Mark Gurman of Bloomberg speculated earlier this year that iOS 17 may not be a major upgrade and instead focus on bug fixes and efficiency improvements as the firm shifts its emphasis to its augmented reality headset.

 In a recent Power On email, Gurman seems to have backtracked, suggesting that iOS 17 may include some of the "most desired improvements."

• Adjustable volume
• Improved notifications
• Sideloading non-App Store applications
• Enable app icons wherever
• That's ambiguous. What features are most requested? Based on community demands, we suggest these features.

Independent volume control settings

Have you utilised the iPhone Clock app timer? You probably have, and you may have observed that the iPhone can only run one-timer.

Multiple timer capability was a significant surprise in watchOS 8. This lets you set a five-minute and 30-minute timer. iOS 16 allows just one iPhone timer.

As the Apple Watch supports numerous timers, iOS's limitation is absurd. Several timers have been sought for years, so if Apple adds any of the "most requested features," this should be one of them.

While exploring Android phones at Digital Trends, I've found that Android does several things better than iOS, including volume controls. On the Samsung Galaxy S23, tapping the volume slider expands it into sliders for the system, alerts, Bixby Voice, ringtone, and media.

iOS volume buttons just modify the total volume. Only in Sound & Haptics in Settings can you set the ringtone and alert volume separately. 

If there is no active audio, the volume buttons will adjust general volume levels. If there is audio, such as media or Siri, they will modify that audio. Confusing and foolish.

Apple should follow Android and provide a button to expand volume settings while adjusting volume. As the present approach is burdensome rubbish, it would simplify iOS users' lives.

Improved notifications

I've also discovered that Android handles alerts better than iOS.

iOS is all-or-nothing. If you accept iOS notifications, you get notifications for everything in an app unless the app has options for what alerts you get. Developers decide. Android lets you customise app alerts.

Apple alerts use banners. When you enlarge the lock screen and Notification Center "stack," all the notification banners take up space. That's a tedious set of banners if you have many notifications.

Again, Android presents app alerts in an agenda-like list view, which is concise and saves space. Android makes clearing alerts easier than iOS, which requires many touches. While Android offers Notification History, you can't examine a dismissed notice.

iOS notifications have improved, but they still lag behind Android. iOS 17 should improve notifications.

Sideloading non-App Store applications

It's a popular request, but I don't like it. Apple may enable sideloading applications from other digital shops in iOS 17 due to European antitrust issues.

European enterprises have until 2024 to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Big tech corporations must enable alternative app shops to give people more options.

EU laws need a standard charger for all gadgets, therefore the iPhone 15 may finally switch to USB-C. Apple must comply with the DMA, which might allow us to get iPhone apps from other app stores for the first time.

Developers would not have to pay Apple a 15% to 30% charge for in-app purchases, and customers would have an alternate payment method. It would satisfy many.

Enable app icons wherever

iOS 14 allowed home screen customization without jailbreaking. But, we cannot move app icons on the home screen. You could utilise a widget programme to create a translucent zone, but it shouldn't be necessary.

Android lets you place applications wherever on the grid, even the bottom for one-handed access. Nevertheless, when building a home screen on iOS, the first app you place on a new page must be in the upper-left corner, which is one of my least approachable areas.

Apple should allow us to arrange our applications on the home screen without going left to right and top to bottom. Free our home screens!

iOS 17 will be exciting

I think these have been the most requested iOS additions in recent years. Gurman was unclear and contradicted himself. However, we're interested to see what iOS 17 will bring to our iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro this year (and not to mention older devices that should receive it, like the iPhone 11).

We should know soon thanks to WWDC.