Newest, neatest tricks of iOS 11
Apple’s beta version available to try,
The iPhone 8’s operNEW YORK ating system is here.
If you’re willing to put up with the risks associated with pre-release software, you can now try out the software that will be running at the core of Apple’s next iPhone, sometimes dubbed the 8 or X. Head to beta.apple.com to download the iOS 11, the public beta version.
I’ve been checking out the software on a loaner iPad Pro from Apple. Much of the love in iOS 11 is foisted on the tablet, with Apple stating that iOS 11 is the biggest software release for the iPad ever.
As you’d expect, the software is buggy and incomplete at this stage. Indeed, before you load iOS 11 on your own iPhone or iPad, heed Apple’s warnings when it comes to pre-launch software releases.
(Public beta software is beta software for a reason — and as Apple clearly spells out on the Web, “it may contain errors or inaccuracies and may not function as well as commercially released software.”)
The company recommends that you only install iOS 11 on a “secondary” device that is not the one that you rely on day by day, or critical to your work. And if you do choose to brave the risks, you’re advised to back up your phone or tablet with iTunes.
With that caveat aside, here are some of the features you will find, some for iPad only:
uFiles app. This welcome central repository organizes the files on your iPad or those that reside in Apple’s iCloud service. It’ll work (eventually) with third-party cloud services too, including Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, Mi-
crosoft OneDrive and more.
uNew iPad Dock. The newly-designed Dock where app icons are parked now surfaces icons for recently used apps on the right side of the Dock. And you can drag icons right from the Home screen to Dock, including more than one app at the same time.
uDrag and drop. Another feature to make the iPad more productive. You can drag and drop text, documents and files from one app to another. And if you tap and hold your finger against a single photo, you can tap other pictures to drag the whole bunch at once.
uQuickType. This smallish feature is already one of my favorites. If you want to type any of the numbers, symbols and punctuation marks that appear on top of the iPad’s virtual keyboard, just pull down on the given key and release to add those numbers, symbols and such. uAugmented reality. This is really a promise of what is yet to come. Apple has included with iOS 11 a kit for developers known as ARKit, which promises to let them produce software with all kinds of cool special effects. In AR, virtual objects blend into the real world environment, as was the case with last year’s faddish Pokémon Go app Siri translation. Apple’s vocal digital assistant can now translate the English phrases you speak out loud into Chinese, Spanish, French, German and Italian. How do you say “Where is the bathroom?” in French? uLive Photos edits. Another favorite feature of mine. Apple’s Live Photos, in which a snippet of video is captured along with your still photo, can now be edited. You can also apply neat loop, bounce and long-exposure special effects to a Live Photo.
uIndoor maps. I haven’t really tested this feature yet but look forward to the indoor maps that promise to help you find the location of stores in shopping malls, and shops and gates at airports. Speaking of Maps, Apple now posts speed limits and lane guidance while you are driving, something I found helpful while heading to the beach. uDo Not Disturb While
Driving. As the name suggests, this safety feature aims to keep you focused on the road while you’re at the wheel. You won’t see potentially distracting notifications on your lock screen when the feature is turned on, and through an automatic reply feature, your phone can send a message to people letting them know when you are driving.
If there’s a true emergency, those folks can reply with “urgent” and their messages will be permitted to come through. uControl Center redesign. Apple has gone back to a singlepage Control Center design, where you’ll find shortcut controls for everything from speaker volume to the flashlight. You can customize the controls that appear here. uFaster setup. When setting up a new iOS device, you can place an older iOS device nearby and pair them. That way, you can be automatically signed into iCloud, iTunes, the App Store and more on the newer device. uPay friends through an iMessage. You can’t test this feature yet via the current version of the public beta. The promise, though, is that using Apple Pay, you’ll be able to send or request money from friends when having a conversation with them through the Messages app.
As you’d expect, Apple’s beta software is buggy and not complete at this stage.