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iOS 11 is the eleventh major release of the
iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
mobile operating system A mobile operating system is an operating system for mobile phones, tablets, smartwatches, smartglasses, or other non-laptop personal mobile computing devices. While computers such as typical laptops are "mobile", the operating systems used on ...
developed by
Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company b ...
, being the successor to
iOS 10 iOS 10 is the iOS version history, tenth major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc., being the successor to iOS 9. It was announced at the company's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, Worldwide Developers Conf ...
. It was announced at the company's
Worldwide Developers Conference The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is an information technology conference held annually by Apple Inc. The conference is usually held at Apple Park in California. The event is usually used to showcase new software and technologies in t ...
on June 5, 2017, and released on September 19, 2017. It was succeeded by
iOS 12 iOS 12 is the twelfth major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. Aesthetically similar to its predecessor, iOS 11, it focuses more on performance than on new features, quality improvements and security updates. Ann ...
on September 17, 2018.


Changes

iOS 11 brought many changes to iOS. Some major highlights were: * The lock screen and Notification Center were combined, allowing all notifications to be displayed directly on the lock screen. * The control center was completely redesigned, combining all pages into a single unified page. It also brought the ability to rearrange the position of the controls, some of which could be used with
3D Touch Force Touch is a haptic technology developed by Apple Inc. that enables trackpads and touchscreens to distinguish between various levels of force being applied to their surfaces. It uses pressure sensors to add another method of input to Apple's ...
for quick access to additional options. * The
App Store An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...
received its first major design overhaul since
iOS 7 iOS 7 is the seventh major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc., being the successor to iOS 6. It was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10, 2013, and was released on September 18 o ...
to focus on editorial content and daily highlights. * A " Files"
file manager A file manager or file browser is a computer program that provides a user interface to manage files and folders. The most common operations performed on files or groups of files include creating, opening (e.g. viewing, playing, editing or pr ...
app allowed access to files stored locally on-device and in
iCloud iCloud is a Personal cloud, cloud service from Apple Inc. launched on October 12, 2011 as a successor to MobileMe. , the service had an estimated 850 million users, up from 782 million users in 2016. iCloud enables users to sync their data to t ...
and other cloud services. With this addition, users could also for the first time save files downloaded using Safari right on their iPhone without any third-party apps. *
Siri Siri ( ) is a virtual assistant that is part of Apple Inc.'s iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, tvOS, and audioOS operating systems. It uses voice queries, gesture based control, focus-tracking and a natural-language user interface to answer questio ...
was updated to translate between languages and use a privacy-minded "on-device learning" technique to better understand a user's interests and offer suggestions. * The camera introduced new settings for improved portrait-mode photos and utilized new encoding technologies to reduce file sizes on newer devices. * In a later release of iOS 11,
Messages A message is a discrete unit of communication intended by the source for consumption by some recipient or group of recipients. A message may be delivered by various means, including courier, telegraphy, carrier pigeon and electronic bus. A ...
was integrated with
iCloud iCloud is a Personal cloud, cloud service from Apple Inc. launched on October 12, 2011 as a successor to MobileMe. , the service had an estimated 850 million users, up from 782 million users in 2016. iCloud enables users to sync their data to t ...
to better synchronize messages across iOS and
macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...
devices. A previous point release also added support for person-to-person Apple Pay payments. * It introduced the ability to record the screen, which could be enabled by adding it to the control center in Settings. * It also introduced rudimentary forms of drag-and-drop functionality. * Support for
augmented reality Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be de ...
. Allowing users to "place" virtual objects in the real world and interact with them using their iPhone. For the first time, certain new features were only available on
iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...
. Some of these features were: * An always-accessible application dock that could be access by dragging up from the bottom of the screen. * Cross-app drag-and-drop allowing users to share photos, files, and links easier than ever. * Adding a new easier way to split-screen apps by simply dragging an app from the dock on to another already open app. The "split" could then be resized to make one app bigger or small depending on what the user wanted. iOS 11 was also the first version of iOS to drop support for 32-bit apps and for 32-bit processors, meaning iOS 11 only supported devices with a 64-bit processor. Upon installing iOS 11, if a user tried to open a 32-bit application that had not yet been updated to 64-bit, iOS would simply refuse to run it. iOS 10.3 included a popup upon launching a 32-bit application to warn users about the upcoming change and a new menu in Settings that allowed users to quickly identify what apps on their device would not be compatible with the iOS 11 update.


History


Introduction and initial release

iOS 11 was introduced at the
Apple Worldwide Developers Conference The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is an information technology conference held annually by Apple Inc. The conference is usually held at Apple Park in California. The event is usually used to showcase new software and technologies in th ...
keynote address on June 5, 2017. The first developer beta version was released after the keynote presentation, with the first public beta released on June 26, 2017. iOS 11 was officially released by
Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
on September 19, 2017.


Updates


System features


Lock screen

The lock screen and
Notification Center Notification Center is a feature in iOS and macOS that provides an overview of alerts from applications. It displays notifications until the user completes an associated action, rather than requiring instant resolution. Users may choose what a ...
are combined, allowing users to see all notifications directly on the lock screen. Scrolling up and down will either show or hide notifications.


