iOS 11 brings a great new AirPlay switcher for routing your music or movie audio to AirPlay and Bluetooth speakers. It can be accessed from several places, and overall the new switcher is a big improvement on the old one. It is also quicker to respond, and more reliable. Let’s take a look.
Look how beautiful app switching is on iPhone X
Apple has made a bunch of user interface improvements to accommodate iPhone X. One of them is a new app switching gesture that looks glorious on the handset’s edge-to-edge OLED display. See it action in the video below.
How to use the iPhone’s one-handed keyboard in iOS 11
If you have small hands, or a big-screen iPhone, or both, then you may love the new one-handed keyboard in iOS 11. It’s a simple software tweak that squishes the on-screen keyboard horizontally, and slides it to the left or right, so you can more easily reach all the keys with a thumb.
This is great news for folks who like to walk along the street sipping coffee and texting, instead of looking where they’re going. It’s also neat for people trying to get a baby to sleep, so they can tweet about it as they bob the baby into slumber on their hip.
App Store redesign gives (some) downloads a big boost
The redesigned App Store has been a boon for developers, based on new third-party data that shows getting a little promotion goes a long way when it comes to downloads.
With the launch of iOS 11, Apple made some big changes to how iPhone and iPad users browse apps in the App Store. App Store shoppers are now greeted by big promotions for the App of the Day and Game of the Day which has become worth a lot of money to developers if you’re lucky enough to be selected.
Apple surprises developers with fifth iOS 11.1 beta
Developers received the fifth beta build of iOS 11.1 this morning, just three days after Apple released the last batch of updates.
The new iOS 11.1 beta 5 update brings a number of bug fixes and performance improvements to the iPhone and iPad. Apple added a couple of UI tweaks and new features in the previous iOS 11.1 beta build.
How to share and collaborate in GarageBand using iCloud
One of the great new features in iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra is shared documents. You can create almost any kind of file, and collaborate on it with other people. This can be a simple Pages document, or a complex song in GarageBand. In theory, the file will be updated with everybody’s changes, so you can work on the same project without emailing a zillion copies back and forth.
Currently, this feature ranges from a little shaky, to rock solid, depending on what apps you are using. Here’s how to share and collaborate using GarageBand in iOS 11.
Google Chrome for iOS gets new widgets, drag and drop
The best web browser on iOS just keeps getting better. Google has updated Chrome to add two new widgets for the Today screen, and drag and drop support for iPad. You’ll need to be running iOS 11 to make the most of it.
Yoink and Gladys, two great new iOS 11 shelf apps
Two great new shelf apps for iPads running iOS 11 have launched recently, and both are worth a look. One is Yoink, which has a long history as a shelf app on the Mac. The other is Gladys, with distinguishes itself by being both super-simple to use, and full of geeky extras.
How to use external storage with Files app on iPad or iPhone
Did you ever hold your iPhone in one hand, and a USB hard drive in the other, and look back and forth between them, muttering “Why, oh why?” Well, today we have good news for you. You still can’t hook them together with a wire, but with one app you can browse all kinds of external storage devices right from iOS’s Files app.
Hard drive hooked up to your Time Capsule? Check. USB storage connected to your fancy router? Check. Home network storage devices that work great but have really hideous iOS apps to access them? Check. With this tip, you can put any of these in your Files app’s sidebar using the excellent FileBrowser app. You might not be able to plug a USB-C drive into your 2018 iPad Pro, but until Apple relents on that score, this is the next best thing.
Get over 100 hours of iOS 11 coding lessons [Deals]
At last, iOS 11 has landed. Along with it has come a long list of new features and capabilities. That means there’s a lot to learn for new and experienced developers alike.
Streamline your keyring, passwords, and lots more [Week’s Best Deals]
Another week, another round of great deals on top shelf gear, apps, and learning resources. This time, we’ve got a bundle of 5 premium Mac apps, and a keyring designed to never be lost. Additionally, we’ve got a powerful password manager and comprehensive course in iOS 11 development. Read on for more details:
The new HomeKit abilities you need to know about, this week on The CultCast
This week on The CultCast: Live in the home of the future, today! We’ll tell you how with iOS 11’s huge improvements in the Home app and HomeKit. Plus: There’s a new Apple ID phishing scam you need to know about; there’s been a disappointing development with Apple’s AR glasses; we have to talk about the hundreds of new emoji coming at you in iOS 11.1; and we’ve got a svelte iPhone 8 case, a MacBook Pro sleeve made from real sheep, and a new power brick that’ll charge your MacBook, iPhone, Nintendo Switch — everything!— in an all-new Under Review.
