Apple’s latest iOS 17 update comes with an exciting new feature called Check In that allows you to easily share your location and trip progress with friends and family. Check In provides real-time updates as you travel towards your destination, giving your loved ones peace of mind knowing you are safe.

What is Check In?

Check In is located within the Messages app in iOS 17. It allows you to share your trip details and ETA with any of your contacts. Your contact will receive updates as you make progress towards your chosen destination.

Check In utilizes your iPhone’s GPS and other sensors to track your movement. It will estimate your arrival time based on current travel speed and traffic conditions. If there is a significant delay, your contact will be notified.

See Also: Nightstand Mode in iOS 17: How to Activate and Use It?

How to Set Up Check In

Setting up Check In the first time is quick and easy:

Choose a Contact

  • Open the Messages app and select the contact you want to share your trip with. This can be an individual or group conversation.

Access Check In

  • Tap the plus (+) icon to access app extensions.
  • Scroll down and tap on Check In. This option will only appear if you and your recipients are running iOS 17.

Accept Permissions

  • The first time, iOS will ask for permission to access your location data. Read the prompts carefully.
  • You can choose to share Limited Data or Full Access. Limited shares basic info like location and battery life while Full shares more detailed metrics.
  • Tap Continue to accept and move forward.

Send Your Check In

With permissions set up, you can now hit Send to share your first Check In with your chosen contact.

How Check In Works

Once you send that initial Check In, your contact will be able to see your location and trip progress in real-time. Here’s an overview of how it works:

  • Your location and estimated arrival time will update as you travel. Your contact can see these details on a map.
  • If you make a stop, your contact will see how long you have been stopped. This allows them to see if you are right on schedule or have encountered delays.
  • If your arrival is delayed more than 15 minutes, your contact will receive an alert. This notification allows them to see your latest updates.
  • If you completely stop moving for a period of time, your phone will prompt you to respond. If you fail to respond after 15 minutes, your emergency contacts are alerted.
  • When you arrive at your destination, your contact will receive one final update notifying them you have arrived safely.
  • At any point, you can open Check In to view your own progress and see the latest details shared with your contact.

Who Can Use Check In?

Check In requires iOS 17 or later to be installed on both the sender’s and recipient’s devices. The sender must have an iPhone model XR or later.

If your recipients have older iOS versions, Check In will fail to send. You will need to update their devices before being able to share live location data.

Check In also integrates with your Apple Watch if you want to share updates even when you don’t have your iPhone on you. As long as your Apple Watch has GPS capability, it can track your movement.

Wrap Up

Check In provides a convenient new way to share your location and trip progress with family and friends in iOS 17. With real-time updates and ETA sharing, it gives users peace of mind about your safety. Just be sure to set it up properly, customize the data you share, and use Check In safely, and you’ll enjoy this handy addition to Messages.