iOS 11 beta 3 hints at possible live broadcasting feature

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.

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

The Weekender

The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.