See iOS 11 beta 4 changes in action

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iOS 11 Beta 4
iOS 11 Beta 4 brings a slew of new updates to the iPhone and iPad.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iOS 11 beta 4 was rolled out to developers Monday. Alongside the usual bug fixes you’d expect in a beta release, it brings some nice changes and surprises we did not anticipate. Find out what’s new in the video below.

What’s new in iOS 11 beta 4

Here’s a list of what we found in the new beta during our filming, in addition to the usual stability improvements:

  • New, bolder Wi-Fi icon at top of screen
  • Updated icons for Contacts, Reminders and Notes apps
  • Cleaner icon for cellular data
  • New three-second countdown for screen recordings
  • Bluetooth button within Control Center now stops devices from connecting instead of just disconnecting from current devices being used
  • Fun new animation for Low Power Mode in Control Center
  • Improved App Switcher closes itself when no apps are open; also won’t open when there are no apps running
  • Siri settings move to their own tab instead of being within General
  • New AirDrop tab in Settings under General
  • Swipe to open/clear/view notifications on cover sheet (yay!)
  • Siri voice updates
  • Redesigned photo drawer in the Messages app; new gray bar to scroll through photos
  • Apple removed the On my iPhone/iPad location within iOS 11’s new Files app
  • Updated settings in Camera app for iPad
  • Maps design refresh for iPad

How to try iOS 11 betas

The final version of iOS 11 should roll out this fall when Apple launches its next-gen iPhones. Developers get beta versions of Apple’s software first. But anyone who wants to try the new features can sign up for the free Apple Beta Software Program. Just be aware that betas by their very nature are unfinished. Running them on your main device can prove problematic.

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