iOS 17.4 RC is Out! - What's New?

Summary

In this update, Aaron from Zollotech introduces the release candidate (RC) of iOS 17.4, highlighting its availability to developers and soon to public beta testers. This update, which is potentially the final version before public release, includes significant new features such as full-featured sideloading for the EU, alternative in-app payment methods, and updates to default browser options. Additionally, iOS 17.4 brings new emoji, improvements to battery health reporting for iPhone 15 models, and enhancements to the Podcasts app with transcriptions in multiple languages. The video also covers updates across various Apple OS platforms, anticipated changes, and bug fixes, alongside performance insights and benchmarks for iOS 17.4 RC.

Takeaways

• 😎 Apple released iOS 17.4 RC (Release Candidate) to developers and public beta testers, likely to be the final version before public release.
• 🌐 Side loading is now fully supported in the EU, allowing users to install third-party app stores, apps, and use streaming apps.
• 🖥️ New features include alternative default browsers, in-app payment methods, new emoji, updated battery health information, and podcast transcriptions.
• 🚗 CarPlay now allows switching between Apple Maps on the center screen or the instrument cluster.
• 🧩 The EU now requires users to verify app information before installing.
• 🐞 Several bugs have been fixed, including notification issues, stock wallpaper bugs, and contact picture issues.
• 🔧 However, some bugs persist, such as wallpaper dimming and issues with default browser choices.
• 📆 If no RC2 is released by the end of the week, iOS 17.4 is expected to be released to the public on March 4, 2024.
• 🧠 Apple has reportedly canceled its electric car project and will shift focus to generative AI teams.
• 🔄 iOS 17.5 beta 1 is expected soon after the iOS 17.4 public release, potentially addressing some missing features.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The video discusses the release of iOS 17.4 Release Candidate (RC) by Apple for developers and public beta testers.

What is the size of the iOS 17.4 RC update?

The update size for iOS 17.4 RC on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is 6.46 GB.

What is the build number for iOS 17.4 RC?

The build number for iOS 17.4 RC is 21B217.

What is the new feature regarding third-party apps and app stores in iOS 17.4?

iOS 17.4 introduces full-featured side loading for the European Union (EU), allowing users to install third-party app stores, third-party apps, and use streaming apps.

What are the new updates for contacts in iOS 17.4?

iOS 17.4 includes new updates for contacts with payments and NFC.

What are the new emoji introduced in iOS 17.4?

iOS 17.4 introduces new emoji such as a mushroom, lime, phoenix, broken chain, nodding and turning heads, a motorized wheelchair, walking stick, and 18 different people emojis with various facial expressions.

What is the new feature for businesses in the Messages app?

iOS 17.4 allows businesses to provide information about order status, flight notifications, fraud alerts, and other transactions directly through text messages.

What is the change in battery health information in iOS 17.4?

In iOS 17.4, the battery health section has been updated to show "normal" instead of a percentage, along with the maximum capacity and cycle count. Additionally, the iPhone 15 models are now good for 1,000 cycles down to 80% battery health.

What is the new feature related to podcasts in iOS 17.4?

iOS 17.4 introduces full transcriptions for podcasts, allowing users to search for specific keywords and jump to the corresponding audio point. This feature supports multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French, and German.

What is the new feature related to Siri in iOS 17.4?

iOS 17.4 adds a new option for "Messaging with Siri," which allows Siri to read messages in additional languages and respond in a combination of languages, such as English and Hindi, based on the user's primary language.

Outlines

00:00

📱 iOS 17.4 RC Release and Features Overview

Apple released the iOS 17.4 Release Candidate (RC) to developers and soon to public beta testers, indicating it could be the final version barring any issues. The update, significant in size at 6.46 GB, is part of a series of releases including iPadOS, tvOS, and macOS updates but notably excludes a watchOS update. The build number is provided, with an emphasis on the lack of modem updates from the previous beta. Key updates include a new hello screen, side loading for the EU, updates to default browser options and in-app payments, new Emoji, and features for businesses in Messages. Notable hardware-specific updates include battery health improvements for iPhone 15 series, and enhancements to podcasts with transcriptions and searchable content in multiple languages. The update also brings UI changes, including a new home button in Apple Music, and improvements to Apple Maps in CarPlay.

