iOS 17 is soon to launch following iPhone 15’s announcement later today, and there’s one feature that I feel a little embarrassed to say is my absolute favorite.

You see, among the many new additions that enrich the whole experience, it’s probably one of the more gimmicky features to be introduced — StandBy Mode. Let me tell you a little bit about my experience that quickly converted me from a skeptic to a lover of this full blown nightstand mode.

Life on StandBy

For the uninitiated, StandBy Mode gives you a full-screen nightstand-esque experience. Simply slap your phone on a MagSafe charger and turn it sideways and you’ll be presented with a full screen set of widgets — from a simple clock to Live Activities, favorite photos or even Smart Stacks to get access to a whole host of information at once.

In a sea of new features from iOS 17, this has quickly stood out as my most used thanks to my charging stands in the kitchen, bedroom, and on my desk. While I can talk about some functional reasons why, such as its ease of use and presentation, the key reason why I love it comes down to removing a distraction.

Now I’m just being honest here, people, and if my manager reads this, I’m sorry. But with my phone placed on my desk, it becomes all too easy to grab it and check notifications — resulting in yet another TikTok wormhole. However, with the screen being used in StandBy mode showing me what notifications come in as I go, I find it so much easier to just glance and carry on with my work.

Simple yet effective

StandBy Mode is another one of those features where Android devices brought it to the table, before Apple swooped in and made it work oh so smoothly. It’s also a little frustrating because there’s so much more good stuff going on in iOS 17.

Live Voicemail is great for avoiding people you don’t like, creating personalized contact posters is a lot of fun, and the changes to AirDrop make it a game changer. But yet, out of everything I use, StandBy mode is probably my most used (and favorite) feature of the bunch — even though it is one of the smaller additions.

“Haha! Android users weep!” one TikTok comment said. “Android users have left the chat!” another said.” Comments flooded the short-form video platform as one creator demonstrated an Instagram story hack that requires one to use a new-ish iOS 16-born iPhone feature.

iPhone owners were foaming at the mouth at the opportunity to poke fun at Android for supposedly lacking this cool new perk, but little did they know that my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra could do the same (I’ll reveal which feature this is as the first entry in this list).

Consequently, the idea for this piece came to me. I wondered, “Are there any other Android features that people wrongly assume are iPhone exclusive?” I thought back to my own personal conversations with iPhone fans among my professional network and friendships, and came up with a short list of iPhone features people think are exclusive to IPhone, but aren't.

1. Lifting a subject from a photo

I’m sorry to burst your bubble iPhone devotees, but the iOS 16 Lift a subject from the photo background feature is not an iPhone-exclusive feature. My Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (yes an Android) can do the same. Just like you can press and hold a subject and iOS will isolate it from the background, you can perform the same gesture on a Galaxy S series phone and get the same results.

The name of this tool is called “Image Clipper” and it launched via an April One UI 5.1 update, according to our sister site AndroidCentral. This feature can be found on the following phone lines: Galaxy S23, S22, S21, S20, and Galaxy Fold.

What’s different about iPhone’s version of the tool, however, is that, thanks to iOS 17 (which is expected to roll out to the general public later this year), you’ll have the opportunity to do more with the “Lift a subject from the photo background perk.” For example, you can use this tool to transform your photos into Stickers that you can save and share with your friends.

 2. Android users can join FaceTime calls, too

Android users can, indeed, join FaceTime calls, but keep in mind that they cannot launch FaceTime calls. Only iPhone users can initiate FaceTime calls. iPhone users, you can thank Apple for rolling out this new feature with iOS 15.

iPhone users can open the FaceTime app on their phone, create a join link, and share it with their Android-owning friends and family. After clicking the link, Android users can join the FaceTime call, which will launch in their browser (e.g., Chrome or Edge.). 

Android users stopped being left out of the FaceTime party when Apple announced this feature at WWDC 2021. 

3.  Android has an AirDrop equivalent

I asked YouTuber MrMorbile, a tech, phone-focused creator with over one million subscribers, for help coming up with this third one. AirDrop is one of the most trumpeted, beloved and heralded features in the Apple ecosystem, allowing users to seamlessly share files from one iDevice to another. However, I hate to break it to you iPhone stans, but Android has a pretty good AirDrop equivalent called “Nearby Share.”

