News

iOS 17 Has Arrived: Here Are The Standout New Features

Apple’s new iPhone operating system has a host of new additions and is available now to download.

Published

3 years ago

September 19, 2023

ios 17 has arrived here are the standout new features

iOS 17, the latest iteration of Apple’s Phone operating system, is now available to download. The software update has plenty of new features, though you’ll need an iPhone 11 or later to benefit from the new OS. (iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, and 2nd gen iPhone SE models are also supported).

Upgrading To iOS 17

Tap Settings, scroll to General, then select Software Update. Remember that your phone will restart several times during the process, and it’s always wise to keep it plugged into a charger.

iOS 17 Features

Autocorrect Improvements

Autocorrect will now remember words for future use, and users can tap an on-screen undo button to revert back to what they actually typed.

Check-In

The new Check-In feature automatically alerts friends or family when you arrive at a preselected destination. If an iPhone detects that someone is no longer moving toward their destination, chosen contacts will be sent the route, cell connectivity status, and the phone’s battery level.

Set Multiple Timers

A glaring omission to iOS has finally been solved. Users can now set multiple timers without resorting to third-party apps.

StandBy Mode

iPhones now enter StandBy Mode when flipped horizontally while charging, turning them into a clock, calendar, digital photo frame, or information center using widget Smart Stacks. StandBy Mode can also distinguish between specific Magsafe docks, so different displays can be set for each location (such as bedside tables or kitchens).

Stickers And Call Effects

iOS 17 now allows quick access to all stickers — including those within third-party apps. You can even create new stickers from photos with added interactive effects. Users can also add effects to video calls, including rain, confetti, and hearts.

Voicemail To Text & Video Messages

Incoming voicemails can now be displayed as text on the iPhone’s lock screen. Meanwhile, Facetime also lets users leave video messages if someone doesn’t pick up.

NameDrop Contact Info

You can now bring iPhones together and instantly share contact details, which can also be customized and turned into a contact poster.

Safari Privacy

Apple has long made privacy a unique selling point of its operating systems. Now, iOS has received an update allowing Safari users to create multiple profiles to keep browsing information separate. Private Browsing tabs also require reauthorization after 15 minutes, hiding your browsing habits if someone else is handed the device.

Coming Soon: AirDrop Update And New Journaling App

Although we’re excited at the prospect of the iOS 17 update, there are a few additional features planned for the future that are also hotly anticipated.

A new end-to-end encrypted Journal app will soon be available where users can reflect and record their thoughts. In addition, an AirDrop update will allow file transfers to continue even if you move out of range.

Also Read: How To Clean Your Apple Watch Like A Pro

Aside from all the new iOS 17 features, it’s always a good idea to keep your iPhone up to date. There’s always a risk of a few temporary bugs, but the security benefits far outweigh any minor glitches you may experience during the first few days of updating.

News

Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon

Foreign visitors will be the first users to benefit, but whether Syria’s own banks and cardholders follow is still an open question.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

Dana Saadeh

visa's return to syria starts with a test and a bank in lebanon

Visa is returning to Syria. Its first live international card transaction in the country was a test rather than a launch, and the milestone event ran through a Lebanese bank.

The acquirer (the bank on the merchant’s side of a card payment) was Fransabank Lebanon, with Paymera as the other named partner. Nadim Moujaes, who heads a Fransabank Group subsidiary, describes the test as both the culmination of “longstanding efforts to link Syria back to international payment networks” and “the first step in a larger path”.

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa makes the first electronic payment in Syria using a @Visa card at a store in Damascus, following the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. pic.twitter.com/lpAN7nQ6Fc

— Tech Magazine (@TechMGZN) August 27, 2026

“We are excited to have successfully tested live transactions today as we plan to enable international visitors to use their Visa cards while in Syria,” says Leila Serhan, Visa’s senior vice president and group country manager for the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan region. Although a significant first step, that plan doesn’t come with a hard date for when a visitor’s card will work normally.

Mohammed Safwat Raslan, governor of the Central Bank of Syria, says the test paves the way for international card acceptance in Syria and that maintaining strong compliance, risk management and operational controls will remain essential. Serhan likewise stresses that Visa has worked within applicable legal, regulatory and compliance requirements. For a test transaction, it seems there was a great deal of attention paid to the rules, with the entire operation being carefully managed.

Also Read: Lebanon’s 5G Era Begins With 150 Stations And A $1M Budget

The test is the latest step in a sequence that began in December 2025, when Visa announced a strategic roadmap to support Syria’s integration into the global digital economy. In February 2026 it hosted its first industry gathering of banks, ecosystem partners and policymakers in Damascus and, the same month, signed an agreement with Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in San Francisco.

Michel Kattouah, Paymera’s CEO, called the test “the return of international card acceptance,” but while that’s positive news, there’s no word yet on when a Syrian bank will issue a Visa card to a Syrian customer.