The coolest iOS 11 features to get excited about ahead of iPhone 8 launch

THE iPhone 8 will be unveiled next week, and there is a lot to like about the new operating system that will come with it.

APPLE is preparing for an event widely expected to see the unveiling of the iPhone 8.

But even if you’re not in the market for a new mobile, Apple is still offering iPhone and iPad owners a little treat.

On September 13, Apple will roll out iOS 11 — a new version of the operating system that powers iPads and iPhones.

It’s set to be a big release for iPad fans because it will introduce a range of functions people have been hoping to see for a very long time.

A beta version of iOS 11 was released to developers earlier this year during WWDC, but the public will have to wait a few weeks longer to try out a full version of the software.

At WWDC, Apple revealed its HomePod speaker system, a new range of iPad Pros and all manner of other goodies at WWDC.

But the release of iOS 11 might be the biggest news of the year for Apple fans because it looks set to make big changes to their iPads and iPhones.

Here are some of the coolest features of iOS 11.

A CUSTOMISABLE CONTROL CENTRE

You can now choose the apps that appear in Control Centre, which collects together various apps and functions in one page.

You’ll be able to go into settings to customise what’s shown on your iPad or iPhone’s Control Centre, perhaps adding a calculator, alarm or any other app you use frequently.

DRAG AND DROP

Apple iOS 11 features a new app called Files that allows you to arrange and access all the files stored on your iPad or iPhone.

On iPad, you will also be able to click and drag multiple files at the same time to move them between apps.

You could, for instance, drag photos or links from the Safari browser into an email.

IMPROVED PHOTOS APP

You’ll now be able to select which frame is used as the still part of a Live Photo — a function that captures a few seconds of footage whenever a photo is snapped.

Live photos can be looped so they repeat endlessly to play forward and then backwards using a function called Bounce.

The Photos app also features a wide range of new filters to make images look better and all snaps will take up about half as much space as before due to Apple’s new “High-Efficiency Image File Format” (HEIF).

DOCUMENT SCANNER

We’re hoping Apple will save us from the misery of printing out documents.

It features a new function that will scan single or multiple-page documents.

You can then annotate the documents using the “mark up feature” and even sign forms on the iPad Pro without having to print them.

INSTANT NOTES ON IPAD

You’ll be able to use the Notes app without unlocking an iPad by simply tapping the screen with the Apple Pencil and then scribbling away.

Your handwritten notes will even be searchable, because iOS 11 can translate your scrawl into proper text.

DO NOT DISTURB WHILE DRIVING

Apple iPhones will block text messages and social media posts while you’re driving thanks to a car safety software upgrade.

The latest iOS 11 operating system will be rolled out with a “Do Not Disturb While Driving Mode” that hides notifications while you’re behind the wheel.

INDOOR MAPS

Apple Maps has been beefed up on the new version of iOS so that it can guide you around airports.

You should be able to navigate your way through major malls and other destinations, with more and more places set to be mapped out in the coming months.

MULTI-TASKING

This function allows you to use more than one app at once.

Users can drag an app out of the dock and split the screen between two apps.

This is handy for transferring files like images between files, or perhaps reading the news while writing an email.

SIRI UPGRADE

Apple’s voice assistant now has a more natural voice.

Siri has a new, more natural voice, can translate English into Mandarin, French, German, Italian or Spanish, and offers more proactive suggestions based on personal usage.

This article originally appeared on The Sun.

Originally published as The coolest iOS 11 features to get excited about ahead of iPhone 8 launch