No, Android users aren’t emailing themselves to transfer photos and documents from their phones to their PCs. Instead, they can download a Google desktop app called Nearby Share, which lets them zip off files from their phones, and vice versa, in seconds.

Bottom line

If you’re an iPhone user, perhaps these surprised you. If so, I’m glad I taught you something new today. I’d also imagine that even some Android users had no earthly idea they had access to some of these features (please stop emailing yourselves). 

On the other hand, if you already knew that these perks were not iPhone exclusive, good for you! While I have you here, be sure to check out our “We asked 5 phone experts” series that dives into features Android has that iPhone doesn’t and features iPhone has that Android doesn’t.

One of Apple's biggest selling points is Continuity, no not the consistent look of its devices (although that doesn't hurt), but the feature that links the company's devices allowing for easy sharing of your files and data. This includes features like Universal Clipboard, Sidecar, Handoff, and AirDrop. Sharing everything from videos to documents has been a seamless experience across Apple devices for nearly a decade now. 

Google's Android devices have offered bits and pieces of this functionality, and some manufacturers have adopted their own versions, but there's never been a single unifying app or feature to match Apple's Continuity...until now. According to a report from ZDNet, although not officially announced, Google is working on a similar feature that allows users to operate seamlessly between all of their Android devices.

Rumored features and capabilities

Similar to Apple, Android’s new Continuity-like feature would link your different devices, allowing you to share images, videos, and files of all kinds. However, one rumored ability could one-up Apple. According to the rumor, Android users could move phone calls from device to device, regardless of manufacturer. So imagine taking a call on your Samsung phone and switching it to your Lenovo tablet, which would be very useful for those who don’t want to be tied down to one device maker.

The new feature would also allow for sharing of users' internet connections. Users would presumably need to have a Google account and be signed in across their Android devices, but if you are using an Android device you have presumably made peace with using Google services. The new feature will connect devices via Bluetooth, which is pretty standard. There is speculation that it could handle a phone-to-phone handoff, which would be unique, but again the feature isn't actually available yet so we'll have to see if that comes to fruition.

Although no timetable has been set for when to expect this new feature's launch, a few leaked images like the one above lend credence to the rumor and suggest it can't be too far off. In the image users can access the new feature via the settings menu under "Link your devices." As you can see, the "call switching" feature can be toggled on or off. 

As someone who owns multiple Android phones (admittedly a somewhat unusual position), being able to flip calls from one to the other could be very helpful and fun to do in front of iPhone users who can't do the same. Here's one in your eye Apple. 

iOS 17 was announced at WWDC 2023, and the public beta is out right now. It’s fair to say this update has been overshadowed by the 15-inch MacBook Air and the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, but it shouldn’t be ignored.

Apple’s really bringing the heat with an update that is packed to the brim with new features — some are useful, others aren’t so much, but they should change the way you interact with your iPhone.

So let’s get into the nitty gritty of these new features in the public beta, how they impact your iPhone, and whether this is the big, well-thought-out update we’ve all been hoping for. Or whether the Cupertino company is back to its old tricks of throwing everything at the wall, and seeing what sticks.

Can your iPhone run iOS 17?

Let’s answer the first obvious question here. Does iOS 17 support the iPhone you have? Apple has always been pretty legendary in terms of multiple years of software support across many of its iPhones. But some models like the iPhone X and iPhone 8 have been cut from the list this time around. Here are all the phones that will get this update:

• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (2022)
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (2020)
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XR

New convenience

So before we get to the big features Craig Federighi (and his magnificent hair) bragged about on-stage, let’s talk about the convenience tweaks that heal some of my iOS frustrations. You see, I do love the bigger things that Apple brings to the table, but it’s the smaller developments that help make tasks simpler that tend to make the biggest differences in day-to-day usage.

A huge game changer for iOS 17 is the massive updates made to AirDrop — not just for transferring files, but for the ease of transferring so much more. It starts with the ability to transfer contact information by just holding your iPhone on top of someone else’s, and this proximity-based exchange works on files too.

Plus, AirDrop transfers will continue even if you have to step away. Provided your recipient is signed into iCloud, the transfer will continue over the internet at longer distances. That is a Godsend to someone like me who is always moving around from place to place.

