What’s new in iOS 17.1 Beta 1: Features, fixes, battery life and more

Apple recently seeded iOS 17.1 Beta 1 to developers and beta testers. The latest beta update is released a week after the release of iOS 17 to the public and it includes new features and improvements in the Apple Music app, Lock Screen wallpapers, AirDrop, and more.

The tech company has also released iPadOS 17.1, watchOS 10.1, macOS Sonoma 14.1, tvOS 17.1 and HomePod 17.1.

Here is everything new in the iOS 17.1 Beta 1 update including features, improvements, bug fixes, performance, and battery life.

iOS 17.1 Beta 1 tech specs

• Size: 6.34 GB
• Build number: iOS 17.1 (21B5045h)
• Modem Firmware: 1.11.00

New features, changes, and improvements in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

• Extended Wallpaper customization option added for Lock Screen wallpapers and Contact Posters. The feature can be turned on and off. However, the feature was not available on all Lock Screen wallpapers, mostly on photo wallpapers. Maybe it is a bug.
• Apple Music app adds the following changes:
  • The ‘Favorite’ feature appears as a star icon as a replacement for the Love option. Users can tap on it to add a song to their Favorites list or remove it. Favorite star also appears on the Apple Music player on the Lock Screen so users can add or remove a song from the Favorites list.
    • Favorited songs are also added to the Library.
    • Favorite icon is also available on Apple Music in CarPlay in iOS 17.1 Beta 1.
  • Playlists section in the Library tab now features a new Filter button which includes Favorited and All Playlists options.
  • Song suggestions appear in the ‘Add to a Playlist’ section. Users can refresh the suggestions to get new ones.
• AirDrop gains the anticipated feature “Use Cellular Data” in the General section of the Settings app.
•  iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 Beta 1 updates add support for Name Drop between iPhone and Apple Watch.
• In the UK only, the iPhone Wallet app integrates with users’ bank accounts to show the current account balance from their bank for credit and debit cards. The app also shows users’ history of deposits and payments and shows the balance inline when purchasing with Apple Pay.
  • Currently supporting banks include HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays, Monzo, Starling, and RBS. 
  • The feature is powered by the UK’s Open Banking API and is available to a subset of users in the UK who use an Apple Pay credit or debit card associated with a supporting bank.
• Flash Light animation in Dynamic Island is available on older compatible devices, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max, along with iPhone 15 Pro models.
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• The Battery section in the Settings app shows how much battery apps consumed from a device charged via iPhone 15’s USB-C port.
  • However, the Battery Cycle Count and 80% limit in the Charging optimization option are exclusively available on iPhone 15, not expanded to older compatible models.
• Removed new Ringtones added in iOS 17.
• No Journal app in the update.
• Resolved issues with Remote widgets, SKAdNetwork, Wallet and Apple Pay, and Widget Kit according to Apple release notes.

Performance and Battery life in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

The performance of the new update appears to be the same as the previous iOS 17. A Geekbench test achieved the following results:

• Single core score: 2892
• Multi-core score: 7055

Currently, the battery performance is good without any throttling and rapid drain issues.

When will iOS 17.1 Public Beta release?

As users require a $100 Apple Developer membership to download and use developer betas, most users wait for the release of Public Betas which are available for free. Luckily, the company seeds Public Betas soon after the release of the developer beta.

So, iOS 17.1 Public Beta is expected to release the next day, on September 28. 

Keep in mind that beta updates are not stable and can brick the device. Therefore, users are advised to backup their devices and download beta updates on their secondary devices.