iOS 17.1 update adds new options for AirDrop, StandBy, Apple Music
Apple has released the iOS 17.1 update along with iPadOS 17.1, after testing the software in beta for nearly a month. The update adds some new features for AirDrop, StandBy, Apple Music, and fixes some bugs.
AirDrop file sharing via Wi-Fi
When iOS 17 was announced, Apple revealed an important upgrade to AirDrop's functionality. Users can initiate a file transfer from their iPhone and walk away from the range of the other device, and AirDrop will continue transferring the files using your Wi-Fi connection. This feature wasn't present in the initial version of iOS 17, but it is now available with the iOS 17.1 update.
The new AirDrop protocol also works via mobile networks, and the option is enabled by default. If you prefer to share files only via Wi-Fi, you can disable the option by going to the General > AirDrop screen, and toggle "Use Cellular Data".
Apple Music
The Apple Music app can now be used to favorite songs, albums, and playlists. You can filter the library page to only view your favorites. The app has a new cover art collection with designs that will change the colors dynamically depending on the music in your playlist. Apple Music has gained support for Smarter Playlists, which will display song suggestions at the end of all playlists, allowing for better music discovery.
StandBy
The StandBy feature has more options that you can fine tune to control when your display should turn off, i.e., Automatically, After 20 seconds, and Never. These settings are only available for the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max models.
Apple fixes "screen burn-in" issue
If you have experienced an issue similar to screen burn-in on your iPhone, you should install the iOS 17.1 update. The problem was not an actual screen burn-in, as a screen burn in would take longer to impact screens on a new device such as the iPhone 15, which has only been out for a couple of weeks. It was likely an image ghosting problem. Apple says it fixed an issue that was causing display image persistence issue
Other bugs that were fixed
Apple says it fixed a bug that was causing the keyboard to lag. Crash detection has been optimized on all iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models.
Home key is now supported for Matter locks. Screen Time settings should now sync reliably across your devices. The phone app will now display the names of incoming callers correctly if a call is already in progress.
Apple has acknowledged that the Significant Location privacy setting was being reset on iPhones, but this bug reportedly only happens when transferring an Apple Watch or pairing it for the first time. Users can now set their text tone by accessing their purchased ringtones, or by selecting a custom tone.
Security fixes
The iOS 17.1 update patches several security issues, which you can read about here. Apple has also released iOS 16.7.2 for the iPhone 8 and later, and iPadOS 16.7.2 for the iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later. These versions ship with the same security fixes that were patched in iOS 17.1. None of the issues were known to have been actively exploited by hackers. However, the Cupertino company has acknowledged that a security issue has been exploited by attackers in older versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7 and iPadOS 15.8.
The release notes that have been published by Apple reveal that an app could execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges, This is not a new bug. Remember the Operation Triangulation zero-day exploits that were discovered by security researchers at Kaspersky? This vulnerability is one of those, which was tracked as CVE-2023-32434. Apple had patched this vulnerability with the iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, macOS 13.4.1 updates that were released in July. It is unclear why the company waited four months before patching the bug in iOS 15. The iOS 15.8 update is available for the iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, iPhone SE (1st gen) and iPod touch (7th gen), while the iPadOS 15.8 update is available for the iPad Air 2, iPad mini (4th gen).
macOS 14.1 has been released with some bug fixes. The watchOS 10.1 update has also been released, and it enables the double tap gesture that was revealed during the launch of the Apple Watch Series 9. The gesture will allow users to perform the primary action in various apps such as answering or ending phone calls, taking a photo on iPhone using the Camera Remote, snoozing an alarm, stopping or resuming a stopwatch or timer, playing or pausing music, podcasts, audiobooks, and more.
