Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 17, was released on September 18, 2023 and introduced several new features and improvements to the built-in iOS 17 Calender. The iOS 17 Calender app allows users to view, edit, create, and manage events and appointments on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. With iOS 17, Apple has added new capabilities and customization options to help users get even more utility and productivity out of the iOS 17 Calender app.
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Introduction
The iOS 17 Calender app has remained one of the most essential productivity apps on iOS since the first iPhone launched in 2007. It provides a convenient way for users to track appointments, meetings, birthdays, and more. With each new version of iOS, Apple enhances the Calendar app with new features and optimizations.
iOS 17 brings some of the most significant changes ever to the iOS 17 Calender app. Key highlights include:
- Write-only permissions for calendar access
- More control over app access to calendars
- New calendar types
- Enhanced calendar integration with Maps
- Improved natural language event creation with Siri
In this guide, we will explore these new calendar features coming in iOS 17 and see how they aim to improve calendar management and privacy for iPhone users.
Write-Only Permission for Calendar Access
One of the most notable new privacy-focused features in iOS 17 is write-only permissions for calendar access. This allows apps to add new events to your iPhone’s calendar without being able to actually view existing events or details.
In previous iOS versions, when granting an app access to your calendar, it was generally an all-or-nothing type permission. The app could view and modify calendar data. Now with iOS 17, you can grant apps write-only permission. This is useful for apps that need to add appointments or reminders to your calendar but don’t need to view your existing events.
For example, a pharmacy app could add reminders for prescription pickups without seeing your other medical appointments or personal events. Or a transit app could add your daily commute times without viewing your full calendar.
Write-only calendar permissions put you in control of what calendar info apps can access. To configure this, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Calendars and select the specific permission type under each app. This new permission type strikes a better balance between utility and privacy.
More Control Over App Calendar Access
Along with write-only permissions, iOS 17 also provides users with more overall control over which apps have access to view and modify their calendars.
In Settings > Privacy & Security > Calendars, you will now see a list of all apps installed on your iPhone that have requested calendar permissions. Each app has a toggle switch next to it that allows you to quickly disable or re-enable calendar access.
With prior versions of iOS, revoking an app’s access to your calendar required digging into that app’s individual settings. iOS 17 puts full calendar permissions front and center for easy access and control.
You can now quickly audit which apps have access to calendars and make changes as desired for improved privacy. Disabling calendar access for apps you seldom use can prevent unnecessary data exposure. These permissions can always be re-enabled in the future if needed.
New Calendar Types
iOS 17 expands the calendar types that users can create within the Calendar app:
- Standard: The normal calendar type for personal events and appointments. This is the default calendar on new iOS devices.
- Work: For adding work-related events and meetings separate from personal items.
- Family: For family events and appointments. Useful for households that share an iOS device.
- Important Dates: For notable occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.
- Goals: Create a calendar for health, finance, career or other goal tracking and appointments.
These new calendar types allow users to segment different parts of their lives into separate calendar spaces. You can name each calendar accordingly and color code them for quick identification.
To add a new calendar, open the Calendar app and tap the Calendars tab in the upper left. Then tap Add Calendar and select the desired type.
The new calendar options provide flexibility to manage calendars tailored to user needs. Events added to a specific calendar will only appear in that calendar view.
Enhanced Integration with Apple Maps
iOS 17 also brings tighter integration between the Calendar app and Apple Maps. When adding locations to calendar events, you will now get automatic suggestions for places near the specified address.
For example, if you add a work address to a meeting or appointment, Calendar can suggest nearby coffee shops or restaurants to select as the location. This makes it easier to populate the location field when creating events.
The Apple Maps integration goes beyond location suggestions as well. Now when you tap on an event address, you can directly open it in the Maps app for directions and estimated travel time.
From the Maps view, you can conveniently add the travel time to the event notes so all attendees have an accurate idea of when they need to leave to get there. This better connects the Calendar and Maps apps for streamlined event planning.
Siri Natural Language Event Creation
iOS 17 brings some enhancements to creating calendar events via Siri voice commands. Siri already allowed you to make basic calendar events by voice, but now you can include more details using natural language.
When creating an event with Siri, you can now add attendees, set alerts, configure repeat options, add notes, and more using natural spoken sentences.
Some examples of the new natural language support include:
- “Add a lunch meeting with Jesse at noon tomorrow at that Italian place I like”
- “Set an appointment for my car service next Thursday at 3pm and remind me 30 minutes before”
- “Create a birthday event for Mom next Friday at 7pm and repeat it every year”
This improved natural language input makes creating detailed calendar events quicker and easier by voice. iOS 17 allows you to use more conversational language with Siri to configure calendar items to your exact specifications.
Intelligent Event Recommendations with Siri
Another AI-driven upgrade to Siri in iOS 17 is intelligent suggestions of relevant events you may want to add to your calendar. Based on your typing and activity patterns, Siri may now proactively recommend events it thinks you intended to create but forgot.
Some examples include:
- Recommending you add your morning workout to your calendar after searching for “hiit workout routines”
- Suggesting you create a calendar event for an upcoming concert after you purchased tickets
- Adding your friend’s upcoming birthday after messaging them about plans
You can simply say “Yes” or “No” to accept or reject these intelligent recommendations from Siri. The suggestions provide another convenient way iOS 17 aims to automate calendar event creation based on your habits and preferences.
FAQs
Q: Is iOS 17 a major update for the Calendar app?
A: Yes, iOS 17 introduces some of the most significant changes ever to the Calendar app, including new permissions, calendar types, Maps integration, and AI/natural language features. It aims to take calendar management to the next level.
Q: What iPhone models support iOS 17?
A: iOS 17 is compatible with iPhone 8 and newer models. This includes iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and anything after that like iPhone X or iPhone 11. Original iPhone SE also supports iOS 17.
Q: How do I get the new calendar features in iOS 17?
A: The new iOS 17 calendar features will come built-in when you update to iOS 17. To update, go to Settings > General > Software Update and follow the on-screen instructions.
Q: Can I reorder the new calendar types?
A: Yes, on the Calendar app main page, tap Calendars > Edit. You can then drag and change the order of the different calendar types.
Q: What happens if I disable an app’s calendar access?
A: If you toggle off calendar access for an app, that app will no longer be able to view or make changes to calendars on your device. It’s an easy way to revoke access.
Conclusion
The calendar enhancements in iOS 17 promise to elevate the Calendar app utility and privacy controls to new levels. Key highlights like write-only permissions, calendar types, Maps integration, and Siri intelligence provide users more flexibility and convenience for calendar management.
With features like improved natural language event creation, iOS 17 makes it easier than ever to fully leverage the Calendar app. Whether triaging busy schedules or segmenting personal and professional events, the Calendar upgrades should streamline calendar usage. Of course, Apple will likely add even more Calendar features and refinements in future iOS versions. But for now, iOS 17 appears to bring some of the biggest leaps forward ever for this integral productivity app. The new capabilities position the built-in Calendar as a more customizable hub for calendar management and scheduling.
