This year is expected to be… tumultuous in terms of the iPhone’s software. Details about iOS 17 remain minimal, but Apple has announced several features that will be available this year as part of the upcoming updates, such as iOS 16.3 and iOS 16.4.

Below, we recap six features of iOS expected to be released or expanded into additional countries in 2023.

Web Push Notifications

Apple has promised that in 2023, iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 will have opt-in support for web-based push notifications. This feature will allow iPhone and iPad users to receive notifications from websites through Safari, just like notifications sent from apps.

Apple Pay Later

Apple Pay Later is a financing feature that will allow qualifying customers, initially in the USA, to split a purchase into four equal payments over six weeks, with no interest or fees payable. The feature will be integrated into the Wallet app and will be available for online and app purchases on iPhone and iPad.

Security Keys for Apple ID

The first beta release of iOS 16.3 enables the new “Security Keys” feature for Apple ID. The feature gives users the option to use hardware security keys for further protection of their account. Security keys enhance Apple’s two-factor authentication requiring a hardware security key as one of the two factors instead of a verification code from another Apple device.

Apple Card Savings Account

Last October, Apple announced that Apple Card users would “soon” be able to open a new high-yield savings account from Goldman Sachs and automatically deposit their Daily Cash rewards into it, fee-free. The account management will be done through the Wallet app on iPhone.

Advanced Data Protection in more countries

Apple recently introduced an optional Advanced Data Protection feature that extends end-to-end encryption to many areas of iCloud when enabled, including iCloud backups, Photos, Notes, Reminders, Voice Memos, and others. The capability was added in iOS 16.2, macOS 13.1, and other recent software updates initially for US users.

Satellite SOS in more countries

Apple has announced that the iPhone 14’s life-saving satellite SOS emergency feature can be extended to other countries beyond the US in 2023. The satellite SOS emergency service was first launched last November in the US and Canada and requires an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max with iOS 16.1 or a later version. The service became available in France, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.