Apple has unveiled iOS 11 at WWDC 2017. While visually it’s very similar to iOS 10, this new version of Apple’s mobile operating system comes with a huge amount of new features.
Some of them will be unique to either the iPad or Apple’s new smartphone the iPhone X but for the rest of us there are plenty of big new changes.
iOS 11 is available to download on 19 September at 6PM GMT.
So without further ado we’ll get stuck into some of the biggest features that have been announced.
Messages
Apple’s Messages app has been given a subtle but important update. Before you bring up the keyboard, conversations will now allow you to quickly access your iMessage apps.
Your iMessage conversations are now also synched across all your Apple devices automatically which means everything from conversations to individual messages can now be synched and deleted across all devices.
Apple Pay
Now this is a big one. You can now pay each other using Apple Pay. It works through Messages which means that you can simply bring up Apple Pay within the app, select the amount you would like to pay and then authenticate it using the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone or iPad.
Files
Available on both iPhone and iPad, Files is the traditional file directory you’ll know and love from your PC or MacBook. It contains all your documents, images, videos both on your device and up in the cloud through services like Dropbox, Box and even Adobe Creative Cloud.
This will make a huge difference to iPad users, allowing them to drag and drop files from Files to Messages, Mail, WhatsApp and other apps.
Camera
The camera gets a small update but one that’s going to make a huge difference to your storage woes.
Apple’s moving over from JPEGs to a new type of image formate called HEV. It’s still compatible with everything you use currently but thanks to compression that’s twice as good it now massively reduces the amount space it’s going to take up on your phone.
Control Centre
Control centre now has a new minimalist look that takes up just one screen so there’s no swiping between different cards. It looks more simplistic but Apple’s using 3D Touch on the newer iPhones to let you expand them into more complex settings menus.
Dock
The dock is now finally available on iPad. Much like the dock on your MacBook or iMac, it can be summoned at any time by simply swiping up from the bottom of the display.
Multi-tasking happens by simply holding down on an app and then dragging it up onto the display.
This should finally bring the iPad more in line with competitor devices like the Microsoft Surface as it places even more focus on productivity.
Do Not Disturb While Driving
This is pretty self-explanatory but it’s also very necessary. Your iPhone will now intelligently know if you’re driving and then helpfully turn off all the notifications on your phone. Then if someone messages you they can get an automated response telling them that you’re driving.
Apple Music
Apple Music hasn’t been given the major overhaul it was given last year. This time it’s about bringing your friends into the mix. You now have a profile that can be set as public or private.
Your friends’ Apple Music listening habits will then appear on your app and help you find new music or allow you to tap into their playlists and music tastes.
Siri
This is also a big deal. Siri has been given a massive personality overhaul. Not only does it get a new logo and look but machine learning means Siri sounds more human and can be interacted with in a more human way. This is clearly a big move by Apple to tackle the increasing competition from Alexa and Google Assistant.
Siri is also now able to learn more about you across all your devices, from automatically creating a calendar event based on tickets you bought in Safari, to suggesting Apple News stories based on subjects you were browsing.
Last but not least is translation. Siri can now translate for you and then speak on your behalf.