Apple Music, AirDrop Revamped in iOS 17.1 Update

Apple released its iOS 17.1 Wednesday, which introduces new features for AirDrop, Apple Music, and others. The update also fixed radiation issues for the iPhone 12 brought up by French regulators.

The OS update added a feature allowing AirDrop transfers to continue via a cellular connection, even when the user isn’t in WiFi range, as first spotted by MacRumors. The company also added a Favorites feature on Apple Music that uses your uploaded songs, albums, playlists, and artists to create recommendations on the app.

The update also includes the option on when to turn off the display for StandBy feature, but only for select iPhones including the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. This feature keeps the display screen on and in landscape orientation when the phone is charging. Other additional features include switching the Action Button on the iPhone 15 which can now turn on the flashlight or launch the camera in addition to the existing mute or ring option included since 2007.

There are also several regulatory fixes in the iOS 17.1 update including an issue with the iPhone 12 which was temporarily banned by French regulators last month for exceeding European radiation exposure limits. The country’s regulator said the iPhone couldn’t be sold in France unless the software was updated, and the Agence Nationale des Frequences (ANFR) said if the issue wasn’t fixed, it would issue a recall throughout France.

Apple denied the allegations and provided documents showing international testing, but promised to address the issue with its next update. French authorities revoked the iPhone 12 ban at the end of last month, saying Apple’s confirmed iOS update satisfied their demands to fix the radiation issue.

Apple’s iOS update also fixed a screen burn-in issue that corrupted or distorted images and adjusted the issue that reset the user’s Significant Location privacy. It has also optimized crash detection for both iPhone 14 and iPhone 15.