New iOS17 features you may not have heard about but will make a big difference

Simon Theakston
Mac O’Clock
Published in
5 min readSep 20, 2023

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Photo by Daniel Romero on Unsplash

iOS 17 is finally here with a big fanfare being made of its key features such as Interactive widgets and the new Standby Mode.

However, the new software update also brings a list of smaller features, which typically don’t get the same levels of attention but are just as exciting — if not more so!

This article is about shining a light on those features which perhaps you haven’t realised are part of the iOS17 release, but will make a big impact on how you use your phone.

Apple Maps:

It’s now possible to download maps of a particular area so that Maps can be used can be used in those regions where cell service is not usually available. To do this, you simply search for a location and choose the download option

When setting up a download, you’ll have the option to set regular downloads of your region to ensure that it remains up to date. Equally, if you’re not planning on visiting a particular area regularly, you can choose to “Optimise Storage” which will delete the downloaded data after it hasn’t been used for a while.

Photos:

The visual look-up capabilities within the Photos app have been expanded away from just signs and contact info. Photos now…

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Simon Theakston
Mac O’Clock

I write about the skills, growth and businesses that I'm building. And the technology that is supporting me in getting there.