What's New in Apple's iOS 17.2 Beta?

In a significant step forward, Apple has launched the iOS & iPadOS 17.2 beta SDK, providing support for the development of apps for iPhone and iPad running the latest beta version. The SDK is bundled with Xcode 15.1, which is available from the Mac App Store.

iMessage Contact Key Verification

One of the standout features in the new update is the iMessage Contact Key Verification. This feature allows users to verify that they are messaging only with the people they intend to.

It uses Key Transparency to enable automatic verification of the iMessage key distribution service, returning device keys logged to a verifiable and auditable map. Users will be notified about any validation errors directly in the Messages conversation transcript and Apple ID Settings.

This feature requires all devices signed into your iCloud account to be on the minimum supported version of iOS 17.2 Beta, macOS 17.2 Beta, or watchOS 17.2 Beta.

Journaling Suggestions API

The update also introduces the Journaling Suggestions API, which provides a visual picker interface for iPhone apps. The picker displays personal Moments that occur in someone's life, such as workouts and exercise, places they visit, trips they take, people they connect with, photo memory highlights, Photos in their library, and songs or podcasts they listen to.

StoreKit Enhancements

StoreKit has also seen improvements with new pricing properties like price and currency. Code now available on Transaction. Additionally, if an offer was applied to the transaction, a new property offer is available to see information about it.

SwiftUI Debugging

SwiftUI now allows developers to use _logChanges() to log causes of SwiftUI view updates. This new debugging method uses the system console, which is useful in some debugging workflows.

Resolved Issues and Known Issues

Several issues have been resolved in this update, including a problem where certain Android devices might not be able to connect to iPhone Personal Hotspot due to an issue with older Android network stack code.

However, the update also comes with known issues in Apple Music, AVKit, Contact Key Verification, Messages, WidgetKit, and more, with workarounds provided by Apple.

This beta release is a significant step forward for Apple, offering new features and improvements that enhance the user experience and provide developers with more tools to create engaging apps.