Awesome iPhone iOS 11 Features
- Get the headlines from Siri – iOS 11
If you’ve upgraded to iOS 11.2.2, just say “Hey Siri, give me the news” or “Hey Siri, what are the headlines,” and Siri will launch an audio report from NPR. That’s just the default news source, though: you can ask Siri to switch over to headlines from Fox News, CNN or the Washington Post if you prefer a different audio report.
- QR Code Scanner – iOS 11
Apple’s own Camera app will now feature its own QR-code scanner.
- No more automatically joining spotty Wi-Fi Networks – iOS 11
A new Auto Join setting, which stops your phone from automatically hopping onto networks with lesser signal quality, should put a stop to that.
- Easier access to Wi-Fi – iOS 11
When someone tries to join your network from a phone or tablet running iOS 11, you’ll get a notification on your device asking you if you want to let them on the Wi-Fi network.
- Turning your phone off without the lock button – iOS 11
Apple’s given iOS 11 users a new way to shut down their device. In the case that your iPhone’s lock/wake button stops working correctly, you can open Settings, tap General, tap Shut Down and swipe the shutdown slider at the top of the screen.
- Pencil Powers – iOS 11
iPad Pro owners who use the Apple Pencil will become more efficient. In iOS 11, tapping on the locked tablet’s screen with the stylus automatically opens the Notes app.
- Take a Live Photo in FaceTime – iOS 11
If there’s a moment in one of your FaceTime conversations you’d like to capture forever, just tap that shutter button in the lower left corner of the video messaging app.
- A One-handed Keyboard – iOS 11
As the owner of a Plus-sized iPhone, I’m typically typing with both thumbs, which isn’t convenient. The new one-handed typing keyboard in iOS 11 can be found by holding down on the emoji key and selecting it from the menu.
- Handwritten Emails – iOS 11
In iOS 11, Mail adds that capability. Just long-press on the screen to summon up the copy/paste pop-up window; scroll through all the options until you reach Insert Drawing. Tapping that option takes you to a blank page where you can use a virtual pencil, pen or marker to write out a message.
- New screen effects for Messages – iOS 11
Joining the likes of Balloons and Fireworks are Echo and Spotlight, which pretty much do what their names imply. Echo repeats your message in a flurry of text across the screen while Spotlight shines a beam of light around your message.