If you’re looking to play around with iOS 11, now’s your chance.
Apple on Monday released the first public beta of iOS 11, offering an initial opportunity to sample the upcoming operating system prior to its debut this fall. The beta had only been available to qualified developers.
iOS 11’s notable changes include background enhancements to Siri, Apple Pay, Photos and other first-party apps and services. Siri is said to have gained new intelligence features and a revamped voice response system, while Maps incorporates a Do Not Disturb feature for safe driving and assets for indoor mapping.
Apple has revamped the App Store for the first time since its 2008 launch, the new version using an Apple Music-style tab-based design to promote popular apps, games, videos and curated content.
iOS 11’s Control Center has also been completely redesigned and now incorporates a panel system boasting a wide array of app and system controls.
The upcoming operating system is also said to offer a new multitouch technology to power a new dock with drag-and-drop functionality, addressing a major pain point for iPad users. The company also includes deeper Apple Pencil integration, a specialized Files app for file management, powerful augmented reality features and more.
As always, please exercise caution before installing the beta, as it’s still a work in progress.
If you’ve had a chance to test the iOS 11 public beta and have any feedback to offer, please let us know about your experience in the comments.
Via AppleInsider and beta.apple.com