By Dan Moren

June 5, 2023 2:25 PM PT

The features that didn’t get discussed onstage at WWDC

Apple’s Monday keynote at WWDC was jam-packed as usual, but even at two hours there’s never enough time to cover everything that the company is rolling out in its latest platform updates—especially when you’re updating five major platforms and rolling out a brand new headset.

So, as usual, I’ve perused the product pages for Apple’s latest updates to pull out the details about all the new features coming later this year.

I’ve broken these features down by platform, though as always, many of Apple’s features are available across all its devices. As ever, there may be more to come, but this is the most current list I can find as of this writing.

iOS 17 and iPadOS 17

• iOS 17 drops support for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, as well as the iPhone X.

• iPadOS 17 drops support for the first-generation iPad Pro and the fifth-generation iPad.

• AirDrop’s “finish transfer over the Internet” feature doesn’t arrive until later this year, and requires you both to be logged into iCloud.

• Journal arrives “later this year”.

• Search in Safari has been revamped to be faster and show more relevant results.

• Autofill verification codes via email.

• Passwords and passkeys can be shared with specific groups of people.

• You can now collaborate with playlists in Apple Music, though the feature is listed as coming later this year.

• Apple Maps now lets you pick your preferred EV charging network and see real-time availability.

• Spotlight now offers “app shortcuts” in search results that can, for example, jump you to a specific part of an app. (For example, your Favorites album in Photos.)

• Visual Look Up can now identify recipes of similar dishes in a picture.

• There’s now a popover to look up information about a subject that you’ve pulled out of a photo.

• Visual Look Up now works on a paused video frame as well.

• Communication Safety features now encompasses images and videos transmitted via means beyond Messages, including AirDrop, the systemwide photo picker, FaceTime messages, Contact Posters, and third-party apps.

• Similarly, all users now have an option to blur sensitive images in the above apps before viewing them. As with Communication Safety, this analysis is all done on device.

• Improved privacy protections allow apps to add calendar invites without your seeing your calendar, and only allow apps access to select photos from within

• Lockdown Mode has been expanded and now includes the Apple Watch.

• Apple has added three new Memoji stickers: Halo, Smirk, and Peekaboo.

• Reminders now has a Grocery List feature that automatically sorts items into categories—and remembers if you change the groupings manually.

• Notes now has the ability to link to a connected note.

• Fitness’s Sharing tab has been redesigned to provide highlights.

• You can create a workout or meditation plan in Apple Fitness+.

• Find My now allows you to share AirTag or Find My-enabled accessories with up to five others.

• Apple News+ now includes crossword puzzles, though it’s unclear on from which providers.

• Apple News+ Audio Stories can now be listened to in the Podcasts app.

• Home now offers an Activity History that allows you to see the last 30 days of activity from your security devices, smart locks, contact sensors, and garage doors, including who locked and unlocked a door and when.

• Tap to unlock and PIN codes are now available for Matter-compatible smart locks.

• You can now sign in to your iPhone via any email address or phone number that’s in your account detail, as well as using a nearby device.

• Reminders on the iPad now includes a Column View mode, breaking sections into different columns.

macOS Sonoma

• macOS Sonoma drops support for iMacs before 2019, MacBook Pros before 2018, and all MacBooks.

• A new item in the “full screen” window control allows you to share that window on a video call (including third-party apps like Zoom).

• There are now zoom and pan controls for Studio Display or iPhone cameras via Continuity Camera.

• You can now use the Share button to send a note in Notes into Pages.

• Screen Sharing now includes a high-performance mode that uses the Apple silicon media engine to make remote connections even more responsive.

• Mail now puts travel-related messages at the top of search results when closer to the dates of travel.

• Mail now allows you to add larger emoji to messages.

• You can now move back and forth between typing and dictating without stopping Dictation.

watchOS 10

• Control Center can be accessed from any app by pressing the side button.

• Offline maps can work on Apple Watch within range of its companion iPhone.

• Group FaceTime audio calls now support the Apple Watch.

• The Medications app has an option to send a reminder if a medication hasn’t been logged within 30 minutes; they can be denoted as critical alerts.

• A notification can alert you when you pass a certain altitude.

• FaceTime video messages can be played back on Apple Watch.

• Apple Fitness+ offers Stacks, which let you do several workouts and meditations back to back, and an Audio Focus features that let you choose to emphasize the music or trainers’ voices.

• New Enterprise features allow hands-free communication, the ability to implement mobile device management, VPN configurations, and internal-use apps.

tvOS 17

• A new Enhance Dialogue feature on Apple TV 4K paired with a second-generation HomePod can separate dialogue from background noise and put it on the center channel.

• Apple TVK 4K now supports Dolby Vision 8.1.

• Third-party developers can now create VPN apps for Apple TV.

• Using the Apple TV remote on iPhone to turn on an Apple TV will now automatically set it to that user’s profile.

• User profiles can now save additional settings, including system language and paired AirPods.

[Dan Moren is the East Coast Bureau Chief of Six Colors. You can find him on Mastodon at @dmoren@zeppelin.flights or reach him by email at dan@sixcolors.com. His latest novel, the supernatural detective story All Souls Lost, is out now.]

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