Apple releases public beta of iOS 11

Apple has released the public beta of iOS 11. Until now, it was a closed beta for developers. Users can install the trial version by downloading a profile from an Apple website and the beta will appear as an update in the settings menu.

With the update to iOS 11, Apple adds many new interface elements and features. For example, there is a new look for the Control Center, the menu that is available with a swipe up from the bottom. That now works with tiles to get everything on one page. With 3D Touch, users can see more controls in the interface. In addition, the lock screen with notifications remains accessible after unlocking with a swipe down from the home screen, in the notification bar. With a swipe up from there, users can see all the notifications.

iPhones are also going to save photos and videos in new file formats. Videos now go in h.265 for better compression. For photos, it is a high-efficiency image format, which is based on h.265 and should also take up less space. In iOS 11 there is also an ‘auto mode’. If the iPhone detects that users are driving in a car via Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS and sensors, the iPhone suggests activating ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’. This blocks notifications.

For iPads, there are many new ways to use multiple apps at once. The dock contains many more shortcuts and can always be accessed with a swipe from the bottom of the screen. In addition, apps can now run on top of each other. In addition, iOS 11 includes drag & drop, a way to, for example, drag links and photos from one app to another.

Developers will have access to ARkit. In a test app, Apple showed a method to recognize surfaces and place objects on them. This allows developers to create apps for augmented reality. In a demonstration, Pokémon Go worked with ARkit, among other things.

Apple requires users to log in to the site to download the profile for the beta. After installing the profile, users can find the update in the update section of the settings menu, where updates normally appear as well. Apple discourages users from installing the trial version on devices they use on a daily basis, as problems may occur with the trial software.

The new version is not compatible with the 2012 iPhone 5 and the 2013 iPhone 5c. All iPhones from the iPhone 5s onwards can run version 11. Apple will release the stable version of iOS 11 this fall for iPhones, iPads, and the iPod touch v6.