While iOS 17.1 is a minor update compared to last month’s launch of iOS 17, it brings plenty of small changes to iPhones. One tweak fixes an annoying AirDrop feature that would stop transfers if the devices fell out of Wi-Fi range; now, AirDrop transfers between two iPhones can continue over a cellular connection. The update also introduces a new Favorites feature to Apple Music, allowing users to favorite songs, artists, albums, and playlists. The app will incorporate these favorites into its recommendation algorithms and will now add song suggestions at the end of playlists. Dynamic cover art that reflects the music in a playlist has also been added to Apple Music.
Other new features include the ability to choose a specific album for the Lock Screen’s Photo Shuffle feature, Home key support for Matter locks, and improved syncing across devices for Screen Time settings. The update also fixes glitches that cause the keyboard to be less responsive, create display image persistence, and cause the Significant Location privacy setting to reset when using an Apple Watch. Additionally, bugs that cause the names of incoming callers to occasionally not appear when on another call and cause some custom and purchased ringtones to not appear as text tone options have also been patched.
The update improves crash detection for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models. For people with an iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the update will give them more control over the StandBy feature that can be used when the phone display is off. iOS 17.1 also expands the availability of the flashlight indicator on the Dynamic Island for all compatible iPhones.
