Apple Expected to Release iOS 17.4 This Week With These New Features

App Store Changes in EU

To comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, Apple announced major changes to the App Store, Apple Pay, Safari, and more. These changes will be implemented with iOS 17.4 for iPhone users who reside in the 27 countries that belong to the EU.

First and foremost, Apple now allows alternative app marketplaces and alternative payment options on the App Store in the EU. Other changes in the EU include a new default web browser selection screen in Safari, the ability for third-party web browsers to use web engines other than Apple's WebKit on the iPhone, the ability for third-party mobile wallet apps to access the iPhone's NFC chip for contactless payment functionality, and more.

For more details, read our recap of all of the EU changes in iOS 17.4 and Apple's overview.

Apple Podcasts Transcripts

Starting with iOS 17.4, the Apple Podcasts app now offers transcripts for podcasts, allowing listeners to read the full text of an episode, search for a specific word or phrase, and tap on the text to jump to a certain part of the episode. As an episode plays, each word is highlighted, similar to Apple Music song lyrics.

Apple says it automatically generates transcripts after a new episode is published. Transcripts are available for podcasts in English, French, German, and Spanish, and they will be added for older episodes in a podcast's catalog over time.

iMessage Security Upgrade

Apple recently announced a new post-quantum cryptographic protocol for iMessage called PQ3. Apple says this "groundbreaking" and "state-of-the-art" protocol provides "extensive defenses against even highly sophisticated quantum attacks."

iMessage already supports end-to-end encryption, but security researchers recognize that existing cryptographic protocols used by messaging apps rely on mathematical problems that could potentially be solved by future quantum computers. While these computers do not exist yet, Apple is preparing for the future with PQ3's new protections.

PQ3 will be gradually rolling out for supported iMessage conversations starting with iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, macOS 14.4, and watchOS 10.4, according to Apple, and the company says it will fully replace iMessage's existing cryptography protocol within all supported conversations starting later this year. All devices in an iMessage conversation must be updated to the above-mentioned software versions or later to be eligible.