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The fourth beta of iOS 17 is now available to developers. There are no huge features added to the new release, but it comes with new controls that could better improve the use of the features previously tested by users. Also, there are some minimal design updates in the system, particularly in some of the icons of iOS.
Here are all the improvements and changes we have spotted in iOS 17 Beta 4:
- The new release gives the iOS 17 update the build number 21A5291h.
- The modem in iOS 17 has been updated, which should give your device better connectivity.
- The Weather app gets a bunch of detail changes, including the wording and details in the Averages section. Apple also added information about some weather-related phrases in the app when you tap and scroll down the Averages page.
- The new AirDrop gesture can now be disabled through a new control in Settings > General > AirDrop. On the page, there is a new “Bringing Device Together” section with a toggle you can use to activate or deactivate the feature. When deactivated, holding the top of your iPhone close to another unit won’t trigger the NameDrop or sharing feature of iOS 17.
- StandBy also gets a new control, allowing you to hide the preview of the notifications and only view them when you tap. You can find this new control in Settings > StandBy > Show Preview on Tap Only.
- Apple has implemented changes in different icons across the OS. This includes the icon of Home Screen & App Library in Settings, the Apple TV remote icon in Control Center, and the Auto-Brightness in the Insights and Suggestions section of the Battery page.
- The icon changes also include the icons within the + option in Messages. In iOS 17, Apple has resorted to more rounded looks, so each icon in the + menu in Messages is now contained in a circle. Also, Apple reverted to the old Photos logo for Photos instead of showing your last photo when you tapped on the + menu.
- When you go to Safari > Bookmark > Clear, the size of the page that will appear will no longer be in full screen.
- You will find a new option in Settings > Accessibility >Display & Text Size. According to the description, the new “Prefer Horizontal Text” option allows you to “prefer horizontal text in languages that support vertical text.”
- My Photo Stream feature is no longer available in the system.
- Apple enhanced the AirPlay picker animation.
- The thinnest text option for the Lock Screen is now a bit thicker, and the font colors also seem to be changed. The button of the Apple TV remote also now has thicker lines.
- Some of the design elements in the Health app are changed: the size of the icon in the State of Mind that reads “No Entry” is now smaller, the color of the Next button when you tap Log an Emotion or Mood is now lighter, and the colors in the slider when you pick moods are also changed to lighter hues. The texts in the Health app are also now thicker and more legible. The Mental Health Questionaire section also has an updated icon.
- There is now an option for Contacts in Settings > Privacy & Security > Sensitive Content Warning.
- Going to the New Shared Group section within the Passwords page in Settings will auto-fill the Group Name for you, which reads “Family Passwords.”
