Apple is pushing the limits of its beta program as the company just released the tenth beta version of iOS 11. If you have a developer account and want to try out the next version of iOS, you can download the new beta version right now.
iOS 11 is the next major release of the operating system for the iPhone and iPad. Apple first unveiled iOS 11 at its WWDC event back in June 2017. Developers and early adopters have been able to try out the new version for three months.
And the wait is almost over as Apple should release iOS 11 a week after the new iPhone event on September 12. Existing iPhone and iPad owners will be able to update for free.
At this point, beta versions of iOS 11 feel quite stable. I wouldn’t recommend installing iOS 11 on the iPhone you use every day — beta versions of iOS usually drain your battery life. But if you have an iPad and are feeling adventurous, you can install it right now.
If you have a developer account and pay $99 per year to access new betas, developer tools and content, you can download iOS 11 beta 10 on Apple’s developer website. If you don’t want to pay $99, Apple now has a public beta program.
The iPad is going to receive the biggest changes in iOS 11. The update turns your iPad into a more capable tablet as you can drag and drop files, app icons and more across the operating system. There’s a system-wide dock, a new app switcher and a Files app so you can launch apps and manage your documents more easily.
If you don’t have an iPad, most of the changes are under the hood, starting with Apple’s augmented reality framework ARKit. Many developers have been working on ARKit-enabled apps, but they’re not in the App Store just yet. There’s also a completely redesigned Control Center with customizable shortcuts. I wrote a preview of the upcoming changes in iOS 11 if you want to learn more.
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