You’ll use this feature before every trip you take
Check In is quickly becoming my most frequently used new feature in iOS 17. This new safety feature is so obviously useful and necessary that it should be standard on every phone you buy. I activate a check in and my iPhone 14 will automatically keep someone updated with my progress. If I don’t make it to a specific location, or check in after a certain amount of time, that person gets notified with detailed information that will let them help if there’s an emergency.
I travel often between Washington, D.C., and New York City, with loved ones on both ends of the trip. Every time I leave, somebody asks me to send a message when I’ve arrived safely. I usually forget, which is rude of me. With Check In, my iPhone keeps my people updated so I don’t have to remember.
I choose someone for my check in, and it sends them a message through iMessage. Check In on iOS 17 public beta only works between iMessage users right now. I’m not sure if that will change for the final launch, and I’ve reached out to Apple for comment, so I’ll update this story if they clarify.
The special Check In message updates itself with my progress. Unlike the Share ETA feature in Apple Maps, it doesn’t keep sending new messages with updates periodically. It just sits in iMessage as its own yellow bubble with my current ETA showing. If I start to run late, the time changes, but there’s no annoying alert.
When I arrive at my destination, the check in message lets them know I’ve arrived. I can set a delay, if I want a few minutes to get settled before it lets them know.Here’s what happens when you don’t check in
Of course, Check In isn’t designed just to send that “got home safe” message that I always forget.
