iOS 17.1 beta 2 brings the new ringtones back, adds new StandBy settings
Apple has begun seeding iOS 17.1 beta 2 to participants in the Developer Beta Program. The update introduces some new options for StandBy, and brings back the new ringtones.
What's new in iOS 17.1 beta 2
Apple restores the new ringtones in iOS 17
If you upgraded your iPhone to iOS 17, you may be aware that it shipped with 20 new ringtones and 10 new text tones. Apple removed these when it released iOS 17.1 beta 1 last week. It was unclear why the sounds were no longer available, but the good news is, the new ringtones are back in iOS 17.1 beta 2.
(Image via 9to5Mac)
The new tones include the following: Arpeggio, Breaking, Canopy, Chalet, Chirp, Daybreak, Departure, Dollop, Journey, Kettle, Mercury, Milky Way, Quad, Radial, Reflection, Scavenger, Seedling, Shelter, Sprinkles, Steps, Storytime, Tease, Tilt, Unfold, and Valley.
9to5Mac reports that the new ringtones are still quiet, a problem which was also present in the stable version of iOS 17. The old ringtones are available under the Classic menu.
New StandBy settings in iOS 17.1 beta 2
One of the new features that Apple introduced in iOS 17 was StandBy, a new lock screen experience that turns your iPhone into a smart display when you tilt the device on to its side while charging. The StandBy Settings in iOS 17 were bare bones, but iOS 17.1 beta 2 adds more granular controls.
The new Display section under the StandBy menu now lets you choose when the screen should turn off. The options that are available include Automatically, After 20 seconds, and Never. According to reports from users, these options are only available for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models, as they are the only devices that have an always-on display. It also brings a new option called "Motion to wake", that will light up StandBy mode when the device detects a motion.
Apple appears to have fixed the 80% charging limit for iPhone 15 models. The option was not working properly in the previous beta, i.e. the iPhone would go beyond the 80% mark. It is not clear why Apple chose to limit this option to its new phones, this is a feature that older models should support and help users stick to their devices for longer. It would also reduce electronic waste from people discarding their phones due to dying batteries. I suppose Apple's eco-friendly marketing team didn't think about this.
iOS 17.1 beta 2 and watchOS 10.1 beta 2 now support the new Double Tap feature that was introduced during the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 announcement. The build number of the update is 21B5056e.
The Journal app that Apple revealed at WWDC 2023 is nowhere to be seen, it is possible that the app may debut later this year once the company has sorted out the bugs that have been plaguing the initial release.
Apple is working on a solution for the iPhone 15 overheating issues, the company blamed it on a bug in iOS 17 and a handful of third-party apps that were overloading the chip. The problem is likely to be addressed in a patch included in iOS 17.1, the update is expected to be released in late October. However, some rumors suggest that Apple may roll out a hotfix for the issue with iOS 17.0.3 which could be released soon.
