7 apps that take advantage of iOS 17's best new features


12 min read 01-11-2024
7 apps that take advantage of iOS 17's best new features

7 Apps That Take Advantage of iOS 17's Best New Features

Apple's iOS 17 is packed with exciting new features, but some apps are already making the most of them. These apps are taking advantage of iOS 17's best new features, giving you even more reasons to upgrade. Whether you're a productivity buff, a social media enthusiast, or a casual user, these apps will elevate your iOS experience.

1. Spark Mail: A New Dimension to Email Communication

Spark Mail is a popular email app that has always focused on efficiency and customization. With iOS 17, Spark Mail has taken its game to a whole new level, utilizing some of the most notable new features to streamline your email workflow and enhance your communication experience.

Spotlight on the New Features:

  • Standout with Personalized Contacts: Spark Mail now integrates with the new contact cards feature in iOS 17, enabling you to easily personalize your contacts with unique information. Imagine adding a personal note, a memorable photo, or even a preferred communication method for each contact. This level of detail makes your communication more personal and efficient, especially when you're reaching out to people you don't interact with frequently.
  • Voice Over for Email: If you rely heavily on voice-based interaction, Spark Mail is a game-changer. The app leverages iOS 17's built-in Voice Over feature to read out your emails, making it effortless to catch up on your inbox, even on the go. It's like having a personal assistant reading your emails aloud, freeing your eyes for other tasks.
  • Stay Focused with Email Filtering: With the advanced filtering capabilities of iOS 17, Spark Mail becomes your ultimate email organizer. You can now create custom filters based on specific criteria, effortlessly sorting through your emails and managing your inbox more effectively. Whether you want to prioritize emails from specific senders, categorize emails based on their content, or group emails with shared attachments, the new filtering system makes your email management a breeze.

Why This Makes a Difference:

Imagine a scenario where you're trying to find an important email from a particular client. With iOS 17's contact cards, you can instantly access their details, including their email address, within Spark Mail. This eliminates the need to manually search through your contacts or your email history, saving you precious time.

Additionally, the Voice Over feature in Spark Mail unlocks a world of possibilities for visually impaired users, enabling them to stay connected without needing to rely on visual interfaces. This is a powerful example of how iOS 17's accessibility features can significantly impact the lives of many users.

By leveraging the new features of iOS 17, Spark Mail has transformed from a mere email app into a powerful communication tool that empowers you to manage your inbox with unparalleled efficiency and personalize your interactions with contacts.

2. Fantastical: Your Calendar Just Got an Upgrade

Fantastical, a beloved calendar app known for its intuitive interface and powerful features, has also embraced the advancements of iOS 17. The app seamlessly integrates the new features, enhancing your scheduling experience and making it easier to keep track of your busy life.

Spotlight on the New Features:

  • Visual Calendar Integration: The integration with iOS 17's redesigned calendar app is one of Fantastical's most significant improvements. The new interface is visually appealing, making it a joy to navigate. You can quickly visualize your schedule, effortlessly switching between views like day, week, and month.
  • Effortless Event Creation: Fantastical takes full advantage of iOS 17's improved natural language processing. You can now create events with ease using simple, natural language commands. Say something like, "Add a meeting with John tomorrow at 2 pm," and Fantastical will understand and automatically create the event in your calendar.
  • Enhanced Focus Modes: Fantastical leverages the new Focus Modes in iOS 17 to help you stay on top of your schedule. You can now set up specific Focus Modes for different parts of your day, like "Work" or "Relax." When a Focus Mode is active, Fantastical will only show relevant events, ensuring you don't get distracted by irrelevant notifications.

Why This Makes a Difference:

Imagine having a calendar app that effortlessly understands your schedule and lets you manage it with a few simple commands. Fantastical's integration with iOS 17's natural language processing makes this dream a reality. With the intuitive interface, you can create events, set reminders, and manage your schedule seamlessly, all within a visually engaging calendar app.

Moreover, the enhanced Focus Modes in Fantastical help you stay focused and productive. Imagine effortlessly switching between your work schedule and your personal schedule, ensuring you don't miss any important events while staying focused on the task at hand.

By incorporating iOS 17's best new features, Fantastical has become an indispensable tool for anyone looking to stay organized and manage their time effectively.

3. Notion: A Unified Workspace with Enhanced Capabilities

Notion, a popular all-in-one workspace app, is renowned for its ability to organize your thoughts, tasks, and projects in a central location. With iOS 17, Notion has taken its functionality to new heights, leveraging new features to enhance collaboration, productivity, and overall workflow.