As for how you use the home screen, widgets are no longer just glorified app opening icons. They are interactive, which means you can do things like switch on your Nanoleaf lights directly from the home screen, rather than having to drag down the control center or open the Home app. It massively reduces the amount of taps needed to perform certain tasks.

But my favorite update is, in fact, the smallest switch. Head over to passwords and activate “Clean Up Automatically.” This is part of a 1-2 punch where iOS will now AutoFill two-factor authentication codes from Mail (not just messages), and automatically delete the email after you’ve used the code. It’s been a lifesaver for keeping my inbox clean, and something that blends seamlessly into the background. 

This joins other tiny tweaks like a catch up arrow in messages to go back to where you left off, replying to individual messages by swiping on them, enhanced AutoFill for PDFs that recognises places to fill in details, and AI identifying items in photos with more rich information to give you a far smoother iPhone experience.

Oh, and shout-out to the reminders app automatically sorting your grocery list into categories. I never thought I would be excited about stuff like this. But in my 30s, as a person who gets excited about buying an air fryer during Prime Day, this small bit of automation has been a massively helpful feature.

That’s not to say that all of the features are super useful. I’m, of course, talking about StandBy mode. This is definitely more window dressing than something worthwhile — rotating your phone into landscape on a charging stand turns it into what is essentially a nice little clock for your bedside table with interactive widgets. For sure, it looks cool, but it will really come into its own with increased customization and more third party widgets.

New ways to mess with your friends

Now with the small but impactful functional tweaks out the way, let’s get into the fun part. Apple dedicated a lot of time to talking about the Phone and Messages apps, and I’ll be honest, the company stuck the landing with a sly grin.

It all begins by making your own contact poster that other users see when you call. The customization suite has the same amount of depth as what you can do with the lockscreen, and you can create something that matches your personality with ease. It’s another asset to making your iPhone your own, and I really like it.

But that’s just window dressing when compared to live voicemail, which automatically transcribes a voicemail message as it comes in. For the anxiety of wanting to dodge calls from friends (if you’re reading this, it’s not you, it’s me) or telemarketers, but not knowing whether it was important, this is huge. 

Of course, Google has offered something similar for a while now, but Apple’s implementation integrating directly into the call screen makes it a cinch to just pick up quickly when you see it’s something critical.

Moving over to Messages, all of your additional apps and implementations have been moved into a singular plus button menu, which you can customize the order of to make a helluva lot simpler to use. And within that, stickers have been given a huge revamp in the name of having a laugh. Remember that nifty feature from iOS 16 where you could cut a subject from a photo and paste it as a PNG anywhere else? That is now being used to create stickers.

You can even use it on live photos, so you can slap whatever reactions you want on people’s messages. However creatively you wish to use that is up to you. Translation: troll your friends. It’s a lot of fun.

But don’t take it too far. If you’re one of those weirdos that thinks unsolicited nudes are funny, first of all, go sit by yourself and learn why it’s actually a really problematic behavior. And second, to those on the receiving end, iOS 17 now has a feature to block sensitive photos — displaying two content warning windows that you have to agree to.

Beyond that, you’re getting live transcription on voice memos, sharing your location happens directly within the Messages app, and a new Check In feature helps keep your friends and family aware of when you get home safely — giving the group chat a nudge if there are any unexpected delays.

The keyboard has also been updated with a more reactive Autocorrect that adapts faster to the words you want to ducking use, and it will start to make more accurate predictions inline as you type — meaning you just have to hit the space bar to fill in the rest of the sentence. Think of it like Gmail’s prediction, where it will far more accurately suggest words to fill a whole sentence, while also learning the way you type to cater its dictionary to you. It’s one of those features that you don’t really see or feel working, but it just does its thing in the background.

What’s missing?

There are a slew of other features that we don’t have access to in iOS 17 just yet, such as the new Journal app. And others just haven’t made a material difference to the way I use my iPhone, like the increased accuracy of keyboard autocorrect. But let’s take a beat and look at what this new version doesn’t have:

• Dynamic Island is still pretty pointless — Look, it was a nice idea on paper, and there are some useful integrations with certain live activities. But Apple hasn’t done anything to expand notification support with greater levels of interactivity, or provide any real enticement for developers to take advantage of them.
• Still no way to download apps from third party app stores — Don’t expect this to change any time soon, but I only bring it up because of the moves from regulatory bodies to try and democratize this.

