Apple has released a big update to iOS 11
iOS 11.3 is here, with a range of new features to dig your teeth into – more than we usually get outside of the annual refresh cycle. Most welcome is the addition of a Battery Health section in Settings, something which has been promised since the #iPhoneSlow controversy at the turn of the year.
This will help users keep better track of long-term battery life, understand when they need to replace the battery, and provide the opportunity to disable the performance-throttling that sometimes kicks in with older batteries. If Apple had done this a year ago it could have avoided a lot of bad press! Still a very useful feature though – we’ll bring you a full guide to the Battery Health section in due course.
Oh, and bear in mind that iPad batteries are able to last much longer and therefore aren’t affected by the same practices or guidelines – though this update does make improvements to how iPads charge, meaning they too should now survive longer.
It’s not just battery performance that gets a look-in here. iOS 11.3 also brings a big update to ARKit, meaning augmented reality apps can now track vertical surfaces like walls in addition to horizontal ones like tables and floors. We’re hoping to see some cool implementations of this improved tech in the coming months.
iPhone X users get access to four new Animoji (lion, bear, dragon, and skull) while those concerned with privacy will be pleased to see Apple has added a feature that clearly informs you when it wants to use your personal data.
Apple has also added a new Health Records feature to help keep track of your medical history, made music videos a focus of Apple Music, and made some security improvements to Safari to help protect your saved passwords.
All this in addition to a slew of less notable bug fixes and minor improvements. As far as we’re concerned this is a must-have update, so get your hands on it as soon as possible!
How to update
To install iOS 11.3 for free, simply open the Settings app and tap General followed by Software Update.