WWDC: Apple introduces the Journal app in iOS 17

Apple introduces the Journal app in iOS 17 #WWDC23  

Customizing the poster works essentially like creating a new wallpaper in iOS 16. Developers can take advantage of these new contact posters thanks to CallKit.

In other phone news, Apple is rolling out live voicemails with iOS 17. You can see a live transcription in real time as the person is speaking to your voicemail. While Apple pitches this as a way to discretely look at your phone while you’re in a meeting, many people will also use it for unknown callers.

Voicemails are also coming to FaceTime. Users will be able to leave a video message if you don’t pick up the phone. Messages now features search features, an arrow to jump to the first unread message in a conversation, easier inline replies with a swipe gesture, inline location sharing, and a new Stickers experience. iMessage apps and the camera have now been moved to a new plus button.

Check In is a new feature that gives updates on your location to let family or friends know when you get home safely. If you’re delayed, it can recognize that and check in with you. If you don’t respond, it can share an alert with friends, sharing location, battery, and cell service status.

Users can AirDrop content by bringing their iPhones close together and transfers can now occur in the background. It is also now possible to swap numbers with someone new via “NameDrop,” enabling users to share contact information when phones are brought close together.

There are updates to keyboard and dictation, bringing improvements to autocorrect via a new “transformer” language model and sentence-level correction. There are updates to keyboard and dictation, bringing improvements to autocorrect via a new “transformer” language model and sentence-level correction.

‌iOS 17‌ also introduces a new “Journal” app. The app sources new memories using people, places, activity, music, and photos that users can add to daily journal entries. Users can set reminders to remember to write a daily entry. Journal comes to ‌iPhone‌ later this year.

A new mode called “Standby” provides a view for displaying the time, widgets, and other information when the ‌iPhone‌ is horizontal.

Users can now simply say “Siri” instead of “Hey ‌Siri‌,” and ‌Siri‌ will understand follow-up commands that do not include the trigger word.

Announced today during WWDC, Apple revealed that users will soon be able to leave video voicemails via FaceTime. This long awaited feature makes the user experience more seamless if you try to FaceTime a friend and they don’t pick up, yet you still want to leave a message. Apple is also adding a feature that will do live transcription while contacts are leaving you voicemails. Similar to existing features on Google devices, the live transcription of the voicemail will appear on your home screen, and if you decide you want to pick up in the middle of the voicemail, you can.

Autocorrect:

Keyboard now leverages “transformer language model” to improve predictions

Keyboard can learn what you really mean by “ducking” … ffff

Predictions personalized by your words and usage

Dictation upgrade

AirDrop:

NameDrop is a new way to share phone number and email sharing between nearby iPhones

Sharing media is also redesigned, and long media transfers can continue over the internet

SharePlay API adding AirDrop integration

On a cosmetic level, users can create “posters” for their contacts, which gives each individual their own custom screen that appears when you have an incoming call from them. Like the lock screen customization options currently available on iOS, you can choose an image, font and font color to represent each of your friends and family. This contact poster also appears as part of that person’s contact card on your phone, and will also appear when receiving live transcriptions of voicemails on your home screen.