Each year, Apple releases a new version of its mobile operating system software, called “iOS”, and at the last WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference), it announced the next update: iOS 11. What is great about all of the annual software updates is that they are 100% free, and all you need to do to get iOS 11 is install it on your phone as soon as it becomes available this fall.
One of the new features of iOS 11 is the Files app. The Files app serves as a centralized location where all files from a variety of sources including iCloud Drive, Dropbox, and Google Drive can be found and organized. Next, there is the new Dock. The Dock allows you to open and switch apps with just one swipe, and it can be customized so that you can make your favorite apps easier to find. The Dock is also smart, so it knows and remembers which apps you have used recently (even on other devices linked to your iCloud account) and will make those just a tap away. With an improved Drag and Drop feature, it is easy to drag and drop files, text, or pictures from one app to another when both are opened side by side.
There are also improvements relating to the Apple Pencil. With Instant Markup, all you need to do is start writing on the screen in order to mark-up pictures, web pages, or documents (including PDFs). With iOS 11 you can also simply tap on the Lock screen with your Apple Pencil and then immediately start taking notes. Whatever you write or draw is then saved in the Notes app automatically. The iPad itself is also made smarter to work around the Apple Pencil. For example, if you start writing or drawing on a note or email, the typed text will automatically move to make room for the new handwritten additions. Furthermore, it will now be possible to search through handwritten notes, not just typed ones.
The update to Notes also includes a new Document Scanner, which scans documents, crops the image, and removes tints and glares. This makes it easy to fill out and sign forms or documents without ever having to print them out. The iOS 11 software also changes the keyboard. It puts letters, numbers, symbols, and punctuation marks on the same keyboard so that you don’t have to switch back and forth to add a dash or parentheses (or any other symbol). Each letter key has a number, symbol, or punctuation mark associated with it, which you can access by simply flicking down on the letter key.
These are only a few of the fun and useful features that iOS 11 brings to iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users. For more information, check out the iOS 11 page on the Apple website: https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-11-preview/. Although we will have to wait a few months before testing out iOS 11 for ourselves, Apple’s history of exemplar products and operating systems makes me think that iOS 11 will not disappoint.