05:02

🔊 Siri Enhancements and Additional iOS 17.4 Features

iOS 17.4 introduces significant updates to Siri, allowing for reading messages in additional languages and responding in a mix of languages, enhancing user interaction. A new clock widget and stolen device protection settings offer more customization and security. The update also brings Apple verified business names and logos for phone calls, a virtual card number feature in Apple Wallet for secure online purchases, and analytics options for Apple Pay. CarPlay receives updates for better integration with car systems. Despite these enhancements, there are unresolved issues, particularly with the EU app verification screen and the absence of certain features like the wider address bar in Safari. Bug fixes in this release address notification glitches, wallpaper responsiveness, and Airdrop and Find My issues, but some bugs like wallpaper dimming remain. Emoji sticker disappearance seems resolved, contributing to the update's stability.

10:03

🛠️ iOS 17.4 Bug Fixes, Performance, and Future Updates

This section highlights the resolution of key bugs, including the stock wallpaper and notification jitter issues, and improvements to dual SIM functionality and contact picture visibility in Find My. Despite these fixes, some bugs persist, such as wallpaper dimming. The update shows stable performance, with a slight increase in device temperature during installation considered normal. Battery life appears consistent with previous betas. The paragraph also touches on potential future releases, suggesting iOS 17.4's public release could be imminent, with iOS 17.5 beta to follow. Benchmarks indicate satisfactory performance, and there's a mention of Apple's shift in focus from its electric car project to generative AI, suggesting a realignment of priorities towards enhancing existing products and technologies.

15:04

👍 Conclusion and Call to Action

The final paragraph wraps up the video script with an invitation for viewer interaction, encouraging comments below the video. It also mentions the provision of wallpaper links in the video description, urging viewers to subscribe and like the video. This closing gesture emphasizes community engagement and resource sharing, typical of content creators looking to build a rapport with their audience and foster a sense of community.

Keywords

💡iOS 17.4 RC

iOS 17.4 Release Candidate (RC) signifies the final version of a software update before its public release, provided no significant issues arise. In the video, it's mentioned that iOS 17.4 RC has been released to developers and soon to public beta testers, indicating its near-final state and readiness for broader public distribution. This version is crucial for final testing and feedback collection to ensure stability and functionality.

💡Update Size

The update size, mentioned as 6.46 GB for the iOS 17.4 RC on a 15 Pro Max device, indicates the total amount of data to be downloaded and installed. This large size is typical when transitioning from a beta version to a final release, as it involves reinstalling the entire operating system to ensure a clean and complete update.

💡Build Number

The build number, identified as 218E217 for iOS 17.4 RC, serves as a unique identifier for the specific version of the software. It helps in tracking and distinguishing between different builds during the development and testing phases. The build number is useful for developers and testers to reference specific versions when reporting issues or discussing features.

💡Side Loading

Side loading in iOS 17.4 refers to the ability to install apps from sources outside of the Apple App Store. This feature, highlighted in the video as part of compliance with European Union regulations, allows users to install third-party app stores and apps, expanding the ecosystem beyond Apple's curated selection. This is a significant change aimed at providing more flexibility and choice to users.

💡Battery Health

Battery health reporting in iOS 17.4 has been updated to show 'normal' status, maximum capacity, and cycle count, offering users more detailed information about their device's battery condition. This update, particularly for iPhone 15 models, enhances transparency regarding battery longevity and performance, informing users about the expected lifespan of their device's battery.

