Six months after iOS 17 was introduced to the iPhone, you may still be getting used to new features like StandBy mode, interactive widgets, full-screen contact posters for phone calls and the Journal app. For the most part, these are welcome additions and changes. If you’re like me, you might have to relearn some steps when using your phone.
Read more: iOS 17.2: Check Out These New Features on Your iPhone
I get used to a particular way of doing certain things. For instance, I wasn’t a fan of the new search button at the bottom of each home page when I upgraded to iOS 16, because I’d accidentally trigger it all the time. It isn’t necessarily a bad feature, I just personally didn’t like it.
With iOS 17, there are a few features I’m not a huge fan of, as well. If you want to find out about some of the iOS 17 settings I sometimes find annoying, keep reading. Even better, there’s a “fix” for all of them, so you can either get rid of them or never have to deal with them again.
You can share photos via AirDrop and close proximity, so that too will be disabled when this setting is toggled off.
Hide notifications in StandBy
The StandBy feature is arguably one of the biggest new iOS 17 features to the iPhone, turning your phone into a smart display when it’s charging horizontally and showcasing information, like the time, your calendar, photos and notifications, in large blocks that are easy to see. StandBy is a great way to quickly absorb information by glancing at your phone, but if people are around and you want to keep some of your information private, you may not want StandBy to show notifications.
In Settings > StandBy, toggle off Show Notifications. Now when you’re in StandBy mode, you won’t see all of your notifications displayed. Critical notifications, like weather emergencies, will still be shown in StandBy mode.
Alternatively, you can hide notification previews instead of the entire notification. That way, you can still see what notifications you’re getting, you just can’t check out the exact details unless you tap on the notification. For this to work, you’ll need to enable Show Notifications, as well as the Show Preview on Top Only setting underneath.
Stop Siri from activating so easily
Siri received a few major changes in iOS 17, including the ability to activate the voice assistant by only saying “Siri” — no more “hey” needed. It’s an easier way to quickly open an application or run a shortcut with just your voice, but at the same time, you might accidentally trigger Siri more often, since the new trigger is just a single word now.
If you want to go back to only having Siri activated when you say “Hey Siri” and not just “Siri,” go into Settings > Siri & Search > Listen for and choose the solo “Hey Siri” option. Your iPhone will no longer activate Siri simply when you say “Siri.”
