【Secret Confessions (2025) Spongkey Episode 44】

The Secret Confessions (2025) Spongkey Episode 44first iOS 17.4 beta dropped. It's an update for developers, giving us a glimpse of what's coming to iPhone when the official public update drops in the spring.

Due to a European Union mandate that coerced Apple to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), some updates impact EU users only.

5 best iOS 17.4 features coming to iPhone

Let's take a look at some of the most radical changes coming to your iPhone soon.

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1. 118 new emoji

As we reported on Thursday, iOS 17.4 is introducing 118 new emoji.

Six emoji from iOS 17.4's new character collection. Credit: Emojipedia

This collection includes two head-shaking emoji (one is a nod and the other is a gesture that indicates "no"), a lime slice, a phoenix, a mushroom, and a broken chain.

2. Auto-generated transcripts with Apple Podcasts

Apple announced that Apple Podcasts is introducing transcripts to the app, allowing users to "read" episodes instead of listening to them. You can also use them to read along with your favorite podcasters.

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Auto-generated transcripts make it easier to follow Apple Podcasts. Credit: Apple

"As an episode plays, each word is highlighted, making it easy to follow along." the Cupertino-based tech giant said in a press release.

3. Gaming streaming apps now allowed on the Apple App Store

The likes of Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming are now allowed to have dedicated apps in the App Store.

Gaming streaming apps were once barred from the Apple App Store. Credit: Microsoft / Xbox

For gamers with iPhones and iPads, this will allow subscribers to ditch web browser usage, which is known to be somewhat clunky — making mobile, on-the-go gaming much more seamless and smooth.

4. New Stolen Device Protection feature

Stolen Device Protection, which adds a layer of protection in the event your iPhone gets stolen, now has an option to implement a delay to any security setting changes if the device detects you're not in a familiar location (e.g., home or work).

5. Siri can read incoming messages in a specific language

In iOS 17.4 beta, you can set Siri to read texts in a specific language, including Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and more.

Siri gets a minor update in iOS 17.4. Credit: Apple

If you implement this change, don't worry. As MacRumors pointed out, it will not interrupt the primary language Siri listens and responds to.

In addition to these five features, as mentioned at the outset, there are a slew of new updates specifically for EU users, thanks to the DMA. For example, EU users with iOS 17.4 can now access third-party app stores on their iPhone.

Plus, Fortnite, which was notoriously barred from Apple App Store, is now making a return to the Apple App Store. But again, this is only for EU users.

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