How to download iOS 11, Apple's big new iPhone update
The update, iOS 11, is currently available in your iOS device's settings menu.
Apple announced the update back in June, and beta testers have been putting it through its paces since then.
It's a pretty big update, especially for iPads. iPads get a new desktop-style dock, multi-tasking features, and Apple Pencil features.
iPhones will get a new file system, notifications window, and the ability to download a new kind of so-called "augmented reality" app that integrates computer graphics and the real world.
There's a ton to explore in iOS 11. Before you get started, you'll need 1.9GB storage space to update, and you might want to hold off until others have updated without issues.
To update to iOS 11, follow these steps:
- Back up your iPhone. The easiest way to do that is in Settings >iCloud > Backup> Backup Now. You can also plug your iPhone into your computer and boot up iTunes if your iCloud account doesn't have enough storage space.
- Download the update. You can find the update in General > Software Update. Tap on Download and Install, plug in your passcode, agree to the terms and conditions, and your update should start downloading.
- Don't panic. Whenever Apple releases a new software update, its servers can get overloaded by millions of people trying to download it at the same time, so try again if it doesn't show up immediately. And sometimes there are bugs in the new OS that get discovered as soon as people start updating. If you don't need iOS 11 this second, you can ask it to update at night while you're asleep, if your phone is plugged in.
Here's the full changelog:
App Store
• All-new App Store designed for discovering great apps and games everyday
• New Today tab helps you discover new apps and games with stories, how-to guides, and more
• New Games tab to find new games and see what's most popular with top game charts
• Dedicated Apps tab with top picks, dedicated app charts, and app categories
• App pages include more video previews, Editors' Choice badges, easier access to user ratings, and information about in-app purchases
Siri
• New Siri voice is more natural and expressive
• Translate English words and phrases into Chinese, French, German, Italian or Spanish (beta)
• Siri suggestions based on your usage of Safari, News, Mail, and Messages
• Works with notes apps to create to-do lists, notes and reminders
• Works with banking apps for account transfer and balances
• Works with apps that display QR codes
• Hindi and Shanghainese dictation
Camera
• Portrait mode now supports optical image stabilization, HDR and True Tone flash
• Photos and videos will take up half the space with the new HEIF and HEVC image and video formats
• Redesigned set of nine filters optimized for natural skin tones
• Automatically identify and scan QR codes
Photos
• Loop, Bounce, and Long Exposure Live Photo effects
• Mute, trim, or choose a new key photo for Live Photos
• Memory Movies automatically adapt content for portrait and landscape orientation
• More than a dozen new memory types including pets, babies, weddings, and sporting events
• People album is more accurate and stays up to date across devices with iCloud Photo Library
• Animated GIF support
Maps
• Indoor maps for major airports and shopping centers
• Lane guidance and speed limit information with Turn-by-turn directions
• One-handed zoom with double tap and swipe
• Interact with Flyover by moving your device
Do Not Disturb while Driving
• Automatically silences notifications while driving and keeps iPhone silent and display off
• Optional iMessage auto reply to alert selected contacts that you're driving
New features designed for iPad
• An all new Dock provides quick access to your favorite and recently used apps and can even be shown on top of active apps
• Dock resizes so you can add all of your favorite apps
• Recently used and Continuity apps are available on the right
• Enhanced Slide Over and Split View
• Apps can be easily started in Slide Over and Split View from the Dock
• Slide Over and background apps now run simultaneously
• Apps in Slide Over and Split View can now be placed on the left side of the screen
• Drag and drop
• Move text, images, and files between apps on iPad
• Multi-Touch to move multiple items at the same time
• Spring-loading to move content between apps
• Markup
• Markup works across documents, PDFs, webpages, photos and more
• Instant markup anything in iOS - just place Apple Pencil on what you want to mark
• Create a PDF and markup anything that can be printed
• Notes
• Instantly create a new note by tapping on Lock Screen with Apple Pencil
• Inline drawing available by simply placing Apple Pencil in body of a note
• Search handwritten text
• Document scanner autocorrects for skewing and uses image filters to remove shadows
• Table support to organize and display information
• Pin important notes to the top of the list
• Files
• All-new Files app to browse, search and organize files
• Works with iCloud Drive and 3rd party cloud file providers
• Recents view for quick access to recently used files across all apps and cloud services
• Create folders and sort files by name, date, size and tags
QuickType
• Flick down on letter keys to enter numbers, symbols and punctuation marks on iPad
• One-handed keyboard support on iPhone
• New keyboards for Armenian, Azerbaijani, Belarusian, Georgian, Irish, Kannada, Malayalam, Maori, Odia, Swahili, and Welsh
• English input on the 10-key Pinyin keyboard
• English input on the Japanese Romaji keyboard
HomeKit
• New accessory types including AirPlay 2 speakers, sprinklers and faucets
• Expanded occupancy, time and accessory based triggers
• QR code and tap to pair accessory setup support
Augmented Reality
• Augmented reality technologies that apps from the App Store can use to deliver content on top of real-world scenes for interactive gaming, immersive shopping experiences, industrial design and more
Machine Learning
• Core machine learning technologies that apps from the App Store can use to deliver intelligent features with machine learning data processed on device for high performance and user privacy
Other features and improvements
• Control Center redesign brings all controls on one page
• Control Center custom controls including accessibility, guided access, magnifier, text size, screen recording and Wallet
• Apple Music now helps you discover music with friends. Create a profile so friends can listen to playlists you've shared and see the music you listen to most
• Apple News now includes Top Stories picked just for you, recommendations from Siri, the best videos of the day in Today View, and great stories selected by our editors in the new Spotlight tab
• Automatic Setup signs you in to iCloud, Keychain, iTunes, App Store, iMessage, and FaceTime with your Apple ID
• Automatic Setup restores device settings including language, region, network, keyboard preferences, places you frequently visit, how you talk to Siri, home and health data
• Easily share access to your Wi-Fi networks
• Storage optimization notifications and free up space in Settings for apps like Photos, Messages, and more
• Emergency SOS calls emergency services based on your current location and automatically notifies emergency contacts, shares your location, and displays your Medical ID
• FaceTime lets you capture Live Photos from the other person's Mac or iPhone camera
• Easily check Flight status in Spotlight and Safari
• Definitions, conversions and math support in Safari
• Russian and English bilingual dictionary
• Portuguese and English bilingual dictionary
• Arabic system font support
Accessibility
• VoiceOver descriptions support for images
• VoiceOver tables and lists support in PDFs
• Type to Siri support for basic search queries
• Spoken and braille caption support for videos
• Dynamic Type increases text and app UI to larger sizes
• Redesigned Invert Colors make media content easier to view
• Highlight Colors improvements in Speak Selection and Speak Screen
• Switch Control typing can scan and type whole words at a time