You’ll also find the slow drip feed of features you’d expect to already be present is still alive and well. After iOS 16’s option to keep photo albums private behind Face ID, the fact the company waited an entire year to make this a thing for private browsing on Safari too — rather than giving it to us as part of a whole private suite — is a little annoying. Almost like Apple is holding back features to make newer versions look better.

Outlook

There are some big new features in this public beta that are sure to surprise and delight users, which makes iOS 17 a fun update to look forward to.

In its current state, this new version doesn’t tackle some of our key frustrations with iOS 16, such as Apple not making the most of that dynamic island or a revamped control center with a sleeker UI.

But it’s great to create contact posters for others to see, interactive widgets reduce the amount of taps to get stuff done, live photo stickers are a quick and easy way to troll your mates, and the StandBy mode seems a little pointless, but does turn your phone into a nice additional screen for your bedside table. Also, thank the lord we finally have multiple timers on iOS!

After a 3-month beta process that saw it used by 1.7 million people to transfer more than 50 million files; Google's Nearby Share for Windows app is officially available. If you are wondering how to use Nearby Share for Windows, then you are in the right place and the good news is that it is quick and easy to set up and even easier to use.

If you aren't sure what Nearby Share for Windows is, don't worry we've got you covered there too. Nearby Share is a wireless file transfer app to send photos, videos, or whatever kind of file you like between your Android or ChromeOS device and a Windows laptop or desktop. This is Google's answer to AirDrop in the Apple ecosystem.

While our data increasingly lives solely in the cloud, there are times when you need to share your files between devices, and if you live in the Windows and Android ecosystems this just became one of the simplest ways to do it, so here's how to use Nearby Share for Windows.

How to set up Nearby Share for Windows

Step 1: Download Nearby Share for Windows from Google. Be aware that the official app is rolling out now, but you may still get the beta as I did. There are a couple of updates in the official app including the time remaining on a download, but the basic functionality and these instructions remain the same for both versions.

Step 2: Install Nearby Share for Windows. Just double-click on the .exe file that you downloaded and it will install automatically in a few seconds.

Step 3: Sign into your Google account. Click on the "Sign in" button in the upper-right corner of the Nearby Share app and then you will be prompted to sign into your account in your browser of choice. 

Step 4: Set your Visibility preferences to determine who or what can share files with your Windows laptop through Nearby Share. You can select to: Receive from everyone, Receive from contacts, Receive from your devices, or Device is hidden. I would recommend against that first choice in most cases, but any of the others will allow for safe and secure sharing without worrying about random people tossing files your way.

Step 5: That's it, you're ready to start nearby sharing!

How to use Nearby Share for Windows to send files from Android

Now that you've got the Nearby Share for Windows app up and running, it can just sit in the background until you need it. First, let's look at how to use Nearby Share for Windows from Android.

Step 1: On your phone open whatever file it is you want to share.

Step 2: Tap on the Share icon.

Step 3: Select Nearby Share.

Step 4: Tap on the device you wish to share the file to.

That's it, your file(s) will transfer right away.

How to use Nearby Share for Windows to send files to Android

What if the crucial file is on your Windows laptop and you want to send it to your Android device? Not a problem.

Step 1: Open Nearby Share from Google

Step 2: Drag and drop or select the file(s) or folder(s) that you want to transfer

Step 3: Click on the device that you want to send the file to.

That's it, just wait for the transfer to complete and you are all set to go.

The opening day of Apple’s annual WWDC revealed some impressive features heading to iPhone through the upcoming iOS 17 update. We’ve already gone into 11 new features coming to your iPhone with the update, but a few have the potential to do just as much hard as good.

The upcoming features updates to AirDrop, Contacts, FaceTime, and Messages include a number of great personalization features that let you quickly share contact information, choose how you appear to others when making a call, and easily make custom stickers to share with others.

The problem? You might not really be interested in somebody’s unsolicited nudes showing up on your phone when they call you. Nor do you want to check your FaceTime videomail to find all sorts of questionable horrors awaiting you.

Thanks, but no thanks

If you’re anything approximating as cynical as I am. You likely realized the potential for ner-do-wells to do you wrong with these features almost immediately. Thankfully, it seems like Apple was well aware too, and has some expanded Privacy and Security measures to thwart those looking to abuse its platform.

