iOS 11 beta 3 hints at possible live broadcasting feature

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iOS 11 Control Center
Apple made big changes to Control Center in iOS 11 beta 3.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Live broadcasting your home screen to other iPhone owners may soon become possible, thanks to a new addition spotted in iOS 11 beta 3.

Apple added a new button to Control Center that hints at the upcoming functionality. The button doesn’t do anything right now, but it shows Apple could add live broadcasting in one of its next beta builds.

To access the “Start Broadcast” option, iOS 11 users can 3D Touch the screen-recording button to bring up more options. The new button could possibly be used for AirPlay broadcasting. But considering Control Center’s AirPlay option already offers that, it would be redundant.

screen broadcast iOS 11
The broadcast button doesn’t work yet.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

The Verge points out that the screen broadcasting option could be a placeholder for third-party apps. Live streaming has become increasingly popular with gamers in recent years. The new feature could allow apps like YouTube and Twitch to broadcast gaming sessions.

Live Broadcasts could also be useful for enterprise users. We’ll have to wait until the next beta to see how (or if) the new button gets implemented. For now, developers and public beta testers can try out the latest iOS 11 version ahead of its public release this fall.

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