AirPlay upgrade part of expected inbound iOS 17 changes

iOS on an iPhone 14 Pro Max

The changes arriving in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 will include enhancements to AirPlay to make it easier to work with hotel TVs, a leaker claims, as the rumors continue to flood in ahead of WWDC.

As time grows short before Apple's WWDC 2023 keynote, the rumors about what Apple will launch start to rise in pace. In a Sunday preview of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, an alteration to AirPlay is listed as a big change to the mobile operating systems.

According to Mark Gurman in his "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, the software updates will have a change made to AirPlay that will make it easier to "beam content to TVs and speakers you don't own." While this could include other people's homes, Gurman offers it could also potentially work for devices located in hotels.

Gurman's other preview features includes a smart display-like interface that kicks in when the iPhone is locked and in a landscape orientation. The feature, previously raised in rumors, would display calendar appointments and other details, as well as notifications.

There's also mention of a journaling app with location services support, so that users could take notes and update friends on activities, as well as to log mood and emotions. The Wallet app will also apparently be upgraded to match Apple's continued expansion into financial services.

In preparation for the Apple headset, SharePlay will supposedly get some enhancements, but exactly what that entails isn't mentioned. Health app updates may include mood logging and "managing vision problems, as well as arriving on the iPad for the first time.

Apple has already confirmed some accessibility changes arriving in iOS 17, including Personal Voice, which can allow users to create a version of their voice for text-to-speech purposes.

There have previously been claims that the lock screen will introduce more options for personalization, as well as a more simplified Apple Music interface.

The groundwork for sideloading is also expected to be included in iOS 17, with Apple bracing itself for EU law changes due in 2024.

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13 Comments

eightzero

said about 10 months ago

Hotels will not stand for this. They want you to pay for that entertainment system. I've seen HDTV's installed and locked into the wall to cover the HDMI (and other) ports. And you can bet their proprietary software will block anything else.

slow n easy

said about 10 months ago

I'm wondering if it will get my Bose Waveguide radio to work again. It has mostly alway worked with AirPlay 2 and then it stopped working so I had to switch to the HomePod. I think that when the new version of AirPlay comes out, I will try to see if I can get the Bose system to work again. The sound quality is about equal but the Bose system sounds much louder even though the speaker is a lot smaller. Apple must not realize that not everyone listens to music and Podcasts right directly in front of the speaker. Sometimes we might be far away from the speaker. I even added a 2nd speaker for a stereo pair and I'm not sure it's any louder.

eightzero

said about 10 months ago

JP234 said:

There are numerous YouTube videos showing how to change the inputs on a hotel TV. Especially the ones that use that annoying "clean remote" (the blue and white one). Just press and hold a sequence of keys, like with a video game joystick. Set it to the second HDMI port, plug in your Apple TV or Mac with an HDMI cable, and watch whatever you want. Been doing this for two years now. Works everywhere.
Here's one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qBjkFQaYkM

Sure. If you can access the physical AV and HDMI ports. I've seen them physically locked into the wall, with a security lock and key. And the way it is done is *clearly* not just to discourage theft, but to be sure you can't use the TV for anything other than their proprietary house AV system to buy content.

roundaboutnow

said about 10 months ago

eightzero said:

Hotels will not stand for this. They want you to pay for that entertainment system. I've seen HDTV's installed and locked into the wall to cover the HDMI (and other) ports. And you can bet their proprietary software will block anything else.

A lot of hotels have seen the writing on the wall--they see that guests have personal mobile devices to access their own entertainment services now, so the market for in-room on-demand entertainment is nowhere near what it once was, and there isn't anything the hotels can do about it. Now, as an enticement to stay at their property, many hotels have put in place solutions like Sonifi's that include a screen casting feature. Sonifi's solution is basically Google Chromecast which lets guests cast from their iOS or Android device to the room's TV. There are provisions for restricting access to only your room's TV and automatic disconnect when you check out.

So if the Airplay update will facilitate the use of Airplay instead of (or in addition to) Chromecast in hotel TVs, there may well be a market for it.

PS: Another application for Airplay involving "TVs and speakers you don't own" would be corporate conference rooms. Besides Apple TVs, there are several 3rd-party wireless screen-mirroring devices being used in conference rooms that have Airplay capability. Probably most use AirServer software, which also includes Chromecast capability and (FWIW) Miracast.

mattinoz

said about 10 months ago

Would love "AirRemote" so you can use your own phone as universal remote and not have to touch the TV remote for any device in a hotel room. I mean who knows where they have been.

If they could make that part of Airplays abilities I'd be very happy.
Each device could broadcast a tiny swiftUI of the remote layout that is the same the physical remote or streamlined.