Things I’m Looking Forward to in iOS 17, macOS Sonoma, and tvOS

When Apple announces new versions of macOS and iOS (and to a limited degree, tvOS), I always get interested or curious about features, but often forget them by the time the upgrade is actually pushed out into the world.

So I’m blogging my list of things I’m looking forward to:

• Reminders app can sort grocery lists into categories
• FaceTime supports both audio and video messages, so if you don't pick up a call, the person on the other end can leave a video recording for you or an audio message.
• An iPhone or iPad can now link to the Apple TV 4K for FaceTime on the TV. Using Continuity Camera, an iOS device serves as the camera for a FaceTime call, but the video is displayed on the larger screen of the TV. It supports Center Stage framing and all other FaceTime features, including Handoff, for transferring calls between an iOS device and the TV.
• Search in Messages supports search filters for finding exactly what you're looking for.
• If you have trouble keeping up in group chats or with a person who sends a lot of messages, the catch-up arrow lets you know exactly where you left off so you can see what's unread.
• If you send an audio message, it's now transcribed automatically so it can be read right then.
• FaceTime being available on Apple TV will be a game changer if Apple can get more Apple TVs into homes. Unfortunately it seems that only second-generation Apple TV 4K boxes will support this feature which will lead to a lot of “Oh shoot… I guess it won’t work.” for families who try to use this feature, only to realize they need to spend another $179CAD in order to do it, at which point they’ll likely give up and go back to their iPhone screen.
• Interactive widgets on Home Screen and Lock Screen is nice to be able to quickly check off to do items, or turn on / off lights in Home.
• Location sharing in Messages is simpler and when a user shares a location, it's updated in real time in the conversation.
• When you're not using your iPhone, you can put it horizontally on a charger to activate StandBy mode, a full-screen display with information you can see at a glance.
• Passwords and passkeys can be shared with other people through a Family Sharing feature available in the Passwords app.
• Apple Music supports Collaborative Playlists for listening to music with friends, and thanks to SharePlay in the car, passengers can add songs to what's playing through CarPlay even without an Apple Music subscription. Having only used CarPlay in a rental vehicle, and parents with it in newer vehicles, it’s a game changer for how easy it is to use your iPhone on the road. It’s a motivating factor for me in wanting to upgrade my vehicle - definitely not a GM vehicle.
• You're now able to download offline maps for select regions, so you can access turn-by-turn navigation, estimated time of arrival, and nearby locations even with no signal.
• In Notes, you're able to create links between notes so related notes can be interlinked.
• The Mail app supports automatic filling of verification codes just like Messages. Nice simple feature that helps lock you in to using Mail or Messages.