iOS 11: Seven hidden features you may have missed

Apple’s new iPhone X and iPhone 8 have dominated the headlines since they were announced last week, but you don’t need to buy the latest device to refresh your smartphone.

Along with the launch of both mobiles, the Cupertino-based tech giant released the 11th version of its iOS operating system, bringing with it a host of improvements and apps.

As is the case with most software updates, there are several new features and tools that only eagle-eyed users may have noticed.

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Here are seven new features in iOS 11 that may have slipped under your radar.

1. There’s a new control centre

The control centre has been a prominent feature on iPhones for several years, but the hidden feature can often be missed. It can make using your smartphone a lot easier.

In iOS 11, the feature has been improved so that all functions are on one page. You can also customise the layout by adding and removing different menu options. To access the control panel, swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone’s homepage.

2. Typing with one hand is easier

Typing is now easier and faster on the latest software update, as a one-handed mode for the keyboard debuts.

Users can hold down the emoji key on their iPhone’s keyboard to access one-handed mode, reports the website, which shifts the keys either to the left or right hand side of the screen – a particularly useful function for those with the larger Plus models.

3. You can now record the screen

iPhone users can now record what they see on the screen of their device thanks to a new video capture feature in iOS 11.

Cnet says you will need to go to settings, control centre and customise controls and select “screen recording” to add the feature to the control centre. Then simply head to your iPhone’s homepage, swipe up and tap the screen recording icon to start capturing video.

4. Removing old files is simpler

A tool within iOS 11’s settings menu now allows you to help find old files and delete them to free up your iPhone’s memory, reports 9to5 Mac.

Head to settings, general and then iPhone storage to see what files are taking up memory on your device, the website says. It also says when you last used apps and suggests which ones you might want to delete.

5. Indoor maps debut

Apple has revamped its Maps app in iOS 11, as Cult of Mac says. You can now view a map of indoor areas in certain locations.

“In airports, you can see all the stores, lounges, security checkpoints and terminals, and you can view the building by floor,” the site says. “You get much the same when navigating a mall,” it adds, “only without the terminals or security checkpoints.”

6. Emergency mode keeps people out of your phone

Pressing the sleep/wake button on your iPhone five times will now bring up a hidden menu that allows you to “discreetly place a call to emergency services”, reports Mac Rumors.

There are two options when bringing up the menu: emergency call and medical ID. The former sends the emergency services a text message with you location, the site says, while the latter gives rescuers vital information about your health.

7. Don’t get disturbed when driving

To prevent drivers from looking at their phone, Tech Crunch says Apple has installed a new “do not disturb while driving” feature that “silences all notifications” when on the move.

The function comes into effect when the device is hooked up to a car through Bluetooth, the website says, or it can “autodetect when you’re driving based on your location and accelerometers”.