Have you ever promised a family member that you’d let them know when you got to your destination, but forgot to? Or maybe your kids are infamous for not letting you know when they made it to a friend’s house.
Apple has introduced a feature which should help, called “Check In.”
“It’s like sending a regular text message, but you set up the text message to alert your friend or family member when you arrive at a destination,” said Ken Colburn with Data Doctors.
It is a new feature that doesn’t require getting the new iPhone 15 — instead, all you have to do is update your current iPhone’s operating system to iOS 17. It’s important to note the person keeping tabs on you also needs iOS 17 to use the feature.
“It kind of removes the human error that comes into play when somebody is anxiously waiting to hear from a loved one and they forget,” said Colburn.
According to Apple, the Check In feature is available inside a text message conversation, under a “more” menu available by touching the plus (+) symbol. Once added, you can set your destination and the time you expect to arrive.
In case of any delays, the person you set up the Check In with can see where your iPhone is, its battery power and your cellular signal.
“Not only is this a great security feature, I think it’s a great convenience feature,” Colburn said. “And maybe it will lower some anxiety levels around the world.”
While new for iPhone users, Colburn said for Android users with Google Pixel phones, Google’s Safety Check — introduced in 2020 — offers a similar feature.
The new iOS 17 comes with updates to Messages beyond Check In. Users will be able to swipe right on a text in order to reply to it, instead of holding down or double-tapping it. Audio messages will now come with transcriptions, and the search function has been expanded so you can combine search criteria — for example, if you want to search for specific keywords within your messages to a specific contact.
Other additions in the operating system update include the option to record a video or audio message when someone misses your FaceTime call, a Visual Look Up feature that allows you to search directly from photos and videos (for example, you can try it on a picture of a meal to find a recipe) and the ability to initiate Airdrop just by holding your phone close to the recipient’s.
WTOP’s Kate Corliss contributed to this report.