Control Center

The Control Center redesign unifies its pages and allows users to
3D Touch Force Touch is a haptic technology developed by Apple Inc. that enables trackpads and touchscreens to distinguish between various levels of force being applied to their surfaces. It uses pressure sensors to add another method of input to Apple's ...
(or long press on devices without 3D Touch) buttons for more options. Sliders adjust volume and brightness. The Control Center is customizable via the Settings app, and allows more settings to be shown, including
cellular Cellular may refer to: *Cellular automaton, a model in discrete mathematics * Cell biology, the evaluation of cells work and more * ''Cellular'' (film), a 2004 movie *Cellular frequencies, assigned to networks operating in cellular RF bands *Cell ...
service, Low Power Mode, and a shortcut to the Notes app.


Siri

The
Siri Siri ( ) is a virtual assistant that is part of Apple Inc.'s iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, tvOS, and audioOS operating systems. It uses voice queries, gesture based control, focus-tracking and a natural-language user interface to answer questio ...
intelligent personal assistant An intelligent virtual assistant (IVA) or intelligent personal assistant (IPA) is a software agent that can perform tasks or services for an individual based on commands or questions. The term "chatbot" is sometimes used to refer to virtual ...
has a more human voice and supports language translation, with English, Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish available at launch. It will also support follow-up questions by users. Users will also be able to type to Siri. Siri will be able to use "on-device learning", a privacy-minded local learning technique to understand a user's behavior and interests inside different apps, to offer better suggestions and recommendations.


Settings

A new "Do Not Disturb While Driving" mode lets users block unnecessary notifications as long as their iPhone is connected to a vehicle through
Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
. An auto-reply feature sends a specific reply to senders of messages to let them know the user is currently unavailable through text. Passengers can be granted full notification access to the
phone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into ele ...
. A new "Smart Invert" feature, dubbed a " dark mode" by some publications, inverts the colors on the display, except for images, some apps, and some user interface elements. Using the iPhone X, which utilizes OLED technology, some news outlets have reported that this feature can conserve battery life by turning off pixels when black, saving energy by preventing itself from displaying a white pixel. Users get expanded control over apps' location usage, with every app featuring a "While Using the App" location toggle in Settings. This differs from previous iOS versions, in which apps were only required to have "Never" or "Always" location options. Users can remove rarely used apps without losing the app's data using the "Offload App" button. This allows for a later reinstallation of the app (if available on the
App Store An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...
), in which data returns and usage can continue. Users can also have those apps removed automatically with the "Offload Unused Apps" setting. When an app is offloaded, the app appears on the home screen as a grayed-out icon. Personalized suggestions will help the user free up storage space on their device, including emptying Photos trash, backing up
messages A message is a discrete unit of communication intended by the source for consumption by some recipient or group of recipients. A message may be delivered by various means, including courier, telegraphy, carrier pigeon and electronic bus. A ...
, and enabling iCloud Photo Library for backing up photos and videos.


iPad

Certain new iOS 11 features will appear only on
iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...
. The application dock gets an overhaul, bringing it closer to the design seen on
macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...
, and is accessible from any screen, letting users more easily open apps in split-screen view. Users can also drag-and-drop
file File or filing may refer to: Mechanical tools and processes * File (tool), a tool used to ''remove'' fine amounts of material from a workpiece **Filing (metalworking), a material removal process in manufacturing ** Nail file, a tool used to gent ...
s across different apps. A new multitasking interface shows multiple apps on the screen at the same time in floating "windows." Additionally, through a combination of "slide over," "split view," and "picture-in-picture" modes, users can have up to four active apps on-screen at the same time. Each letter on the iPad keyboard features an alternative background number or symbol, accessible by pulling down on the respective key and releasing. The Control Center is visible in the multitasking window on iPads. Running iOS 11, the 9.7-inch, 10.5-inch and the 2nd-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pros now have flashlight support.


Camera

iOS 11 introduces optical image stabilization, flash photography and
high dynamic range High dynamic range (HDR) is a dynamic range higher than usual, synonyms are wide dynamic range, extended dynamic range, expanded dynamic range. The term is often used in discussing the dynamic range of various signals such as images, videos, au ...
for portrait photos. Live Photos receives new "Loop", "Bounce" and "Long Exposure" effects, and uses High Efficiency Image File Format to decrease photo sizes. On devices with an Apple A10 chip or newer, photos can be compressed in the new High Efficiency Image File Format and videos can be encoded in the new
High Efficiency Video Coding High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265 and MPEG-H Part 2, is a video compression standard designed as part of the MPEG-H project as a successor to the widely used Advanced Video Coding (AVC, H.264, or MPEG-4 Part 10). In compar ...
video compression format A video coding format (or sometimes video compression format) is a content representation format for storage or transmission of digital video content (such as in a data file or bitstream). It typically uses a standardized video compression algor ...
, enabling improved quality while also decreasing size by half.


Wallpapers

Apple significantly changed the wallpapers available for use with iOS 11. In the initial beta version, released after Apple's developer conference, Apple included one new wallpaper, and removed all the six "Live" animated fish wallpapers, introduced with the iPhone 6S in 2015. The iOS 11.2 release later brought iPhone X/8/8 Plus-exclusive wallpapers to older iPhones. iPhone X exclusively features six "Live" wallpapers and seven new "Dynamic" wallpapers.


