Apple premiered iOS 17 at WWDC 2023, introducing a host of new features that iPhone users have come to expect. And none is more important than Check In, which automatically notifies family and friends that you have arrived at your destination safely.

The Check In feature automatically sends your location and other important information to selected contacts. This way, if you promised to text a friend or family member when you got home safely, but accidentally forget to do so, your iPhone will do the rest. This feature will also work with your wearables if you have one of the best Apple watches.

Check In tracks the route you take during your trip and can send alerts to your contacts if you are late, take a detour, or fail to reach your destination at all. The contacts you choose can see your device's location, battery life, and cell phone signal level, depending on your settings. This way, you can check the status of your trip and rest assured that you are in good hands.

This is one of several iOS 17 phone upgrades designed to make your life easier. Apple has stated that information shared in check-ins will be encrypted. And it's all user-configurable on a per-contact basis, so you can always choose what information you want to automatically share with friends and family.

Check-in is one of several major changes introduced to the Messages app in iOS 17. To view it, head to the Messages app and tap on the conversation in which you want to use Check In. Press the + symbol to the left of the chat bar in iMessage, tap "More" and select "Check In" from the list.

If you are using Check In for the first time, follow the on-screen instructions. To begin, decide whether you want "Limited" or "Full" data sharing access; Limited will share location, battery life, and network signals to selected contacts, while Full will share those plus the last time you unlocked your iPhone or Apple Watch Full includes those, plus route and location information from when you last unlocked your iPhone or removed your Apple Watch.

Tap "Edit" to adjust the check-in details of a message. There is also an option to toggle the estimated time to arrive at your destination depending on your mode of transportation. To end the process, press "Done" followed by "Send." If you want to stop at one or two places along the way, you can cancel or add more time. When you arrive at your destination, Check In will automatically send a message to your selected contacts to let them know you arrived safely.

If for some reason you fail to arrive at your destination within the specified time, a prompt will pop up asking if there is anything wrong with your iPhone If you do not respond to the prompt within 15 minutes, Check In may have a problem with the selected contact and will send an alert that.

Currently, iOS 17 is only available as a developer beta, with the first public beta to be released later this summer. if you are interested in using Check In and the other features this update will add, download the iOS 17 beta now and install it now.