iOS 11

Oscar Raymundo looks at the biggest changes to the mobile OS

Siri in iOS 11 has learned to sound like an actual human – and that’s just the beginning when it comes to the new mobile operating system for iPhones and iPads. Apple CEO Tim Cook and friends gave us a full overview of iOS 11 during Apple’s WWDC keynote. New features include sweeping new upgrades to Siri, a redesigned Control Center and App Store, and a brandnew Apple Pay feature that lets you send or receive money to your contacts via iMessage.

In addition, developers can now create apps that tap into your iOS device’s potential to create augmented reality experiences via the new ARKit. Plus, there are new productivity features for the iPad, including dragand-drop capability and a new Mac-style Dock.

Compatible devices

• iPhone 7/Plus • iPhone 6s/Plus

• iPhone 6/Plus • iPhone SE

• iPhone 5s

• iPad Pro (9.7-, 10.5-, 12.9in )

• iPad Air

• iPad Air 2

• iPad (5th generation)

• iPad mini 2/3/4

• iPod Touch (6th generation)

Release date

Following a series of developer and public betas this summer, Apple will make iOS 11 available to everyone as a free upgrade later this autumn – likely around the same time as the launch of the next iPhone, typically in early or mid-September.

Public beta

Apple will probably start rolling out the first public beta in June and anyone can give it a whirl (at their own risk). First, log in to the Beta Software Program page (tinyurl.com/pkmbuxz) using your Apple ID and click on the link to enrol your iOS device. In order to

download and install a configuration profile, you’ll be instructed to go to beta.apple.com/profile on the iOS device that you want to put the beta on – that will make the beta available as an over-the-air software update in the Settings app.

Just remember that this is a beta version of the new software, so make sure you backup your iOS device before venturing into this unknown territory. Better yet, we recommend installing the public beta profile on a secondary iOS device (if you have one) so that you can test it without fear that it will screw something up. iOS 11 FAQ What new features does Siri offer? The first new thing you’ll notice about Siri in iOS 11 is her more-natural sounding voice. However, she also looks a little different: Apple has given its voice assistant a new visual interface that surfaces multiple results for your requests, as well as follow-up questions. In addition, Siri can now translate phrases for you, from English to Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. This

feature is in beta, and Apple will add more languages in the months to come.

Siri has also become more predictive across different iOS apps. For example, if you search for “Iceland” in Safari, Siri will surface Iceland-related articles in the News app and bring up QuickType suggestions in Icelandic. Or, if you get a text message asking for money, Siri will suggest iMessage’s Apple Pay integration with the exact amount that’s been requested. Apple has also expanded SiriKit support to include more robust integrations with third-party services. You can now use Siri to add to your Evernote or pull up a QR code in WeChat, among other things.

Can I do more with Live Photos?

Apple has given us more editing tools for Live Photos, those moving images that you can take using an iPhone 6s and later. You can turn your Live Photos into video loops that replay over... and over... and over. The Photos app will even suggest Live Photos that would make for great loops. You can also add a ‘Bounce’ effect so that the Live Photo plays and then rewinds, kind of like Instagram Boomerangs. There’s also a new Long Exposure effect which makes the iPhone even more like a DSLR.

Do Live Photos take up a lot of space?

That’s true, but thankfully Apple has addressed this issue by switching to a more space efficient encoding system. For videos, iOS 11 uses HEVC (aka H.265), which is twice as efficient as the previous H.264 format. For still photos, iOS 11 uses HEIF (High

Efficiency Image Format) which Apple claims will take up only half the space.

Where will I be able to use Maps indoors?

Apple continues to improve the native Maps app in iOS 11. For the first time, you’ll be able to use Maps to navigate your way around indoor spaces. Maps in iOS 11 introduces indoor mapping so you can get detailed floor plans of certain shopping centres and major airports, such as London Heathrow, down to individual vendors on each floor.

How does ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’ work?

Another feature introduced at WWDC is iOS 11’s ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’ mode. Your iPhone will use Bluetooth (if connected to CarPlay or any other invehicle Bluetooth system) or motion sensors to figure out if you’re driving, and will automatically prevent all notifications from surfacing and causing a distraction. You can override this mode, however, or setup an automatic response to let people who text you know you’re on the road and that you’ll get back to them as soon as you arrive at your destination.

What about augmented reality?

Tim Cook has spent all year talking about how excited he is for augmented reality, so it’s no surprise that Apple used this year’s WWDC keynote to show off what they’ve been working on in this emerging area. Alongside iOS 11, Apple unveiled ARKit, a new developer platform for creating iOS apps that tap into augmented reality. Apps built with ARKit will be able

to use computer vision to identify surfaces and add 3D objects. These objects create dynamic shadows that are rendered in real-time.

Did the iPad get more macOS-type features?

There’s a new app Dock that looks a lot like the one in macOS, making it a lot easier to switch between apps. You can also press on any of these apps and drag them over to the right side of the screen to open them as a Slide Over. As always, you can lock Slide Over into Split View to use both apps simultaneously.

The Dock can be accessed from any screen and you can customize it with your favourite apps. Also, it has

a dynamic section on the right side that changes to suggest recently-used apps across your Apple devices.

What about drag-and-drop?

With iOS 11, you can drag-and-drop between the two apps in Split View, which makes it easier to transfer files, images, text, and URLs. You can drag-attach images from the Photos to Mail, or drag-copy-andpaste directions from Safari into Maps.

And how does the new Files app work?

Apple also launched Files, a new iOS app intended to make the iPad experience more like a traditional Mac. Pretty self-explanatory, Files displays your documents stored in iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, and other file-storage apps.

Are there new ways to use Apple Pencil?

Apple has expanded Apple Pencil support for the iPad Pro. Tap a PDF or screenshot with the tip of the stylus and you’ll be able to scribble on it instantly thanks to a new feature called Instant Markup. Similarly, you can Pencil tap on the Lock screen to start writing. All your handwritten creations will be saved to your Notes app, and these handwritten notes are searchable, too.

Notes also has a new built-in Document Scanner, allowing you to scan a document, sign it or mark on it with Apple Pencil, then save or share. Plus, Notes and Mail now support Inline Drawing so you can add colour to your emails and notes. The text will automatically move out of the way when you start drawing, so everything remains legible.

A few more things... Control Center

has been redesigned so that it’s only one panel. You can customize it with your go-to’s such as Low-Power Mode and use 3D Touch to adjust more specific controls.

App Store

mirrors the look-and-feel of Apple Music, with a new Today tab for featured games and apps.

Messages App Drawer

makes it easier to access your favourite iMessage apps by swiping across the bottom of the screen, instead of having to tap back to the drawer every time you want to switch apps.

Apple Music

gets more social. New profile photos indicate when one of your friends has listened to a certain albums or playlist.