Apple today seeded the third public beta of its upcoming iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1 updates to developers and public beta testers. The new betas come one week after the second betas.
The developer beta builds are available to developers who opt into the betas by going to “Settings” -> “Software Update,” then tapping on the “Beta Updates” option and turning on the iOS 17 Developer Beta. An Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s beta testing program can download the iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1 updates by opening the Settings app, going to “General,” tapping on the “Software Update” section and turning on the iOS 17 Public Beta option.
The 17.1 update brings several new features that didn’t make it into the initial iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 releases.
The update brings a few changes to the iPhone Wallet app and the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, as well as changes to the Apple Wallet app for Discover card users.
The Action Button
The update changes the functionality of the Action Button a bit, preventing certain actions from being triggered while the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max is in a pocket or bag. The update blocks the Focus, Magnifiers, Flashlight, Camera, and Voice Memo functions from activating when the Action Button is pressed when the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max is in a pocket or bag.
Actions such as the Mute function can still be activated while the devices are inside of a pocket with a long press of the Action Button.
iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max users complained that iOS 17 and the earlier betas of iOS 17.1 allowed the above Action Buttons to be inadvertently activated, causing inadvertent photos or recording, while also draining the iPhone’s battery.
Apple Wallet and Discover Cards
The iOS 17.1 beta 3 also allows U.S. Discover card users who have added their cards to their Apple Wallet to view their transaction history and total card balance on their iPhones.
Both features were added to the Wallet app as part of the Connected Cards feature. If users tap on a listed transaction the Discover app or website will load, where users can view more information. This feature is currently a Discover card-only feature, as Apple must work with each U.S. credit card provider or bank individually to implement support.
While some credit cards have supported full transaction history in the past (American Express comes to mind), the total credit card balance has not been available.
As usual, MacTrast and Apple both warn users to not install any betas on their daily driver iPhone or iPad. Instead, only install betas on a device set aside for testing purposes.