Other changes

iOS 11 introduces native support for
QR code A QR code (an initialism for quick response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode) invented in 1994 by the Japanese company Denso Wave. A barcode is a machine-readable optical label that can contain information about th ...
scanning, through the Camera app. Once a QR code is positioned in front of the camera, a notification is created offering suggestions for actions based on the scanned content.
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
users have so far discovered that joining
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wave ...
networks and adding someone to the contacts list are supported through QR codes. Third-party
keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
can add a one-handed mode. Users are able to record the screen natively. In order to record the screen, users must first add the feature to the Control Center through the Settings app. Once added, users can start and stop recordings from a dedicated Control Center icon, with a distinctly colored bar appearing at the top of the screen indicating active recording. Pressing the bar gives the option to end recording, and videos are saved to the Photos app. When an iOS 11 device is attempting to connect to a
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wave ...
network, nearby iOS 11 or
macOS High Sierra macOS High Sierra (version 10.13) is the fourteenth major release of macOS, Apple Inc.'s desktop operating system for Macintosh computers. macOS High Sierra was announced at the WWDC 2017 on June 5, 2017 and was released on September 25, 2017. ...
devices already connected can wirelessly send the password, streamlining the connection process. The volume change overlay no longer covers the screen while playing video, and a smaller scrubber appears on the top right of the screen. After a user takes a screenshot, a thumbnail of the screenshot will appear at the bottom left of the screen. The user can then tap the thumbnail to bring up an interface that allows them to crop, annotate, or delete the screenshot. Third-party apps are also able to take advantage of
iCloud Keychain iCloud is a cloud service from Apple Inc. launched on October 12, 2011 as a successor to MobileMe. , the service had an estimated 850 million users, up from 782 million users in 2016. iCloud enables users to sync their data to the cloud, inclu ...
to allow autofilling passwords. The user's airline flight information can be viewed in Spotlight through a dedicated widget. iOS 11 switches the top-left
cellular network A cellular network or mobile network is a communication network where the link to and from end nodes is wireless. The network is distributed over land areas called "cells", each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver (typically thre ...
strength icons from five dots to four signal bars, similar to that before
iOS 7 iOS 7 is the seventh major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc., being the successor to iOS 6. It was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10, 2013, and was released on September 18 o ...
. A new automatic setup feature called "Quick Start" aims to simplify the first-time setup of new devices, with wireless transfer between the old and new device, transferring preferences, Apple ID and
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wave ...
info, preferred Settings, and iCloud Keychain passwords. Similar to iPad, drag-and-drop file support is available on iPhone, though with more limitations, specifically only supported within apps, not between. Many of Apple's pre-installed applications, including Notes,
Contacts Contact lenses, or simply contacts, are thin lenses placed directly on the surface of the eyes. Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide, and they can be worn to correct vision or for cosmetic ...
, Reminders, Maps, and
App Store An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...
, have redesigned home screen icons. An "Emergency
SOS is a Morse code distress signal (), used internationally, that was originally established for maritime use. In formal notation is written with an overscore line, to indicate that the Morse code equivalents for the individual letters of "SOS" ...
" feature was added that disables
Touch ID Touch ID is an electronic fingerprint recognition feature designed and released by Apple Inc. that allows users to unlock devices, make purchases in the various Apple digital media stores (iTunes Store, App Store, and Apple Books Store), and aut ...
after pressing the Sleep/Wake button five times in quick succession. It prevents Touch ID from working until the iPhone's passcode has been entered. iOS 11 adds support for 8-bit and 10-bit
HEVC High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265 and MPEG-H Part 2, is a video compression standard designed as part of the MPEG-H project as a successor to the widely used Advanced Video Coding (AVC, H.264, or MPEG-4 Part 10). In compari ...
. Devices with an
Apple A9 The Apple A9 is a 64-bit ARM-based system-on-chip (SoC), designed by Apple Inc. Manufactured for Apple by both TSMC and Samsung, it first appeared in the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus which were introduced on September 9, 2015. Apple states that it has ...
chip or newer support hardware decoding, while older devices support software-based decoding. When a device running iOS 11 or later is activated, Apple's verification server will check the device's
UDID UDID is an acronym for Unique Device Identifier. The UDID is a feature of Apple's devices running iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and macOS. It is a unique identifier that is calculated from different hardware values, such as the ECID. It is sent to Apple ...
before it could be set up. If the device's UDID is malformed or not present in Apple's database, the device cannot be activated and will be denied access to the verification server. If said device is connected to iTunes, an error message will appear stating that the iPhone could not be activated because "the activation information could not be obtained from the device."


App features


Mail

Where there is empty space in the Mail app, users can draw inline.