You’ll now have the option to blur sensitive photos and videos before you choose the view them across a range of iOS apps like Messagers, AirDrop, Contact Posters, FaceTime messages, and even third-party apps.

So you won’t have to worry about your creepy “friend” Dick illuminating your phone with a Contact Poster of his Richard in front of your friends and family when they send you an out-of-the-blue Romeo Dial.

That's one less of life's looming horrors you'll have to worry about at least. Nice work, Apple.

Apple loves to boast about its commitment to user privacy and security, but there's a pink elephant in the room: AirDrop. Researchers from Technische Universitat Darmstadt discovered a vulnerability in the file-sharing feature that exposes your phone number and e-mail address to strangers.

Hackers only need two elements to tap into your personal data via AirDrop: Wi-Fi connectivity and proximity to your device.

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How AirDrop exposes your personal data

Apple's AirDrop is quick and convenient way to share files with other nearby Apple users. As long as you're on a iOS, iPadOS or MacOS, you can wirelessly send photos, videos, music, documents and more. According to TU Darmstadt investigators, by default, AirDrop only shows receiver devices from address book contacts by using a "mutual authentication mechanism" that cross references users' phone number and email address entries.

Investigators, however, discovered a flaw in Apple's hash functions, which is supposed to conceal and obscure personal data exchanged during the AirDrop discovery process. "Hashing fails to provide privacy-preserving discovery as so-called hash values can be quickly reversed using simple techniques such as brute-force attacks," the TU Darmstadt report said.

Researchers suggest alternative to AirDrop: PrivateDrop

TU Darmstadt researchers concluded that AirDrop has a "severe privacy leak," but this doesn't mean Apple should eradicate AirDrop completely. Instead, the investigators propose an alternative called "PrivateDrop," which is runs on "optimized, cryptographic private set intersection protocols" that plugs all the security vulnerabilities that currently plagues AirDrop. 

PrivateDrop ensures that personal data isn't exchanged with vulnerable hash values. There is a slight delay with PrivateDrop for authentication and tightened security, but the lag is less than a second.

TU Darmstadt researchers informed Apple about AirDrop's privacy vulnerability in May 2019, but they received radio silence from the Cupertino-based tech giant. "Apple has neither acknowledged the problem nor indicated that they are working on a solution," the report said.

How to turn off AirDrop discovery

The AirDrop privacy leak affects 1.5 billion Apple devices. For now, the best way to keep malicious actors at bay is to disable AirDrop discovery. Here's how to do it:

1. Open the Control Center by swiping up.
2. Long press the top-left group of icons.
3. Tap on "AirDrop."
4. Tap "Receiving Off."

This will ensure that your device is undiscoverable to hackers seeking to exploit AirDrop's vulnerabilities.

First introduced in OS X Mavericks, Apple has brought AirDrop, its wireless file-transfer feature, to iOS 7. This technology uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to make an ad hoc connection between two iOS 7 devices, letting you copy files quickly and easily. Here's how to use it.

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1. Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth either in Settings or the Control Panel. This will have to be done on any device you want to transfer content to or from.  

2. Enable AirDrop by opening Control Center and pressing the AirDrop icon. As in Step 1, this must be done on any device you want to transfer content to or from.

3. Make yourself discoverable to everyone, or just those in your contacts. 

4. Share a photo by opening the an image in the Photos app and pressing the Share button in the lower left corner.

5. Select the device to which you'd like to send the photo. Devices with AirDrop enabled, and on the same Wi-Fi network, will appear as small circles below the selected image. (For example, iPad, as in the image below). Press the icon to connect to the desired device.

6. Press Accept on the window that appears on the receiving device. You should see a thumbnail of the file you're sending, as well as an option to decline, if you choose. The photo will then transfer (it took about a second in our tests), and appear in the Camera roll.

7. Share a map location by opening Maps, and pressing the Share button in the lower left corner. Then, follow steps 5 and 6; the map will open in the Maps app on the target device.

8. Share a page in Safari by pressing the Share button in Safari, and follow steps 5 and 6; the page will open in Safari on the target device.

You can also share videos in the same manner as above; over our Wi-Fi network, it took about 90 seconds to transfer a 2-minute video from our iPhone to our iPad. Unfortunately, you can't use AirDrop to transfer files from an iOS 7 device to an OS X device; hopefully, that will come in a future update.

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