iOS 17.4 is here: 5 new features coming to iPhone, including Apple Cash update

iPhone users are getting new emojis and more.
By Kimberly Gedeon  on 
iOS 17
Credit: Shuttershock / Rafapress

The new iOS 17.4 update is officially here. Expect a gaggle of new emojis, tweaks to Apple Podcasts, and more.

Curious about the eye-catching new features that will grace your iPhone? Check out the top five perks coming your way via iOS 17.4.

iOS 17.4 update: 5 new features coming to your iPhone

Your can update your phone by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update. Without further ado, here are the new features coming to your iOS device.

1. New emojis

As we mentioned in January, Apple is adding 118 new emojis to its colorful catalog of characters.

Six new emojis for iOS 17.4
Six new emojis coming to the iOS 17.4 update Credit: Emojipedia

Six of them are brand-spankin' new concepts, including two head-shaking emojis for yes and no gestures, a slice of lime, a mushroom, a broken chain, and a fiery phoenix.

2. Apple Podcasts tweaks

With iOS 17.4, Apple Podcasts now has transcripts in the following four languages: English, French, German and Spanish.

Apple Podcasts
Credit: Apple

"Transcripts offer full text display for each episode, making podcasts more accessible and immersive than ever before," Apple said in a press release. "Episode text can be read in full, searched for a word or phrase, tapped to play from a specific point and built around accessibility."

3. Siri can announce messages in any supported language

Siri promo poster
Credit: Apple

Continuing the trend of language expansion on iOS 17.4, Siri is getting an update that now lets users listen to messages from the virtual assistant in any supported language.

4. New 'Battery Health' info

On iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models, you can see the battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use under "Battery Health" via the Settings app.

5. Use Apple Cash for merchants without Apple Pay

Apple Cash on iPhone
Credit: Apple

If you're dealing with a merchant that doesn't accept Apple Pay (ahem, I'm looking at you Walmart), you can use your Apple Cash virtual card number by typing in the number from Wallet or via Safari AutoFill.

6. Apple Music Playlists update

According to Apple, after updating your iPhone to iOS 17.4, you should have the option to add songs to Apple Music Playlists, Library, and Apple Music Classical after identifying them via music recognition.

The new iOS 17.4 update is available now for users with an iPhone XS or newer.

Topics iOS

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Kimberly Gedeon
East Coast Tech Editor

Kimberly Gedeon is a tech explorer who enjoys doing deep dives into the most popular gadgets, from the latest iPhones to the most immersive VR headsets. She's drawn to strange, avant-garde, bizarre tech, whether it's a 3D laptop, a gaming rig that can transform into a briefcase, or smart glasses that can capture video. Her journalism career kicked off about a decade ago at MadameNoire where she covered tech and business before landing as a tech editor at Laptop Mag in 2020.


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