Spotlight on the New Features:

  • Collaborative Power of SharePlay: Notion has embraced iOS 17's SharePlay feature, enabling you to co-create and collaborate on projects with others in real-time. Imagine working on a document, brainstorming ideas, or planning a project with your team, all while being in sync, regardless of your physical location.
  • Improved Voice Recording and Transcription: Notion takes advantage of iOS 17's enhanced audio recording capabilities. You can now effortlessly record audio notes and have them transcribed into text, making it easier to capture and organize ideas on the fly. The improved audio quality and transcription accuracy streamline your workflow and ensure you never miss a crucial idea.
  • Enhanced Focus Modes for Enhanced Productivity: Notion's integration with iOS 17's Focus Modes helps you create dedicated spaces for work, allowing you to focus on specific tasks. When you're in "Work Mode," you'll only see relevant Notion pages and projects, eliminating distractions and ensuring you maintain your concentration.

Why This Makes a Difference:

Imagine a scenario where you're collaborating on a project with colleagues across different time zones. With SharePlay, you can all work together in real-time on a Notion document, seamlessly sharing ideas and making edits, regardless of where you are. This fosters a collaborative environment, making it easier to bring projects to life.

Moreover, the improved voice recording and transcription features in Notion streamline your workflow. Imagine capturing a brilliant idea during a brainstorming session or recording a meeting effortlessly. The audio transcription feature allows you to quickly convert these audio recordings into searchable text, making it easy to reference key information later.

By embracing iOS 17's new features, Notion has elevated its position as a premier workspace app. It's now a powerful platform for individuals and teams to collaborate, brainstorm, and manage projects with unparalleled efficiency and clarity.

4. Bear: A Note-Taking App with a New Perspective

Bear, a popular note-taking app known for its simplicity and versatility, has embraced iOS 17's new features, transforming the note-taking experience and making it more intuitive and powerful than ever before.

Spotlight on the New Features:

  • Improved Natural Language Processing: Bear leverages iOS 17's enhanced natural language processing, making it easier to organize your notes and find information quickly. You can now use simple commands to create new notes, categorize them, and search for specific content within your notes.
  • Seamless Integration with Siri Shortcuts: Bear integrates seamlessly with Siri Shortcuts, allowing you to quickly create notes, add reminders, and access your notes with voice commands. Imagine dictating a note to Bear while driving or using your phone with one hand. Siri Shortcuts make it incredibly convenient to capture your thoughts and ideas on the go.
  • Enhanced Accessibility with Voice Over: Bear utilizes iOS 17's enhanced Voice Over feature, ensuring that users with visual impairments can access and manage their notes with ease. Voice Over reads out the content of your notes, making it possible to create, edit, and organize notes without relying on visual interfaces.

Why This Makes a Difference:

Imagine creating a note in Bear and using natural language commands to tag it with relevant keywords. Later, when you're searching for that note, Bear's improved natural language processing will understand your query and instantly return the relevant note, making it a breeze to find the information you need.

Furthermore, the seamless integration with Siri Shortcuts transforms your note-taking experience. Imagine creating a quick grocery list while on your way to the supermarket or dictating a note while driving. These effortless actions are now possible thanks to Bear's integration with Siri Shortcuts, making note-taking more efficient and convenient than ever before.

By embracing iOS 17's new features, Bear has become a more intuitive and powerful note-taking app, empowering users to capture their ideas and thoughts effortlessly, organize them efficiently, and access them with ease.

5. Todoist: A Productivity Powerhouse with Enhanced Focus

Todoist, a popular to-do list app that helps you stay organized and focused, has leveraged iOS 17's new features to make it even easier to manage your tasks and projects.

Spotlight on the New Features:

  • Personalized Focus Modes: Todoist has integrated seamlessly with iOS 17's Focus Modes, enabling you to create dedicated workspaces for different parts of your day. You can now create a "Work Mode" to focus on your professional tasks, a "Personal Mode" for your personal projects, or a "Relax Mode" to unwind and clear your head.
  • Smart Suggestions for Improved Efficiency: Todoist uses iOS 17's advanced algorithms to provide intelligent suggestions for your tasks. It can suggest deadlines, priorities, and even propose tasks based on your past activities and patterns. This proactive assistance ensures you're always on top of your to-do list and never miss an important deadline.
  • Enhanced Search Functionality: Todoist leverages the new search capabilities in iOS 17 to make it easier to find the information you need within your to-do lists. The improved search functionality can understand natural language queries, allowing you to quickly find specific tasks, projects, or notes within your Todoist workspace.

Why This Makes a Difference:

Imagine having a to-do list app that automatically suggests deadlines based on your previous project completion times. Todoist's smart suggestions, powered by iOS 17's advanced algorithms, make this a reality, ensuring you're always on schedule and never miss an important deadline.

Furthermore, the personalized Focus Modes in Todoist provide a distraction-free environment for different parts of your day. You can now focus on your work without being interrupted by personal reminders or vice versa. This helps you maintain focus and increase productivity.

By embracing iOS 17's new features, Todoist has become a more intelligent and efficient productivity tool, empowering you to manage your tasks and projects with greater ease, focus, and effectiveness.

6. Pocket: A Content Curation App with New Dimensions

Pocket is a popular app that allows you to save articles, videos, and other content for later reading or viewing. With iOS 17, Pocket has embraced new features that enhance its functionality and make it easier to manage your curated content.