Messages

The
Messages A message is a discrete unit of communication intended by the source for consumption by some recipient or group of recipients. A message may be delivered by various means, including courier, telegraphy, carrier pigeon and electronic bus. A ...
application synchronizes messages across iOS and
macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...
through iCloud, reflecting message deletion across devices. This feature was temporarily removed in the fifth beta release and returned on May 29, 2018 when iOS 11.4 was released. At the time of the iOS 11 announcement in June 2017, Apple presented functionality letting users send person-to-person payments with Apple Pay through Messages. By the time of the iOS 11 release in September 2017, the feature was not present, having been removed in an earlier beta version, with Apple announcing the feature as "coming this fall with an update to iOS 11". It was launched a few days after the iOS 11.2 update went live, although initially only available in the United States. A new app drawer for iMessage apps aims to simplify the experience of using apps and stickers, and an optimized storage system reduces the backup size of messages. The Messages app also incorporates a "Business Chat" feature for businesses to communicate directly with customers through the app. This can be accessed through a message icon next to search results of businesses. However, this feature was not included with the initial release of iOS 11 (instead launching with iOS 11.3). The Messages app on the iPhone X introduces face-tracking
emoji An emoji ( ; plural emoji or emojis) is a pictogram, logogram, ideogram or smiley embedded in text and used in electronic messages and web pages. The primary function of emoji is to fill in emotional cues otherwise missing from typed conversat ...
called "Animoji" (animated emoji), using
Face ID Face ID is a facial recognition system designed and developed by Apple Inc. for the iPhone and iPad Pro. The system allows biometric authentication for unlocking a device, making payments, accessing sensitive data, providing detailed facial expr ...
.


App Store

The
App Store An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...
receives a complete redesign, with a greater focus on editorial content such as daily highlights, and a design described as "cleaner and more consistent" to other apps developed by Apple. The app's design mimics the design seen in the
Apple Music Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Apple M ...
app in
iOS 10 iOS 10 is the iOS version history, tenth major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc., being the successor to iOS 9. It was announced at the company's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, Worldwide Developers Conf ...
.


Maps

At select locations,
Apple Maps Apple Maps is a web mapping service developed by Apple Inc. The default map system of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS, it provides directions and estimated times of arrival for driving, walking, cycling, and public transportation navigation. ...
will offer indoor maps for shopping malls and airports. New lane guidance and speed limit features aim to guide drivers on unfamiliar roads.


Photos

The Photos app in iOS 11 gains support for viewing animated
GIF The Graphics Interchange Format (GIF; or , see pronunciation) is a bitmap image format that was developed by a team at the online services provider CompuServe led by American computer scientist Steve Wilhite and released on 15 June 1987. ...
s. Users can access GIF images inside an album titled "Animated". Memories can be viewed while the phone is in portrait orientation.


Podcasts

The Podcasts app receives a redesign similar to the App Store, with a focus on editorial content.


Notes

The Notes app has a built-in document scanner using the device's camera, and the feature removes artifacts such as glare and perspective. An "Instant Notes" feature on the iPad Pro allows the user to start writing a note from the lock screen by putting the
Apple Pencil Apple Pencil is a line of wireless stylus pen accessories designed and developed by Apple Inc. for use with supported iPad tablets. The first-generation Apple Pencil was announced alongside the first iPad Pro on September 9, 2015. It communic ...
onto the screen. The app also allows users to input inline tables. Where there is open space in the Notes app, the user can draw inline.


Files

A new " Files" app lets users browse the files stored on their device, as well as those stored across various cloud services, including iCloud Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive. The app supports organization through structured sub-folders and various file-based options, and it also includes a built-in player for
FLAC FLAC (; Free Lossless Audio Codec) is an audio coding format for lossless compression of digital audio, developed by the Xiph.Org Foundation, and is also the name of the free software project producing the FLAC tools, the reference software p ...
audio files. The Files app is available on both iPad and iPhone.


Safari

The user's flight information can be found in the Safari app.


Calculator

The Calculator app receives a redesign, with rounded buttons, replacing the grid ones seen on
iOS 7 iOS 7 is the seventh major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc., being the successor to iOS 6. It was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10, 2013, and was released on September 18 o ...
.


Developer APIs

A new "ARKit"
application programming interface An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how t ...
(API) lets third-party developers build
augmented reality Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be de ...
apps, taking advantage of a device's camera,
CPU A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central processor, main processor or just processor, is the electronic circuitry that executes instructions comprising a computer program. The CPU performs basic arithmetic, logic, controlling, and ...
, GPU, and motion sensors. The ARKit functionality is only available to users of devices with
Apple A9 The Apple A9 is a 64-bit ARM-based system-on-chip (SoC), designed by Apple Inc. Manufactured for Apple by both TSMC and Samsung, it first appeared in the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus which were introduced on September 9, 2015. Apple states that it has ...
and later processors. According to Apple, this is because "these processors deliver breakthrough performance that enables fast scene understanding and lets you build detailed and compelling virtual content on top of real-world scenes." A new "Core ML"
software framework In computer programming, a software framework is an abstraction in which software, providing generic functionality, can be selectively changed by additional user-written code, thus providing application-specific software. It provides a standard ...
will speed up app tasks involving
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
, such as image recognition. A new "Depth" API allows third-party camera app developers to take advantage of the
iPhone 7 Plus The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are smartphones that were designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. They are the tenth generation of the iPhone. They were announced on September 7, 2016, at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Fran ...
,
iPhone 8 Plus The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. They along with the iPhone X make up the 11th generation of the iPhone. The iPhone 8 was released on September 22, 2017, succeeding the iPhone 7 and ...
, and iPhone X's dual-camera "Portrait mode". This will let apps implement the same depth-sensing technology available in the default iOS Camera app, to simulate a shallow depth-of-field. A new "Core NFC" framework gives developers limited access to the near field communication (NFC) chip inside supported iPhones, opening potential use cases in which apps can scan nearby environments and give users more information.


