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Put Your iPhone in Dark Mode
Dark mode has been noticeably absent from the iPhone for a few years. Apple TV and the Mac already offer this feature. While iOS 11 doesn’t officially offer dark mode, this feature can be accessed through Accessibility options. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations > Invert Colors to switch to “dark mode”.
Inverting colors has been possible on iOS for years. The difference is that, with iOS 11, colors are only inverted within iOS UI elements. Unfortunately, Smart Invert doesn’t work as advertised. Images on web pages still look like photo negatives. We can only hope that Apple fixes this issue. Better yet, they should offer a proper dark mode for iOS. For now, Smart Invert is as good as it gets.
Scan Documents on Your iPhone
Most people own a scanner. I have an HP all-in-one printer and scanner. It’s a piece of junk and it’s remarkably frustrating to use. I probably won’t ever need to use it again, thanks to iOS 11. The Notes app now includes a very capable document scanner. Just open Notes, tap the + button on the bottom right, and tap on Scan Documents. Simply point your iPhone’s camera at a document and follow the onscreen instructions. The results are quite impressive.
The scanned documents actually look better than what most external scanners can produce. This shouldn’t be surprising. After all, a modern iPhone features a 12 megapixel rear camera. The sensors and optics are much better than most all-in-one office machines. The user interface is better than anything you’ll find on one of those old, clunky devices.
Turn on Do Not Disturb While Driving
Apple has been eyeing the automobile for a few years now. The introduction of CarPlay enabled users to access their iPhone without taking their eyes off the road. With iOS 11, Apple introduces Do Not Disturb While Driving, making our roads even safer.
The Do Not Disturb While Driving feature, once activated, automatically figures out if you are driving based on Bluetooth connectivity and motion sensors. Messages and calls can be automatically answered with customizable replies. Urgent messages can bypass the feature. Phone calls will come through if your iPhone is connected to your car’s Bluetooth speakerphone. If you have a teenager, it’s even possible to prevent her or him from turning the feature off. As usual, Apple thought of just about everything and implemented the feature with high quality results.
This is Just The Beginning
Although iOS 11 offers far more features for the iPad, it also improves the iPhone significantly. Keep in mind, this is just the beginning. As iOS 11 updates are released, Apple will introduce more new technology. This is particularly important for those lucky enough to own an iPhone X.
Jony Ive has stated that there is a lot more coming for the iPhone X this year. My guess is that Apple will take advantage of the front facing sensors to add support for hand gestures. This is something their competitor did a few years ago, but it was done quite poorly. Apple may not be the first to implement a particular feature, but they usually wait until it can be done right. Sometimes first is worst. Stay tuned for more exciting new features in iOS 11.