💡Podcasts Transcriptions

The addition of podcast transcriptions in iOS 17.4 enhances accessibility and usability, allowing users to read the content of podcasts, search for specific parts, and jump directly to points of interest. This feature supports multiple languages, making podcasts more accessible to a wider audience and improving user engagement by enabling text-based interaction with audio content.

💡New Emoji

The introduction of new emoji in iOS 17.4 updates the device's emoji library to align with the latest Unicode standard. This includes a variety of new characters, such as a mushroom, lime, phoenix, and more, enriching text communication by offering users a broader range of expressive icons to convey emotions, activities, and concepts in a fun and engaging way.

💡Apple Pay Improvements

iOS 17.4 introduces enhancements to Apple Pay, including the ability to make secure online purchases with Safari autofill using an Apple Cash card when Apple Pay is not available. This update provides users with more flexibility in making transactions, ensuring a seamless and secure payment experience across different platforms and situations.

💡CarPlay Updates

The video mentions significant updates to Apple CarPlay, including the ability to display Apple Maps on the center screen or instrument cluster of supported vehicles. This improvement enhances the in-car experience by offering more versatile navigation options, allowing drivers to access mapping information more conveniently and safely while on the road.

💡EU Regulations Compliance

Compliance with European Union regulations in iOS 17.4, particularly around side loading and alternative in-app payment methods, reflects Apple's adaptation to legal and market requirements in the EU. This compliance is aimed at promoting competition and offering consumers in the EU more choices in how they download apps and make payments, indicating a significant policy shift for Apple in response to regulatory pressures.

Highlights

Apple released iOS 17.4 RC, expected to be the final version before public release.

The update size is 6.46 GB for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, reinstalling the whole OS.

iOS 17.4 RC was released alongside updates for iPadOS, VisionOS, TVOS, HomePodOS, and MacOS.

The build number for iOS 17.4 RC is 218E217.

New feature: Full-featured sideloading and third-party app stores in the EU to comply with regulations.

iOS 17.4 introduces new Emoji to align with the latest Unicode standard.

Businesses can now send order status, flight notifications, and fraud alerts via text messages.

Battery health reporting improved, now showing 'normal' status and cycle count, especially enhanced for iPhone 15 models.

Podcasts now feature transcriptions, searchable in multiple languages.

iOS 17.4 updates Siri for messaging in additional languages and combines languages for responses.

Introduction of a new clock widget and changes in the UI across multiple apps for consistency.

CarPlay enhancement allows Apple Maps display on the center screen or instrument cluster.

Stolen device protection enhanced with security delay options.

Apple Wallet now supports virtual card numbers for secure online purchases.

Major updates to Apple CarPlay and Apple Maps integration.

