iOS 7.1 is out! Update adds CarPlay support, improves Siri, iTunes Radio, iPhone 4 performance

By Peter Cohen
last updated

Apple on Monday released iOS 7.1 . The new version is available immediately as an over the air (OTA) download. CarPlay, enhancements to Siri and iTunes Radio, and other changes have been made in the new release - including some performance improvement for long-suffering iPhone 4 users.

Apple officially unveiled CarPlay at the Geneva Motor Show last week. While the new technology won't be accessible until auto manufacturers roll out new models later this year, iOS 7.1 adds CarPlay support. CarPlay enables you to control Music, Maps, Messages, and select third-party apps using your car's center console display or through voice commands using Siri.

Also new in this release are changes to Siri - you can manually control when Siri listens by holding down the home button while you speak, rather than letting Siri automatically notice when you stop talking. More natural-sounding voices have been included for Mandarin Chinese, UK English, Australian English and Japanese.

iTunes Radio gets a search field to find new stations, along with other changes. Calendar will let you display events in month views, Accessibility gains new bold font options, offers a Reduce Motion option for Weather, Messages and multitasking UI animations, and more.

Here's the complete list of changes, according to Apple:

CarPlay

  • iOS experience designed for the car
  • Simply connect your iPhone to a CarPlay enabled vehicle
  • Supports Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, and 3rd-party audio apps
  • Control with Siri and the car's touchscreen, knobs, and buttons

Siri

  • Manually control when Siri listens by holding down the home button while you speak and releasing it when you're done as an alternative to letting Siri automatically notice when you stop talking
  • New, more natural sounding male and female voices for Mandarin Chinese, UK English, Australian English, and Japanese

iTunes Radio

  • Search field above Featured Stations to easily create stations based on your favorite artist or song
  • Buy albums with the tap of a button from Now Playing Subscribe to iTunes Match on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to enjoy iTunes Radio ad-free

Calendar

  • Option to display events in month view
  • Country specific holidays automatically added for many countries

Accessibility

  • Bold font option now includes the keyboard, calculator, and many icon glyphs
  • Reduce Motion option now includes Weather, Messages, and multitasking UI animations
  • New options to display button shapes, darken app colors, and reduce white point

Other

  • New Camera setting to automatically enable HDR for iPhone 5s
  • iCloud Keychain support in additional countries
  • FaceTime call notifications are automatically cleared when you answer a call on another device
  • Fixes a bug that could occasionally cause a home screen crash
  • Improves Touch ID fingerprint recognition
  • Improved performance for iPhone 4
  • Fixes display of Mail unread badge for numbers greater than 10,000
  • Continued user interface refinements

Have you updated already? Are you excited about the changes? Any trouble? Let us know in the comments!