Removed functionality

Apps must be compiled for
64-bit In computer architecture, 64-bit Integer (computer science), integers, memory addresses, or other Data (computing), data units are those that are 64 bits wide. Also, 64-bit central processing unit, CPUs and arithmetic logic unit, ALUs are those ...
architecture in order to be supported on iOS 11.
32-bit In computer architecture, 32-bit computing refers to computer systems with a processor, memory, and other major system components that operate on data in 32-bit units. Compared to smaller bit widths, 32-bit computers can perform large calculation ...
apps are not supported or shown in the App Store in iOS 11, and users who attempt to open such apps receive an alert about the app's incompatibility. iOS 11 drops the native system integration with Twitter,
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
, Flickr, and
Vimeo Vimeo, Inc. () is an American video hosting, sharing, and services platform provider headquartered in New York City. Vimeo focuses on the delivery of high-definition video across a range of devices. Vimeo's business model is through software as ...
. The iCloud Drive app is removed and replaced by the Files app. The ability to trigger multitasking using 3D Touch was removed from the original iOS 11 release. In response to a bug report, an Apple engineer wrote that "Please know that this feature was intentionally removed". Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi wrote in reply to an email that the company had to "temporarily drop support" due to a "technical constraint," pledging to bring it back in a future update to iOS 11. It was brought back in iOS 11.1. In iOS 11.2 the toggle switch for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth were unexpectedly changed to not completely turning off those two things but temporarily until the next day. The real turn off is in the Settings app.