Transcripts

hi everyone Aaron here for zolot and

today Apple released iOS 17.4 RC or

release candidate iOS 17.4 RC is out to

developers and soon to public beta

testers and this should be the final

version that's released to the public as

long as there's no additional issues

we'll just be able to test it a little

bit early and we'll talk about when to

expect the public release a little bit

later now this update came in at 6.46 GB

on my 15 Pro Max anytime you go from a

beta version to a final version it's

going to reinstall the whole OS and this

was released alongside a lot of other

updates today some RC's such as iPad OS

17.4 RC Vision OS 1.1 beta4 TV and

homepod Os 17.4 beta 5 Mac OS 14.4 beta

5 no watch OS update just yet for some

reason and a bunch of older updates as

well for iOS and Mac OS now as far as

the build number let's go ahead and take

a look at it we'll go to settings then

we'll go down to General then about the

build number is 218 e 217 and this

should be the final version released to

the public if there's no additional

issues if there are issues we'll see iOS

17.4 rc2 a little bit later now as far

as new updates there is no modem update

going from beta 4 to the release

candidate this time around so no changes

there and the first thing they've

updated is the hello screen with your

profile picture you can see I filmed

this a little bit earlier to show you

what it looks like it just has your

profile picture with the hello

underneath which changes through

different languages

now as far as new features well this is

a big one this time around and it's full

featured what that means is there's side

loading for the EU although Apple

doesn't mention it at all what that

means is there's side loading you can

install third party app stores third

party apps and also you can use

streaming apps as well you can also set

default browsers with more options where

you could use browsers before but now it

can use different code other than what

we have with Safari and webkit and

there's also options for alternative

inapp payment methods this is in the EU

only though and this is to comply with

European Union regulations there's also

new updates for contacts with payments

and NFC as well now as far as things we

can see right away well there's new

Emoji in this update to bring us up to

the latest Unicode standard so if we go

into messages you'll see we have some

new Emoji here so we have a mushroom a

lime a phoenix a broken chain a head

knotting up and down a head turning left

to right and then some other options as

well such as a motorized wheelchair

pointing to the right as well as a

walking stick for those that are

visually impaired facing right someone

kneeling facing right we had some of

these before where they were facing left

now you can pick the option you choose

there's 18 different people in body

Emojis with different face options for

them as well now also something else

they've updated in messages has to do

with businesses so if you have a

business and it can actually provide you

information about your order status

flight notifications fraud alerts and

other transactions you offer poed into

through your text messages so that's

just with businesses you'd have to be

actually chatting with someone or

ordering a product from them to see that

another major change in this update has

to do with battery health now

unfortunately this is only on the 15

series phones I've updated it on the 14

and we don't see it here but I'll show

you what the difference is there's not

really a reason Apple couldn't add this

but if we go in you'll see that battery

health has been changed it now says

normal this is something I've been

asking Apple to change for years they've

finally done it and you'll see it says

battery health normal and then gives the

actual maximum capacity and also has the

cycle count right here that used to be

in the about section it makes much more

sense being here also with the iPhone 15

models you'll see they're now good for

1,000 Cycles down to 80% before this was

500 Cycles so they've updated this for

the iPhone 15 models in ideal conditions

so you could get a th000 Cycles before

you drop to 80% so that's pretty great

another major change has to do with

podcasts if we go into podcasts and

maybe if you're watching or listening to

this one we'll go in you can see we now

have transcriptions here so you can have

full transcriptions and you can see all

of it here you can even search for it so

we could search for one person

individually it will find all of the

different things they're mentioning

maybe iPhone you can see that over and

over where it can find that throughout

what they're speaking about then you can

jump right to that point and start

listening to it not only that it can

work in multiple languages English

Spanish French and German right now so

it can actually be read full search for

you can tap to play a specific point and

you'll see it starts playing right there

so that's great they've updated it made

it much easier to jump around and search

just like you can with lyrics and music

also they've sort of unified things at

the bottom where it now says home this

has been changed across multiple apps

such as Apple music as well it now says

home on the bottom instead of listen now

so I think that's a great update where

it's pretty simple but it's something

that's unified across the whole OS and

also with this update now if it

recognizes music it can be added to a

playlist so let me show you what I mean

if I play a song from this iPhone so it

recognized it right away and if we go

into it now I thought we had this

function before but now we can add it

directly to Apple music or apple music

classical in our playlist if we want to

do that so that's something Apple says

is new in this update however I thought

this was there before also there's beat

solo 4 support it looks like very soon

to this update based off of some

information my friend St moer found and

we should have that as well so we can

expect those soon Siri also gets some

major updates if we go into our settings

go down to Siri and search now we have

an option for messaging with Siri and

under messaging with Siri we can now

have read messages in additional

languages this allows it to maybe come

through and speak in English or German

if someone is speaking to you there

through Siri so it can read it back in

either language you can add additional

languages and it can respond in a

combination of even languages such as

English and Hindi depending on the

primary language you use so those are

all new things in this update now

there's also a new clock widget it looks

a little different than the one we

already have and if we press and maybe

add a widget here we'll scroll down to

clock and we have a new one called City

digital so as we scroll over you'll see

it here it's a little bit different and

this one actually responds as the time

goes on throughout the day and will

switch to a dark mode while I have dark

mode enabled it doesn't switch on its

own but again it's based on time of day

so if I change it on my phone here we'll

just go into our settings and change the

time of day date and time we'll turn it

off and maybe we'll make it 9900 p.m. or

so so we'll change it to maybe 9900 p.m.

