Apple iOS 11: Features you need to know about

The D-Day is almost here. Apple is all set to roll out the latest version of its mobile OS, iOS 11 tomorrow (September 20 as per IST). Unveiled in June this year at the company's annual developers conference WWDC, iOS 11 brings in loads of new features to all compatible Apple iPhones and iPads. The company is also enhancing some of the existing native apps for better usability. Here's a look at how iOS11 will 'change' iPhones and iPads.

Note: The iOS 11 is compatible with all iPhone 5S and newer iPhones. It will also support any iPad Air, any iPad, iPad mini 2 and newer and iPad (2017).

You can now type-in queries to Siri

Apple iOS 11 allows users to type queries to Siri instead of just speaking to them. Google Assistant already has this functionality on Android. The feature can come in really handy in noisy situations.

To activate ‘Type to Siri’ option, users need to navigate to General Settings. It’s worth noting that iOS 10 also allows questions to be typed to Siri. But to do this, one needs to tap on a previous spoken query and then edit it.

Screenshot and markup

So far, after taking a screenshot on an iPhone, users are required to go the Photos app to view it. This is set to change with iOS 11. Once a screenshot is taken, a miniature version of it appears at the bottom left corner. Users can directly tap on it to edit it and see if it fits in.

Makes it easier to share Wi-Fi passwords

The new version of iOS also makes it easier for users to share Wi-Fi passwords with other iOS devices. The only requirement is that all of them should be running iOS 11. All that the user needs to do is bring the target device (the one that is to be connected to Wi-Fi) close to the Wi-Fi connected device. Once done, the first device will display a pop-up message saying that a new device is trying to join the network. With a single tap, the password can be sent to the other devices.

Screen recording

Apple iOS 11 natively includes the functionality to record the smartphone’s screen and Save the resulting videos to the device’s camera roll. The feature can be accessed through Control Center and is capable of recording external audio.

New File system

iOS 11 also brings the new Files app, replacing the iCloud Drive app. The Files app lets users access their attachments and other files in an easy manner. This will also let the files organise for local and cloud usage.

Colour invert

Accessible under 'Accessibility' in General settings, Smart Invert reverses the colour of the entire display, except for images, media and some apps that use dark colour schemes. It’s worth noting that this doesn’t replace the ‘Invert Colour’ functionality that’s already present in iOS 10.

Spam message filter

iOS 11 brings the ability to filter out spam text messages users receive from time to time. Apple will be using its machine learning technology to filter out the spam messages once the option has been switched on.

Message sync across devices

Users will now be also able to sync their messages across different Apple devices with cloud integration. This means they can chat using the messages app on one device and continue it from where they left on another synced device.

Document scanner

Now, it is possible to scan documents using a iOS 11 device. Users simply need to open the Notes app, create a new one and tap on scan documents. This will open the smartphone or tablet’s camera, scan the document and show it as an image on the screen.

Improvements to Photos app

The Photos app has also been improved in the iOS 11. The highlight is the improved Live Photos app that now lets you choose any of the snaps as your primary photo.