Reception

iOS 11 received mixed reviews. Critics praised the application dock and new multitasking interface on the iPad, crediting them for renewing the user experience. Further praise was directed at the redesigned Control Center offering customizable toggles; criticism was widely focused on its lack of third-party app support, lack of Wi-Fi network selection ability and for difficult usage on small screen sizes, along with its instability. Critics also noted the new augmented reality development tools, but said their impact would depend on third-party apps and how fast developers embraced them. Praise was also directed at the App Store's redesign and the new file-management tools. Shortly after release, it was discovered that disabling Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections through the Control Center does not disable the respective chips in the device in order to remain functional for background connectivity, a design decision sparking criticism for "misleading" users and reducing security due to potential vulnerabilities in inactive open connections. The iOS 11.2 update added warning messages and a new toggle color to explain the new functions. iOS 11 has also received continuous criticism from critics and end-users for its perceived stability and performance issues, particularly on older devices; Apple has issued numerous software updates to address such issues and has dedicated
iOS 12 iOS 12 is the twelfth major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. Aesthetically similar to its predecessor, iOS 11, it focuses more on performance than on new features, quality improvements and security updates. Ann ...
mainly toward stability and performance improvements in response. Two months after release, 52% of iOS devices were running iOS 11, a slower adoption rate than previous iOS versions. The number increased to 85% of devices by September 2018. Dieter Bohn of ''
The Verge ''The Verge'' is an American technology news website operated by Vox Media, publishing news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, consumer electronics news, and podcasts. The website launched on November 1, 2011, and uses Vox Media' ...
'' liked the new Control Center setup, including customizable toggles and 3D Touch-expandable options, writing that "there are a few panels that I'm really impressed with", specifically highlighting the Apple TV remote as a possible replacement of the normal remote. He did, however, note the lack of third-party access to Control Center, with a hope for support in the future, and a lack of Wi-Fi network selection ability. He praised the screen-recording functionality, calling it "super neat". Bohn severely criticized the notifications view, writing that he has a "very serious disagreement" with Apple on how to manage it, elaborating that he prefers to use that screen as much as possible while stating that "Apple's philosophy is that I'm trying way too hard" to control speedy notifications. Bohn liked the new Files app, new drag-and-drop functionality on the home screen enabling users to drag multiple apps at once, and significantly praised multitasking on iPad. Writing that "Multitasking on the iPad is a near-revelatory experience", he enjoyed the application dock and the ability to place up to three apps on the screen at once with more freedom on placement. Bohn conceded that "It's not as intuitive nor as simple ' as easy to manipulate as a traditional windowing system like you'll get on a Mac, PC, or Chromebook", but still praised it for being "radically more powerful than what has ever been available on an iPad before". Finally, Bohn praised Siri for improvements to the voice, highlighted augmented reality allowing for "incredible games", and reiterated an earlier sentiment that iOS 11 is "the most ambitious software update from Apple in a very, very long time". ''
Macworld ''Macworld'' is a website dedicated to products and software of Apple Inc., published by Foundry, a subsidiary of IDG Inc. It started life as a print magazine in 1984 and had the largest audited circulation (both total and newsstand) of Macint ...
''s Jason Snell wrote that the hype surrounding iOS 11 is "justified". Snell praised the new "smoother" transfer mode of data and settings between an old iPhone and a new iPhone, referring to the previous experience of doing it manually as "a frustrating exercise in entering in passwords repeatedly while tapping through a long series of questions about activating or deactivating numerous iOS features." He also praised the Control Center design, calling it "a great upgrade", though also highlighting the inability to easily switch Wi-Fi networks. Snell noted that the App Store's design had been unchanged for years, but received a full redesign in iOS 11, and wrote that Apple's commitment to editorial pages was "impressive", making the App Store "a richer, more fun experience." Regarding the introduction of augmented reality, he stated that most apps using it were "bad", though some also "mind-blowingly good," adding that the "huge potential" depended on how third-party apps were using it. Snell also praised improvements to the iPad experience, including multitasking and drag-and-drop across apps, the latter of which he stated "actually surpasses my expectations" due to ease of use. His review summarization states that iOS 11 is "Apple’s most ambitious and impressive upgrade in years." Romain Dillet of ''
TechCrunch TechCrunch is an American online newspaper focusing on high tech and startup companies. It was founded in June 2005 by Archimedes Ventures, led by partners Michael Arrington and Keith Teare. In 2010, AOL acquired the company for approximately ...
'' focused mostly on the iPad in his review, writing that iOS 11 "turns your iPad into a completely different machine", with "much more efficient" multitasking and improved ease of access with the application dock. He also praised the design overhaul of the App Store, calling it "a huge improvement compared to the previous App Store", and also highlighted design changes in other apps, including "a huge bold header with the name of the app or section". Although he acknowledged that "Many tech friends have told me that they hate this change," Dillet stated that "I think most people will like it. It’s visually pleasing and distinctive." He stated that augmented reality will become more relevant in the days following the iOS 11 release as third-party developers incorporate features into their apps, and praised Apple for creating the ARKit development tools as it "makes it much easier to implement augmented reality features". In conclusion, Dillet wrote that "Ten years ago, iOS started as a constrained operating system. It is now one of the biggest digital playgrounds". Devindra Hardawar of ''
Engadget ''Engadget'' ( ) is a multilingual technology blog network with daily coverage of gadgets and consumer electronics. ''Engadget'' manages ten blogs four of which are written in English and six have international versions with independent editori ...
'' stated that the focus of iOS 11 was "all about transforming iOS into something more desktop-like", with many enhancements for iPad while "leaving the iPhone a bit behind." He had mixed feelings about the Control Center, writing that, on small phone screen sizes, it "feels like a jumbled mess," and adding that true comfort may only be present with larger screens, a troubling situation for owners of non-Plus devices. However, he praised the ability to customize the buttons, including removing those the user never uses, and the ability to quickly record the screen or enable accessibility features. He called the new app designs "attractive", and favorably pointed out the new app drawer at the bottom of conversations in the Messages app, referring to it as "a big improvement over the messy interface of last year." He praised Siri for an improved voice, the Photos app for creating better Memories, and new social features in Apple Music, though noting the lack of people in his social circle using the service. Referencing
IKEA IKEA (; ) is a Dutch multinational conglomerate based in the Netherlands that designs and sells , kitchen appliances, decoration, home accessories, and various other goods and home services. Started in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA has been t ...
's "IKEA Place" app, which uses augmented reality to virtually place objects in a room, he significantly praised the performance of the augmented reality technology on iPhone, writing that "It did a great job of rendering furniture in physical spaces using both the iPhone 8, and, even more impressively, it ran smoothly on my iPhone 6S". Finally, Hardawar also enjoyed new functionality on iPad, calling multitasking, the application dock and drag-and-drop "dramatic changes," and highlighting the "particularly useful" experience of dragging Internet content directly from the web into the new Files app. In summarization, he recognized the significant strides made for iPad with iOS 11, writing that "it's a shame that iOS 11 doesn't bring more to the table on the iPhone", though acknowledging the rise of augmented reality. In November 2017, Apple's App Store support page was updated to reflect that 52% of iOS devices were running iOS 11, a slower migration rate than for the release of iOS 10 the year prior, which saw 60% user adoption by October 2016. The number increased to 59% of devices by December 2017.