tonight then go back and you'll see as

we scroll over it switched to a dark

mode so it has a dark look to it now

again based on time and when Sunset is

where you live so that's something

they've updated a little bit let me

switch it back to automatic though one

of our more recent features within

settings is under face ID and passcode

if we go into this enter our passcode

and if we scroll down we have stolen

device protection there's a new option

in here with iOS 17.4 to require the

security delay away from familiar

locations or always so you can update it

whatever you'd like I have it away from

familiar locations which just makes it a

little easier if you want to turn it off

or maybe you need to have it serviced at

an Apple store also there's some updates

for the phone calls now call

identification will display Apple

verified business names logos and

Department names when available so if

someone's calling you and there's that

information already caught whether it's

in your contacts or Apple's pushing it

through their servers it will now show

you that information so if Apple's

calling you it should give you that

information as well additionally in

apple wallet there's an update if we go

into the wallet app within wallet you'll

see that we have a virtual card number

if you have an apple cash card you can

now use an apple cash card to make

secure online purchases with Safari

autofill when Apple pay is not available

you can learn more about it and actually

use it for whatever reason the support

page is not available but that's

something they've added in this update

there's also a new option for Apple pay

as well for analytics if we go into our

settings go down to privacy and security

scroll to the bottom where we have

analytics and improvements we have a new

option to improve Apple pay it's turned

off by default but if you want to enable

it you can also carplay gets a big

update in this update and we've seen

this throughout different cars already

with the betas where if you're using

Apple carplay you can now have Apple

Maps on your Center screen or switch it

over to your instrument cluster this is

something Apple added with the previous

beta and cars such as BMWs have already

been able to see this certain cars may

not have it enabled already but if you

do it should be able to be able to

switch between either the center screen

or instrument cluster also we don't have

watchos 10.4 updates yet for beta 5 or

the release candidate however within the

code of iOS 17 .4 we're also seeing some

new fall colors such as light blue ocean

blue pink raspberry soft mint and others

so we should have some of those coming

out soon probably with new cases and

much more also one thing we thought

Apple was going to fix has to do with

the EU if you're in the EU and maybe you

search for an app whether that's here

within Spotlight search and you go to

install it here or just install it from

the App Store you're greeted with a new

verification screen you'll see it looks

like this and it says verify the

information before installing

Apple supposedly said they're going to

fix this however in the RC it's not

fixed yet and people are still seeing

this in the European Union also Apple

removed a few things where they haven't

brought it back in this update so one of

the things they removed was The Wider

bar here at the bottom for the address

bar and they also removed a stopwatch

live activity that hasn't been brought

back yet if you went into the clock app

started the stopwatch slide home if you

have a dynamic Island it went up to the

live activity hopefully they'll bring

that back maybe with iOS

17.5 now as far as bug fixes Apple did

fix the notification bug it's still

fixed in this update you can see here

it's not jumping all around also the

stock wallpaper bug has been fixed so if

you just shut off the phone depends on

how you have it set but it now responds

whether it's light mode or dark mode

just like you would expect they seem to

fix some airdrop issues and they've also

specifically mentioned that they fixed

issues with contact pictures being blank

in find my if we go into find my you'll

see that I have some that are blank but

that's because haven't filled them out

but if they have they actually have

those contact pictures they've also

fixed an issue if you're a dual SIM user

where the phone number changes from

primary to secondary and is visible to a

group they have messaged so that's

something that they've changed where

they've updated it and it should work

properly now now there are still some

bugs that are there the wallpaper

dimming bug is still there if you watch

the wallpaper it will sort of desaturate

and I've seen this over and over where I

go to the home screen and it desaturates

you can see that in the upper right and

left sometimes it's worse than others

for some reason sometimes it doesn't do

