iPhone 17 - Tips, Features & Accessories (2025 Guide)

Go.

[Music]

Now that we are all familiar with the

new iPhone 17 lineup, I figured it's

finally time to do an overview guide as

to how you can get the most out of the

latest generation iPhone 17. For this

episode, I'll be focusing on the 17 Pro

Max. But everything I talk about, from

beginner concepts to actually useful

tips and tricks and accessories, applies

to the entire 17 range, including the

iPhone Air. And for those of you waiting

for the ultimate iPhone home screen

episode, don't worry, it's coming.

As always, everything will be linked in

the description below. And allow me to

start with something I recently

discovered in iOS 26, and that is the

ability to finally select text in

messages, more specifically portions of

text. Unlike before where I had to copy

the entire message to only extract

something specific, now I can tap and

hold on a message bubble and choose

select. From there, I can simply move

the handles to whatever matters most and

tap copy. Time-saving for sure, but not

as time-saving and ergonomic as knowing

I can swipe back from the middle of the

screen to go in reverse within an app.

This is very much an Android inspired

action, which I am super happy to see

here as I no longer need to chase the up

top back arrow button to go a step

backwards. This action is very useful

when digging inside the settings app or

moving back through folders in the files

app. Now, getting the most out of the

iPhone also means pairing it with the

right accessories, and one that's been

part of my workflow for quite a while

now is the Bloat Note Pro. It's about

the size of a credit card, and it snaps

to the back of any iPhone 17 like it was

built for it. I use it as my second

brain. Meetings, interviews, and even

creative brainstorming are all captured

on it. Now, don't get me wrong, the

iPhone's mics are great, but distance,

interruptions, or battery anxiety can

get in the way. Plot fixes that with a

four mic array that clearly captures

everyone. Powered by a 50hour battery

that just keeps going. It's a dedicated

accessory that works even when calls

come in, saving everything

independently. Once done, the real magic

happens. The Plot app creates AI

transcriptions in over 800 languages

with speaker labels, summaries, and

action items. I can even search all

files and key info naturally through Ask

Plot, which is perhaps my favorite

feature. Everything remains private and

securely protected, and I'll be sure to

link it below.

Switching back to iOS, a super handy

feature in version 26 is the reminder to

call back someone right from the phone

app, which I actually use a ton. Instead

of creating a separate reminder in the

app, I can swipe left on my call

history's contact or phone number and

tap on the little blue check icon and

let's say select remind me in an hour or

tonight. and the iPhone will do exactly

that. This works on all recent calls, no

matter if they're, you know, missed,

read, or not. By the way, if you end up

enjoying this video, subscribe because

why not? Something I mentioned in my iOS

26 overview, and a feature surprisingly

few people know about is tucked under

the general settings, AirPlay and

continuity. It's called keep audio with

headphones. And in simple terms, it

makes sure the AirPods stay as active

audio source. It's one of those small

quality of life features that ends up

being incredibly useful. Like when

getting into a car, instead of the audio

switching over to the car stereo, the

call simply continues through the

AirPods without a single interruption.

>> No, I can talk. That's fine. What's up?

>> Now, at some point, no matter if you're

on the 17 Pro or the Air, you'll need a

quick topup. and this little thing has

become my go-to for that. This is the U

Green Mac full magnetic power bank that

attaches to the back of the iPhone 17

with a super strong hold. While the LED

screen shows exactly how much power is

left, what matters more is that it

supports the new G225 watt fast charging

standard, taking the iPhone 17 Pro Max

from 0 to 50% in just under 40 minutes.

And when needed, it can charge three

devices at once, the iPhone, AirPods,

and an Apple Watch without breaking a

sweat. The built-in braided USBC cable

is perhaps the coolest part, working as

both a carrying strap and a 30W PD input

output cable for two-way fast charging.

The 10,000 mAh capacity is flight

friendly and enough for about two full

iPhone charges. UG also makes a

two-in-one Macflow wireless charger,

ideal for any disc, keeping the same

fast charging standard and clean design.

And I'll be sure to link the Mac Flow

lineup below.

Another quality of life improvement I

mentioned in my iPad OS 26 guide is the

ability to create poll questions

directly in messages. is one of those

features that quietly saves hours in

group chats because instead of

collecting scattered options about let's

say where to go, you can just list a few

options and instantly see how everyone

feels about that let's say particular

pizza place. Polls are now available on

the iPhone 2 and I highly recommend

using them just like the two-finger

selection gesture in the files app I

hinted last time. While in messages, if

you want to automatically save the

photos you take with the inapp camera,

head to settings, camera, and scroll all

the way down to enable save captures to

photo library. This way, every photo you

snap inside messages is saved straight

to the gallery, so there won't be a need

to dig through old conversations or

manually save it later. Back under

general settings, there's a small tweak

worth trying. Under screen capture, you

can turn off the full screen previews

that pops up every time you press the

power and volume buttons. Reverting to

the old school behavior is often faster,

especially if you're taking multiple

screenshots in a row. You still get the

option to edit or share a capture. Just

tap the small thumbnail before it

disappears. And while we are still in

the screenshots area, there are two

powerful tools worth trying. One is like

circle to search on Android and the

other one is called add loop. Searching

through a particular object via Apple

intelligence comes in handy when you

want to highlight a specific part of a

screenshot to explore online, say a pair

of shoes or an accessory. Add loop, on

the other hand, is tucked under the

markup menu hidden behind the plus icon.

