iOS troubleshooting guide

Learn about iOS 11 changes and how to pinpoint problems

Many bugs that existed in early versions of iOS 11 have now been fixed, and upgrading should be fairly painless. If you’re curious about what has been resolved, Apple maintains a detailed list at bit.ly/ios11notes. Note that this isn’t exhaustive, though — from its contents, you wouldn’t have a clue as to why an app might no longer show up in Spotlight’s search results, for example. (We’ll talk about that specific issue in a moment.)

Many changes in iOS 11 are beneficial, and if your device can take the upgrade but you haven’t installed it, read our past coverage in

Mac|Life issues 135 and 134. As with High Sierra, there are some stumbling blocks, but over the next few pages we’ll help you overcome them, and show how to track down persistent issues whether you’re using iOS 11 or another version.

iOS 11 has matured into a generally reliable release, with plenty of good new features, but there are behavioral changes you need to know about.