it but it seems to still do it from time

to time also many people had Emoji

stickers disappearing that seems to be

fixed so if we go into our stickers here

you'll see they pop up just like you

would expect there's no other bug so far

it seems like and overall it seems like

it's pretty solid if we go into the

release notes they should be in the

feedback app by now if not they're on

the public facing website but let's take

a look you'll see we do have beta 4 but

not the most recent let's go into that

and within the release notes you'll see

that we still have some known issues

with default browser Choice screen might

not show up when intended and apps

requiring certain managed entitlements

might not install or show an error this

would be in the EU and then also the App

Store they've resolved a bunch of issues

there's some new features with carplay

that I mentioned before there's also

some new updates with things for

developers homekit Maps has resolved

some issues and much more so this is

great to see them continually update

this giving us more more information and

you can see the Siri update here where

it can use a combination of English and

Hindi like I mentioned before lots of

great updates and IOS

17.4 as far as the overall performance

so far it seems smooth just like any of

the other previous betas this has

actually been pretty good with promotion

and everything else in fact just using

it in general seems to be what you would

expect nice and fast everything reacts

like you would expect scrolling through

different apps things just seem to

respond pretty well and this update has

been fairly stable in general as far as

overall heat well the heat is a little

bit intense just because it's installing

a whole update and the back is a little

bit warm but nothing too hot or alarming

that's completely normal when you're

installing updates and it's processing

in the background as far as battery life

well I've only used the betas this has

only been out a couple hours but using

them has been pretty good again we have

100% battery health with 117 cycles and

yesterday I had 3 hours and 29 minutes

of screen active time 3 hours and 206 6

minutes of screen idle time I used about

75% of my battery today 1 hour and 40

minutes and I've only used well about

31% so it seems to be improving as we go

on throughout the day typically I can

get through a day without a problem with

about 20 to 30% left at the end of the

day most people that have used this in

my YouTube Community poll that we've

talked about every weekend have said

that it's been pretty good for them

overall now as far as if you should

install iOS 17.4 RC well if you've been

wanting to try it this should be the

final release unless they fix additional

bugs before it's released to the public

so definitely you could try it just make

sure you have a backup as far as iOS

17.4 is release date well based on

having the RC today if we don't have an

rc2 by the end of the week I would

expect the final release to be on March

4th typically it's on a Monday so

probably this following week we'll see

it on the 4th also iOS 17.5 beta 1 will

soon follow after that probably on the

fifth or 6th and then maybe we'll get

some of those featur featur back that we

lost maybe the widened status bar or

address bar and Safari and some other

things with the maybe the live activity

for the stopwatch and more hopefully we

see those in future updates as far as

benchmarks I did run one initially but

let's go ahead and run it and see what

we get since it's cool down a little bit

you'll see benchmarks completed and we

have 294 for single core 7,63 for

multicore this is actually pretty good

for single core down a little bit

compared to what we had with beta 4 but

it's processing a lot in the background

so we'll take a look at that on the

weekend with the followup and see if

it's improved now one other thing I

wanted to mention is Apple apparently

canel its electric car project this was

announced today by Mark German and

they're supposedly not working on this

anymore and going to shift all of their

production team to generative AI teams

so that makes a lot of sense I'm glad to

see apple maybe focus on something else

such as their products maybe really get

everything right this time around and

not have so many projects going on now

as far as anything else if I find it of

course I'll be sure to cover it this

weekend followup and we'll talk about

all the features when it releases to the

public if you found anything else though

I haven't mentioned I'd love to hear

from you in the comments below and of

course I'll link this wallpaper in the

description like I normally do if you

haven't subscribed already though please

subscribe and if you enjoyed the video

please give it a like as always thanks

for watching this is Aaron I'll see you

next time