Apple released iOS 17 beta 6 to developers and public beta testers on Thursday and, unsurprisingly, there’s not much new in this update. Since we’re only a month away from the official release of iOS 17, Apple engineers are probably focused on fixing major bugs before the official release. But today’s beta comes with two important changes for a lot of users.
The End Call button saga may have come to an end
You may remember that since the first beta of iOS 17, Apple has made some changes to the Phone app. In addition to NameDrop and Contact Poster, the interface displayed during a phone call has been slightly redesigned. And this interface change was quite controversial because of a button.
More specifically, Apple changed where the “End Call” button is located, which tricked a bunch of people’s muscle memory. As reported by my colleague Chance Miller, the button that was previously centered at the bottom of the screen has been moved to the lower right corner of the interface.
As a result, people were mistakenly hitting the Keypad button or even FaceTime when trying to end a call. But it seems Apple has heard the bad backlash to this move. With iOS 17 beta 6, the End Call button has been moved back to the center of the screen. Luckily, people won’t hit the wrong button again.
iOS 16 | iOS 17 beta 5 | iOS 17 beta 6
Sending photos in iMessage
The other important change is related to Messages. With iOS 17, the Messages app is getting a bunch of new features, such as Live Stickers, audio message transcription, and Swipe to Reply. Apple has also redesigned how users interact with iMessage apps.
The iMessage app list is now hidden under a “+” button that expands when you tap it. But the problem is, Apple has also hidden the Camera and Photos button under that menu, making it harder to access such features that previously had their own dedicated shortcut. As a result, sending a photo to someone in iMessage now requires a few extra taps.
While the interface remains the same in today’s beta, Apple has added a discreet but great shortcut. If you tap and hold the “+” button, iMessage will automatically show the Photo Picker. It’s still not as convenient as before, but it’s better than nothing.
More about iOS 17 beta
According to Apple, all the new software will be released to the public this fall. Rumors suggest that Apple’s event will take place in the third week of September, so that’s probably when Apple will confirm when iOS 17 will become available to everyone. In the meantime, follow our coverage to stay up-to-date on the latest.
Did you find anything else new in today’s betas? Let us know in the comments section below or tell us through our social media, @9to5Mac.
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