200 Comments
  • downloading now and waiting for the installation to complete.
  • Is anyone experiencing call quality issues?
  • Call quality is fine, but my wifi refuses to connect now since the update.
  • After the update I couldn't connect to WiFi via the control center until I went back to Settings>WiFi> and then redescovered the network and reentered my password.
  • WARNING: DO NOT apply this upgrade. It is buggy and will break your mic and no one will be able to hear you for calls!!! Apple, as usual, says n-o-t-h-i-n-g.
  • Updating as we speak.
  • Downloading it now...
  • releas and serach
  • Installing now. I would love to hear how the iPhone 4 improvements are working. I'm wanting my daughter to update to 7.1, but she's understandably nervous.
  • Ditto Sent from the iMore App
  • Why would you be nervous? Apple tests these updates on all devices.
  • Because most would think 2013-2014 software will run horribly on 2010 hardware.
  • HAHAHAHAHA! That is the funniest comment ever!!
  • Because iOS 7 has effectively removed the multiple application function on anything older than an iPhone 5. It has made the Note app one of my most used apps, as I can no longer copy and paste from two different sources. That's why.
  • I updated my iPhone 4 to 7.1 and it does seem to be working better (faster) and I've been using it for four hours. So, so far all is well
  • My son has an iPhone 4 and we upgraded him last night. No problems and it's been fine all day today. Not sure how much "better" it is - but it's certainly no worse.
  • Thank you so much, I been waiting for this for a while now :D
  • There are a few typos in this article. Sent from the iMore App
  • Thanks for the heads-up! I haven't seen the update yet but I'm sure it will be available shortly (for me). I'm interested to find out what other bugs are addresses. Sent from the iMore App
  • I've updated the article with Apple's release notes (which hadn't been published when I first posted).
  • pic above shows 1.4 GB but my update is only 268 Mb , why ???
  • Me too. Using an iPhone 5 here. Could it be fingerprint stuff?
  • The screenshot is from a device running the beta. Based on our preliminary water cooler discussions, it appears the update from the beta is, for whatever reason, significantly larger than the release version. 268 MB for me too.
  • Didn't beta require a full install, not upgrade?
  • Thanks for the clarification, Peter.
  • I have 5s
  • If you download the update via iTunes (after connecting your device) it is downloading 1.4GB. If you are updating your device directly and wirelessly the update is apparently on around 268mb. But I did get a message that it would require 1.5GB free space on my iPhone in order to install it.
  • I have an iPhone 4 so I'm a wee apprehensive. Going to download it but wait on an install.
  • Downloading right now, on an iPhone 4, I will let you know if the improvements make it a little more responsive….
  • The release notes say it should be. Good luck and report back!
  • I've been using IOS 7.1 for about 3 hours and there are improvements, in the last couple of weeks I've even disabled all the transparencies, because at some specific tasks the phone was frustratingly slow, now with the update is a lot more pleasant to use, it won't fly but at least walks faster than before and its still very capable, so I turned the fewer transparencies on again.
  • > offers a Reduce Motion opinion for Weather My opinion is... it's bad.
  • Still no iTunes Radio for Canada Sent from the iMore App
  • That's not related to iOS 7.1, though. The same as it isn't here in the UK yet. Because, licensing.
  • I don't care if it doesn't have to do with iOS 7.1 I really don't care. It's been almost a year since iTunes Radio came out in the USA Sent from the iMore App
  • 6 Months to be exact. It came out last september..
  • I live in Vancouver and just created a US iTunes account. Problem solved
  • My issue with that is a) having to swap stores back and forth and b) my match account is Canadian, which means iTunes Radio is filled with ads :(
  • You're not really missing anything with iTunes Radio. I wouldn't worry about it.
  • I downloaded ot as soon as I saw it was available. I really jad no issue with the OS on either of my crevices so not seeing anything major yet. Nice to be up to date tho. I'll keep playing around to learn a few more of the new tweets. Gotta love it.
  • I should HOPE you have "no issue with the OS on either of my crevices" lmaoooo funny typo!
  • Apple TV too! Sent from the iMore App
  • Feels so good! The new keyboard looks great. The look if the settings app is also different. Better fonts and grays. I live it so far. Sent from the iMore App
  • I've updated! Runs a lot more fluid on my iPhone 5 and iPad 2! Sent from the iMore App
  • 268Mb OTA from 7.0.6 on a 5S Preparing to Update...
  • About to download it onto my iPhone 4...hopefully it speeds up stuff. Sent from the iMore App
  • iPhone 4 users, please let us know your impressions of the iOS 7.1 supposedly faster performance!
  • Just updated and my iP4 feels much better! I've been running with the reduced motion and higher contrast to make everything smoother, now I can turn both of those settings off! Good so far
  • I totally agree with you, I also had all those settings turned off before
  • so far all is working much better on my iPhone 4. It appears to be working much better. It's not taking as long for apps to open or close. No app crashing which is nice. So for now I'm happy with it
  • I have iphone 4s and after updating, closing background apps by tapping the home button twice does not work.Do you lot have a suggestion on how to fix this? I tried resetting that did not work.I am very frustrated! Otherwise, I am very pleased with the improved performance.
  • Downloading and installing! Running beta 5, but can't wait to see the official version. Sent from the iMore App
  • Really awesome to have a stable release that makes the auto-crash/reboots a thing of the past, amongst other tweaked UI & operating fixes. At the risk of being superficial, I miss the ratched-up toned-up green icons! It's really obvious how toned down and stodgy the homescreen is now. Boo!
  • I will be thrilled if this fixes the re-springs!
  • Oh, toss some ponies on the background or something.
  • It seems to be smoother! I'm happy with it. Sent from the iMore App
  • Updated and phone (5s) is feeling a lot faster and more responsive.
  • I hope it fixes Safari crashes. That's really all I care about.
