
iOS 17 marks the primary replace the place I skipped the beta. As a substitute, I waited patiently for the general public iOS 17 launch to reach. I up to date the software program on my iPhone 14 Professional on Monday, like thousands and thousands of eligible iPhone homeowners should have accomplished. At first sight, iOS 17 seems to be lots like its predecessor. There’s nothing spectacular about it, and possibly that’s a superb factor. Perhaps iOS 17 would be the extra steady and dependable iOS launch I’ve been ready for.
That mentioned, I don’t essentially need to use each function in iOS 17, a few of that are turned on by default. Equally, I do need to reap the benefits of a number of different new iOS 17 options that is perhaps turned off by default. In what follows, I’ll present you the six iOS 17 settings I switched on or off as quickly as I accomplished the iOS 17 set up course of.
Contact Posters
I don’t like Contact Posters, which we’ll all begin seeing iPhone shows as soon as extra iPhone customers begin profiting from the function. To me, it’s an pointless use of iPhone display screen actual property. And I don’t admire the inventive worth of it both.
Subsequently, I knew going into iOS 17 that I might disable Contact Posters. If you wish to accomplish that as effectively, go to the Contacts app, faucet Contact Picture & Poster, and deactivate it.
Subsequent time you name one other iOS 17 person, they received’t see your Contact Poster. Nonetheless, there’s no setting for blocking different individuals’s Contact Posters.
I understand that I is perhaps within the minority right here, and lots of will love the function. If you happen to’re amongst them, use the menus above to customise your look for calls as an alternative.
StandBy
I’m additionally within the minority in relation to the brand new StandBy function that turns the iPhone into a wise show whereas it’s docked and charging in a horizontal place. The function works with wired and wi-fi chargers so long as you set the handset in a horizontal place.
StandBy is turned on by default in iOS 17, however Apple positioned a brand new StandBy menu within the Settings app. Apparently, StandBy is much larger within the listing of settings than I anticipated, above Battery and Digital camera. Use the menu above to disable it when you don’t have any want for it. The identical menu gives you further choices for customizing StandBy as effectively.

If you wish to use StandBy, take a look at the listing of iPhone apps that can work with the brand new show function.
Display screen Distance
One of many new well being options that Apple constructed into iOS 17 known as Display screen Distance. It primarily does what the title implies. It ensures that you simply maintain your telephone at a protected distance out of your eyes, with the Face ID sensors answerable for measuring that distance.
Display screen Distance isn’t turned on by default, nonetheless. Go to Settings, Display screen Time, after which Display screen Distance to toggle it on.

As soon as that’s accomplished, iOS 17 ought to present a brand new splash display screen informing you that the iPhone is just too near your eyes when it detects an unsafe display screen distance.
I’ll additionally level out that when you maintain seeing the pop-ups, the function is perhaps helpful for you. And also you would possibly need to think about organising an appointment with a watch physician.
Password-protected personal looking in Safari
I’ve been utilizing Safari in personal looking mode on my iPhone for years. I don’t know precisely after I made the swap, however I by no means went again to common looking. The purpose is that I need to restrict monitoring as a lot as potential, and Apple’s Safari helps me try this.
iOS 17 provides one other helpful privateness function to Safari. You may password-protect your personal looking by going to the Settings app, tapping Safari, and enabling Require Face ID to Unlock Personal Shopping.

This provides one other safety layer to your knowledge, particularly if the iPhone falls into the mistaken palms. You’ll in all probability get a pop-up in Safari as quickly as you improve to iOS 17 in regards to the function. That’s what induced me to show it on straight away.
Delicate Content material Warning
iOS 17 additionally consists of one other helpful privateness function that you simply’ would possibly’ll hopefully by no means want. I’m placing it on this listing of iOS 17 settings because it’s one thing it is best to think about when you let kids use your iPhone. Or allow it on their gadgets after they improve to iOS 17.
Delicate Content material Warning is a brand new setting within the Privateness & Safety menu of the Settings app. Flip it on, and the iPhone will detect express photographs and movies earlier than you possibly can view them. It additionally provides the person steering earlier than they click on via to see the content material.
The function works in numerous Apple apps, together with AirDrop, Contacts, Messages, and Video Messages. You may’t add different apps to the listing, nonetheless.
“Hey Siri” for me, thanks very a lot
This one isn’t as massive of a deal, or it shouldn’t be for most individuals. iOS 17 now permits you to use “Siri” as an alternative of the outdated “Hey Siri” immediate to invoke the digital assistant.
However since I’m already educated on the outdated appellative, and particularly since I’m recognized to criticize Siri when speaking to others in actual life, I made a decision to have Siri wake on my iPhone 14 Professional solely after I say, “Hey Siri.” By default, iOS 17 permits you to use each prompts.

Go to Settings, Siri & Search, and faucet the Pay attention for menu to decide on how you can invoke the assistant. If you happen to discover that you simply’re invoking Siri by accident too typically, you may additionally need to go to the identical settings menu to delete your dictation recordings from Apple’s servers.
I’ll in all probability swap to “Siri” sooner or later as soon as Apple makes it extra helpful.