On Tuesday, Apple finally released their latest operating system for their devices – the iOS 11. This means that if your device is compatible with the new firmware, you don’t need to get the iPhone 8 or iPhone X to experience the new features iOS 11 has to offer.
To receive this update, go to your “Settings,” then “General” and click “Software update.” It’s highly recommended that you backup your device first before downloading the software just in case anything goes wrong with your device.
With that in mind, here are some of the firmware’s newest features and improvements you need to check out.
An improved virtual assistant
Siri has always been lagging behind the Google Assistant. However, Apple made a few improvements to their virtual assistant to catch up with Google.
According to USA Today, Siri is now capable of translating foreign phrases and speaks them more efficiently than before. Also, if you ask Siri about a particular subject, the virtual assistant will more or less read to you the description of your query instead of just showing you what it found on the internet.
New looks for the iMessage, Control Center and the App Store
Apple made some changes to its messaging app, the iMessage. Users may now see a tab below the screen of the app where they can find apps which they can use within iMessage as well as the App Store.
This means that users don’t need to go to a separate app to do so, unlike the previous version of the operating system.
The Control Center also received a new aesthetic and is now customizable. This means users can add or delete certain shortcuts within the Control Center in any way they see fit. Moreover, the 3D Touch integration has been expanded.
The iOS 11 also made changes to the App Store. The apps and games are now separated into two sections so that users can find the apps they want more easily. The App Store also has a new “Today” view that shows new content every day.
In addition, when taking screenshots, users may now add drawings like lines and circles if they want to focus attention on a particular area, or just only add flair to the image.
Toggling issues with WiFi and Bluetooth in Control Center
When users want to turn off their WiFi or Bluetooth, they just simply turn those off from the toggle switch in Control Center. However, in iOS 11, The Verge reported that those radios don’t turn off. Instead, they still function in the background so that the file-transferring feature of AirDrop and other communication services won’t be interrupted.
This means that if users want to turn those radios off, perhaps to conserve battery, they to need to go to the “Settings” menu and turn the radios off from there.
