The iPhone is more than just a phone nowadays. But, it is stilla phone. It's meant to make calls and send text messages. 

And at WWDC 2023, Apple showed the company can still bring some big updates to those core features with its new iOS 17.

Phone app

Let's start with the Phone app. Apple announced that users can now see voicemail being transcribed in real time with its new Live Voicemail feature. It's kind of like call screening but the transcription shows up in real-time on your iPhone screen as the caller is leaving their message. Users can choose to pick up the call while seeing the transcription come through – once they can confirm it's not spam or a telemarketer. 

Another new feature coming to the Phone app completely redesigns how a users' contacts will show up on their phone. Contact Posters provides a full-screen, personalized, customizable design that users can create for individuals on their contact list. Fonts, photos, background colors, and more can all be changed around for each contact in your list.

Messages

The iPhone's Messages app is also getting some new features. First up, audio transcriptions for audio messages. Audio messages in the Messages app have become pretty popular over the years and this latest update will likely increase usage with those who may not have been sold before. It's exactly what it sounds like: Messages will now transcribe your audio messages in plain text, for moments where you can't listen to the audio.

Messages' new catch-up feature will help keep users up-to-date with group chats when they've been away. Opening a group chat in iOS 17 will bring users to the last message they saw, not the most recent, so they can "catch-up" on what they missed. 

Speaking of catching up, Messages will also have new search filters in iOS 17 in order to make it easier to find old messages that users might be looking for. There's also a new menu design in messages, so users can easily find their most used and favorite Message apps and widgets.

Perhaps the most interesting new feature coming to Messages is Live Stickers. Using this feature, users can choose a live photo in Messages and it will automatically remove the photos background and turn this looping moving image into a Messages sticker that can be used right from the Stickers library any time.

And there's a new important safety feature coming to Messages too. Check-in will track a user's location in order to let friends and family know if they've arrived home or the location they're headed to. If a user suddenly stops progressing to their location, Check-in will automatically let friends and family know that too.

• Well, duck it: The Apple keyboard will finally let you curse
• Apple's new Check-In feature is for the 'text me when you make it home' girlies
• Apple reveals the 15-inch MacBook Air at WWDC 2023
• WWDC 2023: iOS 17 updates core features and adds a new Journal app
• WWDC 2023: Apple announces M2 Ultra chip, its most powerful yet

FaceTime and Airdrop

Phone and Messages apps might have received the biggest new updates, but there's some interesting upgrades for other core iPhone apps too.

With iOS 17, FaceTime can now leave video messages with callers who don't pick up their FaceTime call.

Airdrop can now share files between two users who simply place their iPhones in close proximity to each other. If large files, like a big photo album or video file is being shared, Airdrop will continue to transfer the files even if one of the iPhones move out of range. Share activity apps can also automatically link up via Airdrop now too. And a new Namedrop feature is coming alongside Airdrop which allows users to share specific contacts information such as phone numbers and email addresses.