Spotlight on the New Features:

  • Improved Content Organization: Pocket leverages iOS 17's improved organization features to help you categorize and manage your saved content more effectively. You can now create custom folders to organize your articles, videos, and other content based on your interests, making it easier to find the information you need.
  • Enhanced Search Functionality: Pocket takes advantage of iOS 17's enhanced search capabilities, making it easier to find specific content within your saved articles and videos. The improved search functionality understands natural language queries, allowing you to quickly find the information you're looking for, regardless of how you phrase your search.
  • Seamless Integration with Siri Shortcuts: Pocket integrates seamlessly with Siri Shortcuts, allowing you to quickly save content, organize your saved items, and even access your saved content with voice commands. Imagine saving an article to Pocket while driving or adding a video to your watchlist while cooking. Siri Shortcuts make it incredibly convenient to manage your curated content on the go.

Why This Makes a Difference:

Imagine having a curated library of articles and videos that you can easily browse and organize based on your interests. With iOS 17's improved organization features, Pocket makes this possible. You can now create custom folders to group articles, videos, and other content related to specific topics, making it easier to find the information you need.

Furthermore, the enhanced search functionality in Pocket makes it effortless to find specific content within your saved articles and videos. The improved search engine understands natural language queries, allowing you to quickly find the information you're looking for, regardless of how you phrase your search.

By embracing iOS 17's new features, Pocket has become a more powerful content curation app, empowering users to manage their saved content with greater ease, organize it efficiently, and find the information they need with minimal effort.

7. Overcast: A Podcast App with a New Level of Control

Overcast, a popular podcast app renowned for its audio quality and customizable features, has leveraged iOS 17's new features to enhance the podcast listening experience, making it more engaging and personalized.

Spotlight on the New Features:

  • Enhanced Audio Quality: Overcast takes advantage of iOS 17's enhanced audio processing capabilities to provide a richer and more immersive listening experience. The improved audio quality makes it easier to understand spoken dialogue, enjoy the subtle nuances of music, and appreciate the full depth of audio effects.
  • Improved Voice Recognition: Overcast uses iOS 17's advanced voice recognition technology to make it easier to navigate your podcast library and control playback. You can now use voice commands to play, pause, skip ahead, rewind, and even search for specific podcasts within your library.
  • Seamless Integration with AirPods: Overcast has seamlessly integrated with Apple's AirPods, leveraging the new features of iOS 17 to provide a more intuitive and personalized listening experience. You can now use a single tap on your AirPods to play, pause, or skip ahead, making it easier than ever to control your podcast playback.

Why This Makes a Difference:

Imagine listening to a podcast with crystal-clear audio quality, making it easier to understand every word and appreciate every subtle nuance. Overcast's enhanced audio quality, powered by iOS 17's advanced audio processing, makes this possible, providing a richer and more immersive listening experience.

Moreover, the improved voice recognition in Overcast makes it effortless to control your podcast playback. You can now use voice commands to navigate your library, play, pause, skip ahead, or rewind, making it easier than ever to enjoy your favorite podcasts hands-free.

By embracing iOS 17's new features, Overcast has become a more immersive and personalized podcast app, providing a richer listening experience, enhancing control, and making it easier to navigate your podcast library.

Conclusion

These seven apps are just a glimpse into the exciting world of apps that are taking advantage of iOS 17's best new features. Whether you're a productivity enthusiast, a social media aficionado, or a casual user, there are numerous apps waiting to be discovered that will enhance your iOS experience. So, explore these apps, discover their potential, and unlock a world of possibilities with iOS 17.

FAQs

1. What are some of the key new features in iOS 17?

iOS 17 introduces a wide range of new features, including enhanced contact cards, improved natural language processing, SharePlay, Focus Modes, Voice Over, and more. These features aim to improve communication, productivity, accessibility, and overall user experience.

2. How do I update to iOS 17?

You can update to iOS 17 by going to "Settings" on your iPhone, selecting "General," and then tapping on "Software Update." If an update is available, you can download and install it.

3. Are all of these apps compatible with iOS 17?

Yes, all of the apps mentioned in this article are compatible with iOS 17. They have been updated to take advantage of the latest features and offer an enhanced experience for users.

4. What are some other apps that are using iOS 17's new features?

Besides the apps listed in this article, many other apps have also been updated to leverage iOS 17's features. Some notable examples include Instagram, WhatsApp, Google Maps, and Spotify.

5. Are these apps free to download and use?

Some of the apps mentioned in this article are free, while others offer both free and paid versions. It's recommended to check the app details in the App Store to understand their pricing and subscription models.

6. How can I stay updated on new app releases and updates?

You can stay updated on new app releases and updates by subscribing to the App Store's "New Apps" section or checking out the "Today" tab in the App Store. You can also follow your favorite app developers on social media for the latest news and announcements.