Below, we’ve outlined eight of the new iOS features to come in 2024. These include Stolen device protection, collaboration Apple Music playlists AirPlay for hotel TVs, app sideloading within the EU and next-generation CarPlay Roadside assistance using satellites in countries outside America, satellite roadside assistance outside of the U.S., RCS support within the Messages app and generative AI support for Siri.Stolen Device Protection
The year before, The Wall Street Journal covered hackers monitoring an iPhone user’s password prior to stealing the device typically in public areas such as bars. If they have access to the passcode, a thief
is able to change his victim’s Apple ID password, turn off Find My, and more to have full control over the device. The thief could also utilize the passcode to access passwords that are stored in iCloud Keychain and other confidential details.
Stolen device protection
is the company’s hope-filled solution to the issue. Apple states that the feature is created to provide an extra layer of protection if someone has taken your iPhone and also gained access to the passcode for your device.
If the feature is enabled, Face ID or Touch ID authentication is mandatory to perform the following tasks and a fallback passcode is not available anymore:
- Accessing passwords or passkeys that are saved in iCloud Keychain
- Making an application for a brand-fresh Apple Card or viewing an Apple Card’s virtual number
- Turning off Lost Mode
- Eliminating all settings and content
- You can take particular Apple Cash and Apple Card Savings actions within the Wallet app
- Paying using payment methods that are saved in Safari
- Use your iPhone to create an entirely new device
For actions that are particularly delicate like changing the password on your Apple ID account associated with the iPhone, This feature can add an hour of security delay in addition to biometric authentication.
In these situations, the user has to authenticate via Face ID or Touch ID and then wait for a minimum of one hour then verify the identity using Face ID or Touch ID again. In contrast, Apple says there is no delay if the iPhone is in a familiar location like at home or work.
Activities that require Face ID or Touch ID authentication, and come with a one-hour delay for security if this feature has been enabled:
Changing your Apple ID password
The process of updating Select Apple ID security settings, such as removing or adding the trusted device, an established phone number, a Recovery Key, or a Recovery Contact
- Changing your iPhone passcode
- The ability to remove or add Touch ID or Face ID
- Turning off Find My
- Turning off Stolen Device Protection
- Stolen Device Security
is an option accessible within the Settings app, under the heading of Face ID and Passcode. it’s available on any iPhone that is compatible with iOS 17.3. iPhone users who update to iOS 17.3 beta version are allowed to test the feature.
Apple plans to provide more details about the feature when iOS 17.3 is made available to the public.
Apple Music Collaborative Playlists
The new Collaborative Playlists feature that is available for Apple Music subscribers allows multiple users to add, change the order, and delete songs from the shared playlist. Users can leave animated emojis alongside the songs that are in the playlist.
The feature was originally planned to be released in iOS 17.2, but it was omitted from that update after the beta testing phase. It was reinstated in iOS 17.3 and Apple’s official website confirms it will return in 2024…
AirPlay on Hotel Room TVs
After the launch of iOS 17.2, Apple updated its website to announce that the AirPlay feature for TVs in hotel rooms is delayed until the end of next year.
Apple initially stated that it was “coming later this year,” however, it has now stated that it’s “coming in an update in 2024.” Apple hasn’t provided an exact date however, the feature is expected to be included in an iOS 17 update at the beginning of this year’s first half.
The feature will permit iPhone customers to use a QR code on the television in their hotel room to create the AirPlay connection, which will allow users to stream wirelessly photos, videos as well as songs from the iPhone onto the television. Google already has the same feature on certain hotel TVs, which allows customers to access content on their phones through Chromecast.
Apple in June stated that Holiday Inn’s parent company IHG Hotels & Resorts will be among the first hotels to take advantage of the new feature.
See Also: WhatsApp to release custom sticker maker for iPhone users
App Sideloading in EU
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in 2022 reported that Apple was working on allowing sideloading apps in iPhones. iPhone in to ensure compliance with Europe’s Digital Markets Act. It would permit users to install applications outside the Apple App Store, however, this change is expected to take place within European Union countries, at first.
Gurman recently announced that he expected app sideloading to be available in the EU to be available in an iOS 17 update that would be released within the second quarter of 2024…
Next-Generation CarPlay
Apple announced that the first vehicles to receive support for the new generation CarPlay system would be revealed in the latter half of 2023. it fulfilled its promise with only a few days spare. In the last month, Aston Martin and Porsche showed off future technology CarPlay experiences that would appear in their forthcoming automobiles.
Aston Martin confirmed that it will launch its first cars featuring the latest generation of CarPlay in 2024. However, there’s no precise date and no specifics are available.
Apple first revealed its next-generation CarPlay interface in June 2022. It promised greater integration with the instrument cluster as well as climate controls, the ability to use multiple display options across the dashboard, an exclusive Radio app for FM, widgets, and much more. The interface can be customized to suit the particular model of car and the brand of the automaker.
In the initial announcement of the next-generation CarPlay, Apple said committed automakers were Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Porsche, Renault and Volvo. In addition to the inclusion to the list of Aston Martin, it’s unclear whether this list has been updated since the initial announcement.
Roadside Assistance via Satellite Outside the US
Beginning with iOS 17 the entire iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models come with roadside assistance through satellite technology which allows customers within the U.S. to call AAA for assistance on the road AAA for assistance with their vehicle even when they are not connected to cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.
Apple announced that the feature will be accessible “beginning” in the U.S. So it is likely to expand to other countries beginning in 2024.
RCS Support
Then, in November of 2023, Apple made it clear that the company would be able to support RCS, a cross-platform messaging standard, within the Messages app for the iPhone beginning “later next year,” therefore it is likely to be an iOS 18-specific feature, based on the timeframe.
Support for RCS should bring about the following enhancements to the messaging experience for iPhones or Android devices:
- Video and photos that are higher-resolution
- Audio messages
- Typing indicators
- Take receipts and read them
- Wi-Fi messages among iPhones as well as Android devices
- Better group chats, such as the capability to allow iPhone users to end the conversation with Android users
- Secure encryption as compared to SMS
These new features are available to iPhone-to-iPhone calls using blue bubbles in iMessage and a number of the features are accessible through third-party messaging applications like WhatsApp as well as Telegram. RCS support for the iPhone will expand the capabilities to include green bubbles in The Messages app. Smarter Siri
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman expects iOS 18 to include artificial intelligence generative technology that “should improve how both Siri and the Messages app can field questions and auto-complete sentences.” The report said Apple has also looked into the idea of generative AI features for its other applications across its platforms, such as Apple Music, Pages, Keynote, and Xcode.
The Information reported that Apple plans to include a large model of languages in Siri to allow users to automate complicated tasks This feature will require more interaction with the Shortcuts app. The report stated that this feature is likely to be launched in the form of an iPhone software update that is expected to be released in 2024. This would probably include iOS 18.
Generative AI gained popularity in the latter half of 2022 when OpenAI introduced ChatGPT the chatbot which responds to queries or other requests. Google and Microsoft released similar chatbots earlier in the year, and more companies have entered the market. Chatbots are trained using vast language models, allowing them to behave like humans.
