Skip to content

New in iOS 11: recap of all the latest features

If you’ve recently updated to iOS 11, you’ll notice things look a little different around here. Apple’s latest software update added some interesting new features and made changes to some of our favorite old ones.

To save you flipping through this entire guide wondering what’s new, we’ve compiled a quick rundown of everything that’s changed in iOS 11, organized by chapter. You can tap any of the red links to read the associated tip in full.

Basics

Control Center has been redesigned to fit just one page, and something called Cover Sheet replaces the old Notification Center.

Next Steps

In the Notes app, you can now scan documents with the device camera and securely lock them with a passcode. Notes can be quickly marked up with hand-drawn annotations, and so can screenshots. Apple Pay can be used to send money to your friends and family, and users are now able to save any website as a PDF, straight from Safari.

Battery Life

It’s now possible to disable background services when using a cellular connection, and Low Power Mode can be toggled from Control Center.

Phone

It’s possible to capture Live Photos midway through a FaceTime call.

Messages

The App Drawer has been redesigned to make it less confusing to navigate, and there are some new full-screen animations to choose from when sending an iMessage.

Typing

A specialist keyboard has been introduced to make one-handed typing easier.

Security

Users can swiftly deactivate Touch ID and contact emergency services with five quick presses of the power button.

Music & Videos

Parts of Apple Music have been redesigned, and you can now “follow” your friends to see what they’re listening to.

Camera

Nothing much to report here. Minor refinements but no big changes.

Photos

The core updates here all relate to Live Photos: you can now trim and adjust the moving images, set them to loop or bounce endlessly, or transform them with a long exposure effect.

Safari

A toggle in Settings allows you to prevent websites from tracking you.

Mail

Not much has changed here – and there’s still no way to “delete all,” unfortunately.

iCloud

You can save on storage space by allowing iCloud to automatically offload apps you rarely use.

Siri

Not only has Siri’s voice been upgraded this year, but you can also keep it quiet in public or even type your queries if you prefer that to talking.

Maps

The app now offers detailed lane navigation and indoor directions through buildings. A new feature called Do Not Disturb While Driving disables alerts while you’re in the car.

Accessibility

A new setting called Smart Invert is the closest thing we’ve got to a “dark mode”.

Advanced

You can now scan QR codes without a third-party app, and you can record video footage of your display. It’s also possible to move multiple apps at once on your Home screen. A new app called Files gives full access to all of the documents saved to your device.

Troubleshooting

Nothing new to see here! If your device isn’t working properly, all the old tips still apply.