  • My iPhone seems to be faster. Yay! Sent from the iMore App
  • FYI. This paragraph has three typos. Just thought you'd like to know... iTunes Radio gets a serach field to find new stations, along with other changes. Calendar will let you display events in month views, Accessibility gains mew bold font options, offers a Reduce Motion opinion for Weather, Messages and multitasking UI animations and more.
  • It's pretty slick on first impression. I like the new UI tweaks and the new green icons. Still a bit of a delay with some actions tho. No one should have an excuse to stay on 7.06 or older. Sent from the iMore App
  • Currently updating my iPhone 5s now. Hoping it brings iTunes Radio to the uk, improves touch ID because my experience with it is very poor & fixes bug that makes iPhone reboot unexpectedly.
  • No update for my JB ip 4s ;( i cant see any update... I guess need to manually download on itunes and loose muy JB!! Too bad ;((
  • Well my iPhone 5 downloaded update in less then 3 minutes and update is on... Now I'm looking to see what is new. But my mom's iPhone 5c and dad's iPhone 5c showing ESTIMATED TIME more then 5 HOURS (ok, I know servers are full now but I'm surprised then how fast was on my iPhone 5)!!! For now still searching what is new! :-)
  • IPad Air updated and it feels slightly quicker. Time will tell if the "random" resprings have been fixed. 5S still,updating and looking forward to improved finger print reading.
  • I noticed an improvement in performance for my 4S right away! :) Sent from the iMore App
  • Waiting for it to download as we speak. iOS 7.0.6 is pretty fluid on my iPhone 5 anyway but it can only get better. Excited to see if my iPad 2 will run a bit more smoothly (beginning to notice just how much less RAM it has these days). I know it's not really that related, but I'm still waiting for iTunes Radio in the UK & Ireland... Sent from the iMore App
  • Ill Wait for the Jailbreak!
  • As for the accessibility options, I think the "Button Shapes" looks terrible, but am loving the "Darken Colors" and "Reduce White Point" Sent from the iMore App
  • Yeah, I dig the "Darken Colors" a lot too! What affect does the "Reduce White Point" have, though?
  • A slightly less bright white. May not be as noticeable depending on your brightness levels. Sent from the iMore App
  • After download, when it was back up, got a pop up message "connect to a computer with a cable to enable wifi sync" this was iPhone 5S. Any ideas? Sent from the iMore App
  • Comment below. Hopefully fixing wifi sync problem. Sent from the iMore App
  • After an update the iPhone won't sync to iTunes via WiFi until you sync with cable once. AFAIK it has always done this.
  • Does it not suck on ipads? 7.0 always seemed 'unfinished' on ipads. Did they address this? I"m guessing nope!
  • 7.1 is supposed to greatly improve iPad stability - that's a main reason for it.
  • GlennRuss probably fixing the issue with wifi sync. I am one of those who deal with this issue. Good luck! Sent from the iMore App
  • My Unlocked 64gb iPhone 5s is friggin blazing fast now Sent from the iMore App
  • Seems like the fixed everything on this update Sent from the iMore App
  • I updated my iphone 5 and currently updating my ipad mini 2. Speed improvements is noticeable. One thing i have to complain is why they included the weather animation in reduce motion? I just like the weather animation. I keep turning on my reduce motion coz i just dont like the wallpaper to be spread out. Sent from the iMore App
  • Turn off reduce motion and use the new Perspective Zoom off when setting your wallpaper.
  • Since updating to 7.1 my Podcast app just shows a few podcasts (out of 277) and is blank for the rest. You can scroll through the list, it is just mostly blank.
  • Podcasts app was just updated. Sent from the iMore App
  • Yeah, but is that correct or no? The annoying thing on the last update was that it was listing all the podcasts in the cloud in your counts (some in the new podcasts counts)...
  • Not sure. Last update (7.0.6) seemed to f up podcasts (mine all seemed reset or something). This one looks good so far Sent from the iMore App
  • It has taken several hours but most have downloaded and it is not blank anymore, just a few still grayed out.
  • Looks like color fix. Keyboard now bold. Icons look bolder. Seems faster. App names in bold text. Things just look better. Has a rich look to it. Sent from the iMore App
  • I love the new update! Text is bolder, apps open super fast, and Siri works better than ever. Long live Apple! Sent from the iMore App
  • Has any iphone 5 users found a fix for the random crashes? i know its early but just curious.
  • From 6 to 7.1 i never experienced any crashes on my iphone 5 except on my mini retina which is currently updating. Sent from the iMore App
  • The springboard bug that caused you to reboot back to the home screen spontaneously should be fixed in this update.
  • thanks its been 12 hours and no issue so far!
  • I can say I installed it right away, and haven't had one yet. My daughter on her iPod touch noticed it more than I did. Won't get a proper test with her until the weekend due to school, but that will be the real test. Sent from the iMore App
  • iPad 3. Gen. Is finally usable. Great update.
  • Agreed. Makes it completely usable again. Glad I held off. Also like the subtle changes. Example. When connecting to Home Sharing, it would show the circle spinning with the stop/square in the middle. Now the circle is a bit of a status indicator. Sent from the iMore App
  • Yes, I just checked that, looks nice. One thing is pulling up quick settings from the botom is a little too springy and light goes flickering. I don't like that. I wander if it is just for iPad 3 or all iPads.
  • Same goes with my Iphone 4s, its so annoying...
  • I didn't have the update available on my iPhone 5S right away no matter how many times I tried refreshing the settings app or opening and force closing it, but when I did a hard reset of my iPhone 5S (holding power & home button simultaneously till the phone shuts off) then when I opened settings and looked for an update it immediately pulled up the update for iOS 7.1
  • Itching to try but I'm jailbroken and currently addicted to my jb tweaks!!! Soon as I hear 7.1 is jailbroken I'm sold. Sent from the iMore App
  • "Fixes a bug that could occasionally cause a home screen crash" :: snoopydance ::
  • I'm probably blind, but I'm not seeing a s