How to Use the Coolest New Features in IOS 11.3
If you expected Apple to wait a week until its new iPad starts shipping for the official launch of iOS 11.3, you’ve lost. iOS 11.3, a one-day exclusive for the specified iPad, is now available for all iOS devices. And here’s how to find all of its coolest features and updates:
How to upgrade to iOS 11.3
If you’re a longtime iOS user, you should already know what you’re doing. But just in case, you need to be reminded how to update your device to the latest version of iOS – if you don’t want to wait for Apple to push you to update, that is, here’s how:
- First, make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi.
- Tap on the Settings icon (or swipe down and start typing Settings if you’ve forgotten where you moved it).
- Scroll down a bit until you see General. Click on this.
- Click on “Software Update”.
- Wait while your iOS device checks for updates.
- Start downloading the iOS 11.3 update. It will take some time to download, depending on your connection, and a little more time for your device to prepare and test the update. When you’re done, your device will automatically reboot and begin installing iOS 11.3. Go for a delicious lemonade or take a stroll around the area while your device is running. (It took my iPhone 8 Plus almost 10 minutes to complete the update.)
iOS 11.3 … now what?
You have a new iOS! Great! Apple doesn’t put a big notification on the home screen to show you all the new features, but that’s okay. Here are some things to be aware of:
Battery throttling
Late last year, Apple got very upset about the performance degradation of older devices in an effort to make the most of your device’s aging battery. If a fast iPhone is more important to you than one that can last you a full day on a single charge, you can now tweak how Apple deals with the performance-battery life tradeoff.
Tap Settings, then tap Battery and then Battery Status (beta). On this screen, you will see the maximum battery capacity (100% is good), as well as recommendations for replacing the battery if it is old and affecting the performance of your device. If you have an older device and want to disable Apple Battery Throttling, just click on the little blue hyperlink (when prompted). If your device is performing in great shape, you won’t be able to disable battery throttling, so you’ll want to check this feature every six months or so.
New Animoji
Now you can send smart messages to your friends, taking the form of a virtual lion, bear, dragon or skull. You’ll find all of this in the same place you usually find animoji (in the Messages app, of course).
Business chat
Do you know how you can chat with companies – or at least their AI robots – on social networks like Facebook? iOS 11.3 brings these conversations right into Messages, but as always, it’s completely unclear which companies you can chat with (and what you can do).
In theory, you should be presented with a small indicator that allows you to start chatting messages with a company when you search for it in multiple locations like Safari, Siri, Maps, or Spotlight. There isn’t a huge list of businesses to actively communicate with, which would be incredibly helpful. Instead, you will have to check each time if the company you want to talk to supports this feature. Find, for example, the small message icon next to the company name in Spotlight search.
When it works – today I struck up a nice little chat with Newegg – you can do a number of tasks right from Messages. In my case, I could check the order status, make a return, or ask general questions. I couldn’t buy a specific product directly – a feature that will definitely appear in business chat (with Apple Pay, of course). And I couldn’t make an appointment as Newegg doesn’t do that, but you should also be able to manage your calendar and make appointments with businesses right from the business chat … someday.
Medical records
Open the Apple Health app and you’ll see a brand new Health Records option that is still in beta. Apple wants this to be a dumping ground for all the different tests you take at a doctor (or multiple doctors), which sounds great, especially if you travel between several different networks, each with separate health portals.
This, of course, depends on whether your provider is ready to play ball with the Apple system. I was able to find one network that I was on recently, but could not find the largest – good old Californian Kaiser Permanente. So, once again, my medical records seem a little scattered. But I at least applaud Apple for getting things off the ground.
Apple Music
It’s time to go back to the 90s. Apple is following the MTV path, adding a lot more video content to Apple Music. You can now watch tons of ad-free music videos and subscribe to certain playlists. To record your device’s data plan with video content, open Apple Music, click Browse, and look for the new Music Videos category.
Data confidentiality
You may see a new pop-up icon the next time an “Apple feature requests the use of your personal information,” Apple describes. This badge – two people holding hands – is a nice way to let you know the request is genuine. It will only appear when using Apple services, not third-party applications. Click the icon for more information on why a particular Apple service, like iTunes, needs that information.
It’s also a nice little harbinger of some of the bigger privacy changes coming in May, when Apple users in parts of the European Union, and later around the world, will be given the opportunity to get a copy of what Apple knows about them and change that data. , deactivate your Apple accounts, or delete your accounts entirely.
What is missing?
If you’ve been following the iOS 11.3 beta, you might have noticed that this latest release of iOS 11.3 is missing some features. Notably, there is no iCloud messaging support and it drives me crazy because it’s 2018 and I wish I didn’t delete the same texts from my iPhone and MacBook anymore, thanks, and also with AirPlay 2. Sorry those who has six HomePods looking to blow the roof off after the launch of iOS 11.3. There is no stereo sound for you.