During WWDC, Apple talked about a host of new features, refinements and improvements coming with iOS 11. However, there were a few features which weren’t discussed at the event but are extremely useful for users, such as the additions made to Airplane Mode.
Airplane Mode is a very useful feature
In the previous versions of iOS, when Airplane Mode was activated, users could no longer use Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or cellular data. Switching off Bluetooth means that any connection to an Apple Watch or any other device is lost. Now with iOS 11, enabling Airplane Mode will no longer deactivate the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in the phones, notes RedmondPie.
Active Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in Airplane Mode is a useful feature for those who do not want to give up on listening to music on their device or who prefer to stay connected to the world. iPhone and iPad owners in particular will take this as a welcome change because the whole purpose of handheld and light devices is defeated when they cannot be connected to the Internet or sharing is disabled.
The existing Airplane Mode is not very convenient for most users, many of whom have voiced their concerns over and over again, as they have to manually enable the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Now if the new feature comes out of the beta version, it will be a great relief for frequent flyers.
What else is new with iOS 11?
Apple added a host of new features and improvements in iOS 11, such as the Do Not Disturb Mode, which can be turned on while driving. When a user turns it on, it blocks all unwanted notifications by sending a response reading, “I’m driving with Do Not Disturb turned on. I’ll see your message when I get where I’m going.”
Users can get important messages even with it switched on after customizing the feature’s settings. The iPhone’s sensors will also reportedly be able to detect the speed of the vehicle once the feature is switched on.
Another substantial change in iOS 11 was done to the Control Center. In iOS 10, the Control Center was bifurcated into a three-pane card-style view, separating the Music controls on the second panel and dedicating the third panel to HomeKit. However, in iOS 11, Apple went back to the full-screen Control Center, offering all controls on a single screen with expanded controls accessed via 3D Touch or tap-and-hold gestures, notes ilounge.
Another important iOS 11 feature is Music Platter, which includes all the basic playback controls. Further, there is 3D Touch Gesture, which offers controls similar to the Music pane in the iOS 10 Control Center with sliders for volume and scrubbing. There is also a Night Shift toggle behind the 3D Touch Gesture on the brightness slider.
Further, Control Center is now equipped with a volume slider, a much-needed feature for controlling the volume directly. Many use the hardware buttons on the iPhone to adjust the ringer tone and alerts. Now with the volume adjustment slider in the control panel, such users will not have to swipe over to the music pane every time.