Snapchat tells friends if you use iOS 11 to record their videos
Snapchat’s expiring messages make it the perfect platform for sharing saucy snaps. But you can’t save them without the sender being notified. You will also be tattled on if you attempt to save a video using iOS 11’s new screen recording feature.
iOS 11 already has more users than iOS 10
iOS 11 has already overtaken iOS 10, less than a month after making its public debut.
Last year’s release is still installed on over 45 percent of devices, but its reach has been falling rapidly since September 19. Users are clearly keen to get their hands on Apple’s latest software features and improvements.
Hollywood’s fave iPhone app supports Apple’s go-to video format
Filmic Pro, the gold standard iPhone app for filmmakers to achieve near-cinematic quality, released an update today to support the new HEVC format in iOS 11.
HEVC stands for High-Efficiency Video Coding (also called H.265), a compression standard that reduces the file size of videos while retaining much of the quality. This means users can store twice the number of videos on their iPhones or iPad Pros.
iPhone X won’t reveal your lock screen notifications to anyone else
Having your notifications displayed on your iPhone’s lock screen is incredibly convenient. But it leaves them exposed to prying eyes. That’s no longer a worry with iPhone X, which won’t reveal your lock screen notifications to anyone but you.
5 ways to quickly switch apps on iPad with iOS 11
In iOS 11, there are four ways to switch apps on the iPad. Five, if you count the old-school way: hitting the home button to return to the home screen, and tapping an icon to launch a different app. Some of these methods have been around a while, and have changed drastically in iOS 11. Others are brand new, and exclusive to the iPad. Today, we’re going to look at them all.
No, Apple is not slowing down your iPhone to force upgrades
Every major iOS update slows down older devices to force users to upgrade. At least that’s what recent reports have suggested.
The truth is, Apple is doing no such thing. Benchmark data proves that iPhone performance drops over time are just a myth. The 4-year-old iPhone 5s is about as fast with iOS 11 today as it was with iOS 7 when it made its debut in 2013.
Apple is working to fix annoying Reachability bug on iOS 11
An iOS 11 bug involving the iPhone’s Reachability feature will be fixed in a future software update, Craig Federighi has said.
The bug means that the new iOS 11 Cover Screen with Notifications isn’t accessible from the middle part of the screen, thereby removing one of the most useful features a person might want to use while employing the Reachability mode.
How to share your home Wi-Fi without a password in iOS 11
iOS 11 brings yet another convenient feature — password-free Wi-Fi sharing. It works like this: If a friend or other visitor needs to use your Wi-Fi, then instead of digging in the dust and yanking on the already-taut cables of your router to read the password label on the back, you can just hold your iPhones close to each other, and grant the guest access to your network. It’s super easy, and requires nothing more than that you both be running iOS 11, and have Bluetooth switched on.
Apple brings back the App Store with alternative iTunes update
Apple has released an alternative version of iTunes that still includes the App Store, ringtones, and other features that were removed last month.
You can download and install iTunes version 12.6.3 for Mac and PC now — even if you have already upgraded to iTunes version 12.7.
Google Pixel 2 rips off iPhone’s silent driving mode
They may be worlds apart, but in many ways, the new Pixel 2 and the iPhone share a lot in common. One of the many features Google borrowed from its rival is a toggle that automatically silences your phone when you’re driving.
Apple’s ‘Free App of the Week’ is gone in iOS 11
Apple appears to have dropped its “Free App of the Week” promotion.
Users have been unable to find the giveaway since the introduced of the all-new App Store in iOS 11. Apple now has “App of the Day” and “Game of the Day” highlights, but unless its picks were already free, you have to pay for them.
Cult of Mac Magazine: Google’s Pixel 2 vs. new iPhones and more!
Can Google convince iPhone fans to jump ship for the new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL?We show how Google’s Pixel lineup compares to iPhone 8 and the upcoming iPhone X.
In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine, you’ll find that story and more. Check out the serious internal upgrades packed into iPhone 8 Plus, and Google’s new mini speaker. We’ve got some great Mac apps for photo editors, a roundup of the best chargers and stands for Apple Watch Series 3 and a review of the iconic Speidel Twist-O-Flex band. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.
Streamline your calendar, charging, coding skills, and more [Week’s best deals]
To celebrate the start of a new week, we do what we do every week: gather up some of the best deals on gear, gadgets, and more. This round, we’ve got a comprehensive course in iOS 11 coding, and a ‘Hiffecient’ USB charging hub. We’ve also got a tool for streamlining online form-filling, and an upgrade for your Mac’s calendar. Everything is discounted by more than 40 percent. Read on for more details: