iOS 11
iOS 11 is the eleventh major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple, being the successor to iOS 10. It was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5, 2017, and was released on September 19, 2017. It was succeeded by iOS 12 on September 17, 2018.
Developer
Closed, with open-source components
September 19, 2017
- iPhone 5S
- iPhone 6 & 6 Plus
- iPhone 6S & 6S Plus
- iPhone SE (1st generation)
- iPhone 7 & 7 Plus
- iPhone 8 & 8 Plus
- iPhone X
iPod Touch
iPad
- iPad Air
- iPad Air 2
- iPad (5th generation)
- iPad (6th generation)
- iPad Mini 2
- iPad Mini 3
- iPad Mini 4
- iPad Pro (12.9-inch 1st and 2nd generation)
- iPad Pro (9.7-inch)
- iPad Pro (10.5-inch)
Proprietary software with open-source components
iOS 11 - Apple at the Wayback Machine (archived August 28, 2018)
A giant step for iPhone. A monumental leap for iPad.
iOS 11 was introduced at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference keynote address on June 5, 2017.[3][4][5] The first developer beta version was released after the keynote presentation,[6] with the first public beta released on June 26, 2017.[7]
iOS 11 was officially released by Apple on September 19, 2017.[8]
It brought many changes to iOS. Some major highlights were:
Certain new features are only available on iPad. Some of these features are:
iOS 11 is also the first version of iOS that does not support 32-bit apps and 32-bit processors, meaning iOS 11 only supports devices with a 64-bit processor. Upon installing iOS 11, if a user tries to open a 32-bit application that had not yet been updated to 64-bit, iOS will simply refuse to run it. iOS 10.3 includes 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 will not be compatible with the iOS 11 update.
System features[edit]
Lock screen[edit]
The lock screen and Notification Center are combined, allowing users to see all notifications directly on the lock screen. Scrolling up and down will either show or hide notifications.[10][11]
App features[edit]
Messages[edit]
The Messages application synchronizes messages across iOS and macOS through iCloud, reflecting message deletion across devices.[63] 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.[64][65][66] 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".[67] It was launched a few days after the iOS 11.2 update went live, although initially only available in the United States.[68][69]
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.[13]
The Messages app also incorporates a "Business Chat" feature for businesses to communicate directly with customers through the app.[70][71] This can be accessed through a message icon next to search results of businesses.[72] However, this feature was not included with the initial release of iOS 11 (instead launching with iOS 11.3).[73]
The Messages app on the iPhone X introduces face-tracking emoji called "Animoji" (animated emoji), using Face ID.[74]
Developer APIs[edit]
A new "ARKit" application programming interface (API) lets third-party developers build augmented reality apps, taking advantage of a device's camera, CPU, GPU, and motion sensors.[90][91] The ARKit functionality is only available to users of devices with Apple A9 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."[92]
A new "Core ML" software framework will speed up app tasks involving artificial intelligence, such as image recognition.[93]
A new "Depth" API allows third-party camera app developers to take advantage of the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, 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.[94][95]
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.[96][97]
Removed functionality[edit]
Apps must be compiled for 64-bit architecture in order to be supported on iOS 11. 32-bit 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.[98][99]
iOS 11 removes the native system integration with Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and Vimeo.[100][101]
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".[102] 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.[103][104] It was brought back in iOS 11.1.[105]
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.[106]
Problems[edit]
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Control Center toggles[edit]
Shortly after iOS 11 was released, Vice'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 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".[118][119] In October 2017, the Electronic Frontier Foundation 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"".[120][121]
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.[122]
Battery drain issues[edit]
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.[123] However, in an article featuring Twitter complaints of battery life, Daily Express 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",[124] with Forbes 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".[125]
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.[126]
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'.[126]
Calculator bug[edit]
In October 2017, users reported on Reddit that quickly typing in an equation in the built-in iOS Calculator 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 that the company was aware of the issue.[127] iOS 11.2 fixed the issue.[122]
Keyboard autocorrect bugs[edit]
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.[128] 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.[129] The company confirmed to The Wall Street Journal 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".[130] iOS 11.1.1 was released on November 9, 2017, fixing the issue.[131]
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".[132] It was fixed with the release of iOS 11.2.[133]
December 2 crashes[edit]
In early December, users wrote on Twitter and Reddit 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.[134][135] iOS 11.2, released on the same day, fixed the issue.[122]
iOS 11.2 HomeKit vulnerability[edit]
In December 2017, 9to5Mac uncovered a security vulnerability 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.[136][137] On December 13, 2017, Apple released iOS 11.2.1, which fixed the limitation on remote access.[138]