The public beta for iOS 11 is now live, meaning you don't have to wait until this fall to hear from the new Siri or add some bounce to your Live Photos.
Enter your Apple ID here to sign up for the free software. Just be sure to take an extra safety precaution and back up your device with iTunes before installing the it.
Read on to find out what else you're getting with the new software.
This article was originally published on June 5, 2017.
Apple has finally set some rumors straight. At today’s annual industry event, the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Jose, CA, the company revealed what we can look forward to with the next major iPhone update, iOS 11.
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Apple execs, including CEO Tim Cook, took the stage today to give developers, media, sheeples, and everyone else an official sneak peek at the upgrade. If Apple sticks to its usual release schedule, iOS 11 won’t roll out until the fall, when we will likely see new iPhones, too.
Ahead, read about the biggest updates coming to your iPhone with iOS 11.
Message Me $$$
iOS 10 was primarily focused on texting upgrades, with improvements to iMessage that included features like “Digital Touch,” an embedded App Store, and fullscreen effects. While there aren’t as many additions to Messages in iOS 11, there is one big one: The integration of Apple Pay. With iOS 11, you'll be able pay a friend back for drinks or a meal with an iMessage. Apple Pay will show up as an iMessage app along the bottom of the screen, so you can access it without leaving Messages. What’s cooler though, is that if a friend texts and asks you for money, you’ll see Apple Pay pop up in your quick type keyboard along the bottom of the screen (the same place where suggested emoji show up). You can simply tap that, authenticate the amount of money with your fingerprint, and your friend debt is settled.
iOS 10 was primarily focused on texting upgrades, with improvements to iMessage that included features like “Digital Touch,” an embedded App Store, and fullscreen effects. While there aren’t as many additions to Messages in iOS 11, there is one big one: The integration of Apple Pay. With iOS 11, you'll be able pay a friend back for drinks or a meal with an iMessage. Apple Pay will show up as an iMessage app along the bottom of the screen, so you can access it without leaving Messages. What’s cooler though, is that if a friend texts and asks you for money, you’ll see Apple Pay pop up in your quick type keyboard along the bottom of the screen (the same place where suggested emoji show up). You can simply tap that, authenticate the amount of money with your fingerprint, and your friend debt is settled.
Photo Magic
Apple is adding some playful new editing tools to Live Photos. When iOS 11 launches in the fall, you’ll be able to turn a Live Photo into a seamless loop (you can make your friend jump up in the air repeatedly) or add a bounce effect. It'll be similar to Instagram Stories’ new Rewind camera mode.
Apple is adding some playful new editing tools to Live Photos. When iOS 11 launches in the fall, you’ll be able to turn a Live Photo into a seamless loop (you can make your friend jump up in the air repeatedly) or add a bounce effect. It'll be similar to Instagram Stories’ new Rewind camera mode.
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New Control Center, Who Dis?
Your Control Center, which you open by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, includes quick access to everything from your flashlight to airplane mode. In the past, you’d have to then scroll to right to the next page to control your music. Now, it will all be on one page, making it easier to get to your beats sooner. You'll even be able to customize your Control Center, adding the features that are most important to you.
Your Control Center, which you open by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, includes quick access to everything from your flashlight to airplane mode. In the past, you’d have to then scroll to right to the next page to control your music. Now, it will all be on one page, making it easier to get to your beats sooner. You'll even be able to customize your Control Center, adding the features that are most important to you.
Apple is also merging the iPhone’s lock screen and notification center, so when you swipe down — you can see both in one continuous thread.
An Easier-To-Use App Store
The App Store is getting a complete makeover, its first since it launched nine years ago. The update will make the store look far less cluttered and, from a first glance at today’s presentation, more useful. Instead of opening to a page with tons of apps, you’ll open into a “Today” tab that will be updated daily with original, editorial content.
The App Store is getting a complete makeover, its first since it launched nine years ago. The update will make the store look far less cluttered and, from a first glance at today’s presentation, more useful. Instead of opening to a page with tons of apps, you’ll open into a “Today” tab that will be updated daily with original, editorial content.
Scroll down and you’ll see how-to videos and features on new apps and games (including videos showing what it’s like to play a game). There will also be dedicated tabs for “Games,” “Apps,” and “Search.”
Eyes On The Road Please
If you're someone who's tempted to check your phone while driving, the new "Do Not Disturb While Driving" mode should help. Your iPhone will know when you're on the road and turn off all notifications (but you can let it know if you're in the passenger seat) so you can stay focused on the task at hand — sticking to the speed limit.
If you're someone who's tempted to check your phone while driving, the new "Do Not Disturb While Driving" mode should help. Your iPhone will know when you're on the road and turn off all notifications (but you can let it know if you're in the passenger seat) so you can stay focused on the task at hand — sticking to the speed limit.
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Siri, Sound More Human
Apple also announced that it will be making Siri a little more human. Thanks to machine learning developments, her robotic language is getting a human touch, with a new voice that sounds a bit more natural and expressive when giving you directions or telling you the weather.
Apple also announced that it will be making Siri a little more human. Thanks to machine learning developments, her robotic language is getting a human touch, with a new voice that sounds a bit more natural and expressive when giving you directions or telling you the weather.
Tone and inflection aside, the best part of the Siri update is a new translation component. Now, you can ask her to translate entire sentences into Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. So, if you’re headed to a café in Paris and need to know how to pronounce a question you might have about the restaurant, you can ask Siri to translate for you.
Now, if only Siri could produce new iPhones at our request...