The biggest innovation in iOS 11 is undoubtedly the new Control Center. It changes the way you operate the iPhone and iPad, if you know how it works.
The iOS 11 Control Panel in the picture
Apple takes a big step with iOS 11; the Control Panel is expanded into a function that takes up your entire screen. From now on, if you swipe your finger upwards on your display, you will see a new window with larger and small squares.
Some of these squares fulfill the functions that the Control Center already had: controlling your music, changing the brightness and turning bluetooth on and off. However, it does not stop there: you finally get the chance to (partly) design the content of the panel yourself. This works as follows.
This is how you adjust the iOS 11 Control Center:
- Open Settings and choose ‘Control Panel’;
- Here you can add and remove controls. Tap the red minus to remove them, the green one to add them;
- Use the hamburger menu to arrange the controls.
For example, you can add a remote control for the Apple TV to the optional controls; something that is only relevant if you have an Apple TV yourself. This also makes it possible to open the Notes app, alarm clock or Accessibility functions more quickly. There are even functions that you can activate exclusively through the iOS 11 Control Center. For example, starting a screen recording, one of the more useful improvements in iOS 11.
For now, the apps that access Control Center are only from Apple. However, the new options allow third-party developers to design controllers. Let’s hope Apple makes this possible in the future.