It lets you place a movable magnifying

glass anywhere on image, adjusting its

size and zoom level, perfect for

emphasizing or showcasing details to

someone on the other side.

Showcasing something to someone can now

be done even while recording a video

because in iOS 26, there's finally an

option to record using both the rear and

front-facing cameras at the same time. I

first showcased this in my iPhone 17 Pro

Max episode, which I'll link at the end

of this one, and it's perfect for both

social media or content where you want

to capture both perspectives for a more

personal approach. So, something to keep

in mind while you are recording, you can

move around the preview window, but you

cannot change how the front-facing

camera appears. You can, of course, zoom

in with the main cameras for the purpose

of showcasing something, but the

front-facing camera remains as it is,

which is not super wide, but in most

cases, it's okay. Now, in my EDC

episode, I sparked a ton of interest

with the Telesin Master Grip, and I

absolutely had to make the cut in this

episode. This is a magnetic camera grip

that turns the iPhone into something

that feels like a real camera. What

impressed me immediately upon unboxing

it is the built, the ergonomics, and how

much thought went into every detail

here. The grip keeps the iPhone cool and

stable even during long shoots, while

the built-in battery provides additional

power to keep the device topped up

during longer filming sessions. The

traditional camera inspiration is taken

further providing features like screen

off wake button complete with tactile

zoom focus and shutter controls. There's

even a thumb rest, which is awesome. And

because it's part of a modular magnetic

ecosystem, I can instantly attach a UV

filter or expand with a magnetic field

light, which is part of the creator

combo kit. The grip works flawlessly

with the native camera app and even

better, a dedicated one, which provides

fantastic famous camera emulators. I'll

be sure to link the Telesin Master Grip

and the lineup below.

Before I get into some interesting

iPhone cases, let me go through a few

quick tips and tricks worth remembering.

The first one is in the phone app, where

you can now go back in time and review

the full call history for individual

contacts or numbers you've been in touch

with. It's especially useful when you

need to check your call log with a

delivery company or let's say a hotel to

recall exactly when you confirmed an

order or booking. in messages. If you

don't remember when something was

discussed, but can visually recall a

photo or image tied to that

conversation, just tap on the contact

photo and open photos. Then tap and hold

on the image that you remember and

choose show in conversation. iMessage

will take you straight back to that

point in time. Also, you can now change

your default alarm snooze time to

something more realistic like 2, 3, or 5

minutes instead of 9. And finally,

consider enabling Face ID protection for

individual apps. It's a great privacy

safety net, especially for social media.

[Music]

Now, let me show you some cases that I

would personally recommend depending on

your individual style and protection

needs, of course. The UAG Monarch Pro is

for the kind of person who doesn't want

to baby their phone. It's the case you

pick when you know drops will happen.

Where a leather case scuffs and ages

with character, this one doesn't flinch.

It's built to take real hits and still

looks good doing it. The grip feels

secure, the buttons click with intent,

and even though it's designed for

protection, it doesn't feel bulky. For

Maxafe wallet lovers, UAG also offers a

wallet stand, which is an impressive

wallet on its own, as it can fit up to

six cards, doubles as a kickstand, and

snaps with brute force. A classier

alternative and a personal favorite of

mine is the Nomad traditional leather

case, which adds all the necessary

protection without the TPU or rubber

surroundings for that extra clean and

symmetrical leather front look. As with

everything in Nomad, this case will age

like a fine bottle of wine. And in this

brown color, I think it fits the silver

17 Pro Max like a glove. This case can

also be paired with Nomad's leather Mac

wallet with built-in tracking for that

perfect phone and traceable wallet

combo. On the thinner side of things,

Banks can step in with a Kevlar full

coverage case called the Prestige, which

is threaded and very elegant to the

touch. With its super strong magnets and

lens protection, it is surely a great

alternative for those who don't want

their plateau chipping off. If you are

more into traditional and tactile

wallets, you can check out my pick this

year, which is called Mech Wallet. It's

part of my everyday carry episode, which

I'll link right here alongside my 17 Pro

Max and Air episodes. Like and subscribe

to the channel, as well as my

newsletter. And as always, it's been an

absolute pleasure. This is Z over and

out.