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Apple released the third iOS 17.1 developer and public betas for the iPhone last week, about three weeks after the release of iOS 17. This beta brings a few new features and bug fixes to the iPhones of developers and other beta testers who want to see what's coming in future iOS releases.
We recommend downloading a beta only on something other than your primary device. Since this is a beta version of iOS 17.1, these features might be buggy and battery life may be short, and it's best to keep that on a secondary device.
If you're a developer or public beta tester, here are some of the new features you can find in iOS 17.1 beta 3. Note that the beta is still ongoing, so these might not be the only new features to land on your iPhone when iOS 17.1 is released. There's no word on the public release for iOS 17.1 just yet.
iPhone 12 radio frequency concerns addressed
The National Frequency Agency in France said on Sept. 12 that the iPhone 12 exceeds European-specific absorption rate limits, and it appears Apple will address those concerns with iOS 17.1.
"iOS 17.1 includes an update for iPhone 12 for users in France to accommodate this specific test protocol that requires reduced power when off-body on a static surface," Apple posted Tuesday. "iPhone 12 will no longer increase the allowed power when the off-body state is detected, such as while it is sitting on a table."
New StandBy mode settings
StandBy mode is one of my favorite new iOS features, and in iOS 17.1 beta 2, Apple gives StandBy mode more setting options. With iOS 17.1 beta 2, you have the option to turn StandBy mode off after 20 seconds, never or "Automatically." Apple writes that if you choose Automatically, the display will turn off when your iPhone is not in use and the room is dark, like when you're sleeping at night.
However, I checked these settings on my iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone XR and only found these options on my iPhone 14 Pro. This makes me think the new settings will only be available on iPhones with an always-on display.
Apple Music upgrades
In iOS 17.1 beta 1, Apple added a new button in Apple Music that allows you to quickly find Favorite songs. When a song is playing and you're looking at its card on your iPhone, there's a star outline near the song's title. You can tap this star to add the song to your Favorites.
Apple Music makes it easy to find your Favorited content.
There's also a new way to find all your Favorited playlists, albums and songs. To find them, go into the corresponding category in Apple Music, tap the button in the top-right corner of your screen, and tap Favorited.
Apple Music also shows you song suggestions in iOS 17.1 beta 1. To see them, go into any of your playlists and scroll to the bottom of the playlist to see a section called Song Suggestions. These are songs that the app thinks you might like based on your musical tastes.
AirDrop using cellular data
With iOS 17, Apple upgraded AirDrop with NameDrop, which allows two devices to tap each other and exchange contact information -- kind of like exchanging digital business cards. And in the first iOS 17.1 beta, Apple now lets you use cellular data to send and receive information over AirDrop when two iPhones are out of range of each other.
Flashlight symbol in Live Activities
Have you ever accidentally switched on your iPhone's flashlight and had someone point it out to you later? Some iPhone users won't have to worry about that anymore. In iOS 17.1 beta 1, when you turn on your flashlight, a little flashlight symbol appears in the Live Activities feed across the top of the screen of my iPhone 14 Pro. However, I couldn't replicate this symbol on my iPhone XR, so this feature likely only works on Live Activity-enabled iPhones, like the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 15 lineup.
New ringtones are back
On the left are the new ringtones in iOS 17 and on the right are the older ringtones.
When Apple released iOS 17, it included all-new ringtones and text tones. Apple then removed those sounds with iOS 17.1 beta 1, but the ringtones and text tones appear to be back with iOS 17.1 beta 2. You can still find all the older sounds under Classic on the Ringtone and Text Tone setting pages.
Those are some of the major new features developers and beta testers will see in the third iOS 17.1 beta. That doesn't mean these are the only features coming to the next iOS update, or that these changes will stick when iOS 17.1 is released to the public.
For more, check out my review of iOS 17 and CNET's iOS 17 cheat sheet.