iOS 17 beta 1 was a minor update containing specific improvements to iMessage and FaceTime. Now, with iOS 17 beta 2 finally available, you must be wondering what new features it holds.
If you are already enrolled in Apple Developer Program, you may now upgrade your iPhone to this new OS. Do note that this update is still beta in nature, and hence it might contain bugs and issues.
What’s new in iOS 17 Beta 2?
Apple introduces the following new features in its latest beta version of iOS 17 –
1] Tap to Airdrop
From now onward, whenever you try to AirDrop an item, its new interface will mention the following –
"Don't see people nearby? Try holding the top of this iPhone near another iPhone"
The moment you bring two iPhones close together, AirDrop will initiate the transfer. Though this feature was announced during WWDC, it was missing in iOS beta 1.
2] Crossfade in Apple Music
Crossfade was already there in iOS 17 beta 1. The problem was that you can’t turn On this feature by enabling its toggle switch. Whenever you try to enable it, the Settings app used to crash.
Thankfully, with iOS beta 2, Apple fixes this issue and you may now enable Crossfade quite easily. This also allows you to pick the number of seconds for this Crossfade feature which ranges between 1-12 seconds.
3] Remove Notifications in Standby Mode
We have already seen “What is Standby mode” in iOS beta 1. Apple has further enhanced its capabilities by introducing a new toggle inside the Standby settings. You may now use this toggle to restrict non-important notifications from appearing on your iPhone screen.
This way, you can keep your iPhone clutter-free and enjoy the new Standby mode in your iPhone.
4] Improvised Fitness section
After installing iOS beta 2 on your iPhone, you will find a new fitness section under its Settings. You may choose to allow this fitness app to access Siri, full or partial notifications, Live activities, and cellular data. Moreover, this also allows you to see how your data is managed under both Fitness+ and Activity Sharing.
These are the four new features we have come across in the new beta version of iOS 17. We will continue to search for more features, and update this article accordingly.
What are some other developer releases from Apple?
Apart from introducing iOS 17 beta 2 to iPhone, Apple also releases its beta 2 version for the following –
- watchOS 10.0 Developer Beta 2 (21R5295g)
- iPadOS 17.0 Developer Beta 2 (21A5268h)
- Studio Display 17.0 Beta 2 (21A5268h)
- tvOS 17.0 Developer Beta 2 (21J5293g)
- visionOS 1.0 Developer Beta 1 (21N5165g)
- macOS Sonoma 14.0 Developer Beta 2 (23A5276g)
Should I upgrade my iPhone to iOS 17 beta 2?
Beta software is released specifically to developers so that they can work on it and upgrade their apps accordingly. Moreover, installing a beta update may also drain your battery at a higher rate, and thus it might also reduce your battery life. So, in totality, we don’t recommend upgrading to this new beta version. What you can do is wait for July when its public release will be available.
However, if you do have a spare iPhone, and are curious to know what’s new in iOS 17 beta 2, you may go ahead and upgrade to this beta version. Since you are using a spare iPhone, you need not require compromising with your data or personal files and folders.