Design inconsistencies and software bugs

In September 2017, Jesus Diaz of '' Fast Company'' criticized design details in iOS 11 and Apple's built-in apps not adhering to Apple's user interface guidelines. Headers not being aligned properly between different apps, elements not being centered, and different colors and sizing caused Diaz to write that "When it comes to software, Apple’s attention to detail is crumbling away." However, he also looked back in history, mentioning that Apple Music's original design, a lack of optical typography alignment in the Calendar app, and previously-fixed iOS design mistakes being ported to the
macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...
software had established that "This inconsistency and lack of attention to detail are not new at Apple." He firmly stated: "Perhaps this is inevitable, given the monumental task of having to update the operating system every year. But for a company that claims to have an obsessive attention to detail, this is not acceptable." In November 2017, ''
Gizmodo ''Gizmodo'' ( ) is a design, technology, science and science fiction website. It was originally launched as part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton, and runs on the Kinja platform. ''Gizmodo'' also includes the subsite ''io9'', whic ...
''s Adam Clark Estes wrote extensively on
software bug A software bug is an error, flaw or fault in the design, development, or operation of computer software that causes it to produce an incorrect or unexpected result, or to behave in unintended ways. The process of finding and correcting bugs i ...
s and product imperfections experienced while using iOS 11. Estes pointed to issues such as keyboard covering up messages and a disappearing reply field in the Messages app, the letter "i" converting to a Unicode symbol, and the screen becoming unresponsive, writing that "The new operating system has turned my phone into a bug-infested carcass of its former self, and the frustration of trying to use it sometimes makes me want to die, too." He also wrote on the aspect of technology becoming more advanced and sophisticated, explaining that "back when the iPhone 4 came out ..smartphones were a lot simpler. The cameras were joyfully crappy. The screens were small. The number of apps we could download and things we could connect to was paltry compared to today. ..We should expect some bugs, I guess. More complex pieces of technology contain more points of failure, and I’m oversimplifying the issue." He concluded by theorizing on technological development, writing: "However, I am trying to understand exactly how my life with computers veered so dramatically from the days of Windows 95 when nothing worked right, to the golden age of the iPhone 4 when everything seemed perfect, to now when just a handful of iOS bugs make me feel like the world is falling apart. ..Maybe I’m the annoying thing, the whiny one who’s upset that nothing seems perfect any more. Or maybe, just maybe, Apple is slipping, and we were wrong to trust it all along."


Problems


Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Control Center toggles

Shortly after iOS 11 was released, ''
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...
''s ''Motherboard'' discovered new behaviors by the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles in the Control Center. When users tap to turn off the features, iOS 11 only disconnects the chips from active connections, but does not disable the respective chips in the device. The report further states that "it's a feature, not a bug", referencing documentation pages by Apple confirming the new toggle behaviors as a means to disconnect from connections but remain active for AirDrop transfers, AirPlay streaming,
Apple Pencil Apple Pencil is a line of wireless stylus pen accessories designed and developed by Apple Inc. for use with supported iPad tablets. The first-generation Apple Pencil was announced alongside the first iPad Pro on September 9, 2015. It communic ...
input, handoff and other features. Security researcher Andrea Barisani told ''Motherboard'' that the new user interface was "not obvious at all", making the user experience "more uncomfortable". In October 2017, the
Electronic Frontier Foundation The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is an international non-profit digital rights group based in San Francisco, California. The foundation was formed on 10 July 1990 by John Gilmore, John Perry Barlow and Mitch Kapor to promote Internet ci ...
published an article, calling the interface "misleading" and "bad for user security", due to a higher risk of security vulnerabilities with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips activated while not in active use. The Foundation recommended that Apple fix the "loophole in connectivity", writing that "It's simply a question of communicating better to users, and giving them control and clarity when they want their settings off - not "off-ish"". iOS 11.2 changes this behavior slightly, by turning the toggles white and showing a warning message that explains the functions of the toggles in the Control Center, when the toggles are turned off.


Battery drain issues

Some users have experienced battery drain problems after updating to iOS 11. In a poll on its website, 70% of ''9to5Mac'' visitors reported decreased battery life after updating to the new operating system. However, in an article featuring
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
complaints of battery life, ''
Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...
'' wrote that "honestly, this is to be expected. It happens every year, and it's completely normal. Major iOS releases will hammer the battery on your device much faster during the first few days of use", with ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' stating in an article that "The days after you install a new version of iOS, your iDevice is busy doing all sorts of housekeeping. Practically all of your apps have updates, so iOS is busy downloading and installing them in the background. ..Additionally, after you install a new version of iOS, it has to do something called "re-indexing." During this process, iOS 11 will comb through all of the data on your device so that it can be cataloged for quick Spotlight searching." The article further states that "The good news is that both of these things are temporary". Within a week of the launch of the 11.3.1 update, users began reporting continued issues with this update regarding battery drainage. Some of these reports indicated drains from 57% down to 3% in just 3 minutes. Even users with the health of the battery measuring 96% noticed iPhones draining at around 1% per minute. In addition to battery drains, some iPhone users noticed their devices having excessive heat buildup. It has been recommended by technology experts that users not upgrade their software until the release of a version subsequent to 11.3.1 unless specifically plagued by the 'third party display issue'.


Calculator bug

In October 2017, users reported on
Reddit Reddit (; stylized in all lowercase as reddit) is an American social news aggregation, content rating, and discussion website. Registered users (commonly referred to as "Redditors") submit content to the site such as links, text posts, images ...
that quickly typing in an equation in the built-in iOS
calculator An electronic calculator is typically a portable electronic device used to perform calculations, ranging from basic arithmetic to complex mathematics. The first solid-state electronic calculator was created in the early 1960s. Pocket-sized ...
app gives incorrect answers, most notably making the query "1+2+3" result in "24" rather than "6". Analysts have blamed an animation lag caused during the redesign of the app in iOS 11. The problem can be worked around by typing the numbers slowly, or by downloading alternative calculator apps from the App Store that do not have this problem. With a large amount of bug reports filed, Apple employee Chris Espinosa indicated on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that the company was aware of the issue. iOS 11.2 fixed the issue.


