is already releasing the beta 1 of iOS 17.4. That is not really surprising because Apple has until March 6, 2024 to allow sideloading of apps in iOS and iPadOS. This was imposed by European legislation, which states that users must also be able to download apps outside the App Store.
The time has now arrived in iOS 17.4 beta 1, but this update contains many more new features and adjustments. Below are the most important ones.
Alternative App Store and new terms
App developers in the EU can now offer alternative app stores with their own apps. Apple has also come up with new conditions for this. You will soon also be able to set an alternative app store as the default app store. You do this in the settings.
Other payment methods
Apple will also allow other ways to pay in apps. It is then no longer mandatory to do this via an in-app purchase.
Browser choice
Installing another browser was already allowed on your iPhone, but it used Safari’s WebKit engine so you actually had Safari with a different look (and some extra features). In iOS 17.4 beta 1, these limits have disappeared for other browsers.
Contactless payment
Banks and payment apps can now use the NFC chip in the iPhone and offer features like contactless payments (without having to use Apple Pay or the Wallet app). It will therefore be possible to pay with NFC in a different way than with Apple Pay on your iPhone.
Game streaming apps are allowed
Apps like Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce NOW for streaming games are now allowed in the App Store. You no longer have to open the website every time, but you can immediately use the app.
New emoji
iOS 17.4 beta 1 also includes new emojis. These include a brown mushroom, a broken chain and a shaking head.
More small changes
There are also some minor changes in iOS 17.4 beta 1. Messages has received a minor update in combination with Siri, which allows you to read messages in specific languages. Podcast now have transcripts so you can read what’s being said. A bit like the lyrics of a song can be shown in Apple Music.
The new ‘Stolen Device Protection’ feature has also been given an additional option. You can now choose to always use the waiting time, even in trusted locations.
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