Keyboard autocorrect bugs

In November 2017, users reported a bug in the default iOS keyboard, in which pressing "I" resulted in the system rendering the text as "!" or "A" along with an incomprehensible symbol featuring a question mark in a box. The symbol is known as Variation Selector 16 for its intended purpose of merging two characters into an emoji. Apple acknowledged the issue in a support document, advising users to set up a Text Replacement feature in their device's keyboard settings as a temporary workaround. The company confirmed to ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' that devices using older iOS 11 versions, as opposed to just the latest 11.1 version at the time of the publication, were affected by the issue, and an Apple spokesperson announced that "A fix will be released very soon". iOS 11.1.1 was released on November 9, 2017, fixing the issue. At the end of the month, another keyboard autocorrection bug was reported, this time replacing the word "It" with "I.T." ''MacRumors'' suggested users set up the Text Replacement feature the same way they did for the earlier autocorrection issue, though its report notes that "some users insist this solution does not solve the problem". It was fixed with the release of iOS 11.2.


December 2 crashes

In early December, users wrote on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
and
Reddit Reddit (; stylized in all lowercase as reddit) is an American social news aggregation, content rating, and discussion website. Registered users (commonly referred to as "Redditors") submit content to the site such as links, text posts, images ...
that, at exactly 12:15 a.m. local time on December 2, any App Store app that sends local notifications would cause the device to repeatedly restart. Reddit users reported that disabling notifications or turning off background app refresh would stop the issue, while Apple staff on Twitter reported that it was a bug in date handling, recommending users to manually set the date prior to December 2. ''MacRumors'' wrote that the issue "looks like it's limited to devices running iOS 11.1.2", with users on the 11.2 beta release not affected. iOS 11.2, released on the same day, fixed the issue.


iOS 11.2 HomeKit vulnerability

In December 2017, ''9to5Mac'' uncovered a
security vulnerability Vulnerabilities are flaws in a computer system that weaken the overall security of the device/system. Vulnerabilities can be weaknesses in either the hardware itself, or the software that runs on the hardware. Vulnerabilities can be exploited by ...
in iOS 11.2 within Apple's HomeKit smart home system, allowing unauthorized access to smart locks and garage door openers. It noted that Apple had already issued a server-side fix that, while preventing unauthorized access, also limited HomeKit functionality, with an upcoming software fix for the iOS operating system intended to restore the lost functionality. On December 13, 2017, Apple released iOS 11.2.1, which fixed the limitation on remote access.


Supported devices

iOS 11 drops support for
iPhone 5 The iPhone 5 is a smartphone that was designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is the 6th generation iPhone, succeeding both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, and preceding both the iPhone 5S and 5C. It was formally unveiled as part of a press e ...
,
iPhone 5C The iPhone 5C (marketed as iPhone 5c) is a smartphone that was designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is part of the sixth generation of the iPhone. The device was unveiled on September 10, 2013, and released on September 20, 2013, alon ...
, and iPad 4, making it the first version of iOS to run exclusively on iOS devices with 64-bit processors.


iPhone

*
iPhone 5S The iPhone 5S (stylized and marketed as iPhone 5s) is a smartphone that was designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is the seventh generation of the iPhone, succeeding the iPhone 5, and unveiled in September 2013, alongside the iPhone 5C. Th ...
* iPhone 6 & 6 Plus * iPhone 6S & 6S Plus *
iPhone SE (1st generation) The first-generation iPhone SE (also known as iPhone SE or iPhone SE 2016; ''SE'' is an initialism of ''Special Edition'') is a smartphone that was designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. It is part of the 9th generation of the iPho ...
* iPhone 7 & 7 Plus * iPhone 8 & 8 Plus * iPhone X


iPod Touch

* iPod Touch (6th generation)


iPad

* iPad Air * iPad Air 2 *
iPad (2017) The iPad 9.7-inch (officially iPad (5th generation)) is a tablet computer designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. After its announcement on March 21, 2017, conflicting naming conventions spawned a number of different names, including ...
*
iPad (2018) The iPad 9.7-inch (officially iPad (6th generation)) is a tablet computer designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced on March 27, 2018, during an education-focused event at Lane Tech High School in Chicago and is the su ...
* iPad Mini 2 * iPad Mini 3 * iPad Mini 4 * iPad Pro (9.7-inch) * iPad Pro (10.5-inch) * iPad Pro (12.9-inch 1st generation) * iPad Pro (12.9-inch 2nd generation)


See also

*
iOS version history iOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. It was first released as iPhone OS in June 2007. iPhone OS was renamed iOS following the release of the iPad, starting with iOS 4. With iOS 13, Apple began offering a separate operating syst ...
*
Android Oreo Android Oreo ( codenamed Android O during development) is the eighth major release and the 15th version of the Android mobile operating system. It was first released as an alpha quality developer preview in March 2017 and released to the publ ...
* Windows 10 Mobile


References


External links

* {{Apple *11 2017 software Products introduced in 2017 Mobile operating systems Tablet operating systems Proprietary operating systems