Hands-On With iOS 11's iPad Features: Dock, Drag and Drop, App Switcher and More

[docal97]

It’s incredible to use, my Air 2 handles everything with the odd stutter here and there but this will be ironed out over the course of development, in terms of UI fluidity it’s very good for a first build.

Happy to keep this on my Air 2 foe the duration of the beta process, the features make the iPad instantly more useful to use.

[doublepost=1497189024][/doublepost]Really do like the new IPad features in IOS 11. Was using the beta for a few days but reverted back to IOS 10. Thought the swiping to get an app into split view was not as good as it currently is configured in IOS 10. It seemed so much easier to just swipe over from right-left to access all available apps for split view. I'm sure there is more refinement to come. Unless I was missing something, it also seemed hard to get an app into split view if it wasn't already in your dock. So if I wanted ESPN in split view while using safari and it wasn't in my dock, how do I do that easily? I thought the previous app picker for split view needed improvements but didn't need to be eliminated as a feature, unless it will be brought back in some capacity in later betas.
All in all, very nice changes for the IPad!

 

[Rogifan]

Is it possible to use the files app to share a locally stored video to Facebook? Right now the TV app has no sharing options.

 

[verpeiler]

I like the expanded features, but seriously, how can anyone be expected to remember all these gestures? It's hard enough to remember 3D touch sometimes.

Which gesture(s) do you mean? Apart from the new split screen I haven't seen a new gesture so far?

 

[pubwvj]

"MacOS and iOS will never merge because touch screens are not right for MacOS." -Apple over and over again

"Soon the MacOS and the iOS will merge." -The rest of us as it becomes clearer and clearer that iOS is following the path of the MacOS.

 

[ipedro]

I like the expanded features, but seriously, how can anyone be expected to remember all these gestures? It's hard enough to remember 3D touch sometimes.

Gestures and multitasking actually got simpler. Swiping from below always brings up the Dock. That's easy to remember. There's no more needing to slide from the right and use yet another app shelf that didn't exist anywhere else to open a second app.

Nonetheless, multi tasking and dragging and dropping are advanced features. For simpler users, everything still works the same and these features don't get in their way. They're there for those who know how to use them and they're pretty discoverable and intuitive for all users to learn.

 

[subjonas]

"MacOS and iOS will never merge because touch screens are not right for MacOS." -Apple over and over again

"Soon the MacOS and the iOS will merge." -The rest of us as it becomes clearer and clearer that iOS is following the path of the MacOS.

I agree with Apple for the most part. MacOS should never be touch. That's forcing a square peg in a round hole, bad UX. The only exception would be if Mac ever gets Pencil support, maybe applications could support scrolling only. And maybe web browsers could support touch since web pages look the same on iPad. But menus etc should never be touch. iOS MAY get mouse/trackpad support someday.

 

[alex2792]

Haters are gonna hate (and I did my fare share), but the iPad is finally starting to look like a possible laptop replacement. Don't get me wrong, we're talking about MacBook/Air replacement, as I'd never give up a Pro for any type of tablet.

It may be able to replace a laptop for Facebook and cat videos, but not for any actual work. You still can't set default apps and have to replicate the same file multiple times to open it in different apps, which is completely retarded. Surface Pro >>>>>>>>>>>>> iPad for productivity.

 

[Feenician]

You still can't set default apps and have to replicate the same file multiple times to open it in different apps,

You haven't had to do that for some time if. the apps share sheet is written properly

 

[jquest68]

I'm using the iOS 11 on my iPad Air 2 and looks beautiful. I know its just a beta release but for some reason Pandora Radio isn't working anymore. Works on my iPhone 7 but not on the iPad. I do notice a battery drain on my phone.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Bring it on! The app switcher for multitasking was terrible if you used it frequently. Having to scroll up and up and up and up through an assortment of nearly identical icons was a hassle. Love the dock feature.

Then there was the file browser, or lack there of. It wasn't as much of a problem for me, but Browser is certainly welcome.

 

[David_19]

My 2012 Ipad is somewhere in my house collecting dust . One of the worst investment in my life , but this new iPad Pro along with iOS 11 has me thinking now . I will most likely give it another shot ..

 

[DoctorTech]

I love my 9.7" iPad Pro and I am sure I will soon be upgrading to the 10.5". I am very impressed with the new features demo'd in iOS 11. I had already started leaving my 2013 rMBP at home on short business trips and just taking my iPad with the smart keyboard. I have a nice iMac for heavy lifting and since I can run presentations straight from my iPad, I will probably be hanging onto my 2013 rMBP rather than upgrading it.

 

[nutu]

A really cool feature is that you can drag back a hidden app in slide over view from the right

 

[DNichter]

Really happy with iOS 11 this year and the new features specifically to the iPad. I was saying that WWDC was a perfect landing spot for new iPad's and to show off new software features. I am now confident that I can sell my MacBook and go with my 10.5 as my main computer for home use. I am sure there will be some challenges, but I am excited to make it work. macOS has become pretty boring to me anyway.
[doublepost=1497268185][/doublepost]

I'm pretty sure you're right. Look at the attention and updates Apple has giving the iPad recently while screwing around gimping Macs which have been getting progressively worse since 2012.

At this point, I think what's left of the Mac line is just a gambit to extract a last pile of cash from people in denial about what you're saying.

I think there will be a shift for sure. I believe there are a lot of people that own a computer now that don't really need one (myself included). Those people will lean towards the iPad while others who have more intensive tasks will still look towards a traditional setup. Apple is in a good position since they can cater to both.

 

[LordQ]

I still think the Files app should've been called Finder.

 

[Nanotyrns]

I still think the Files app should've been called Finder.

OMG the crowd would have gone crazy! They were already happy about Files. Calling it Finder would have sent them over the edge

 

[JulianL]

iOS 11 looks great. Can anyone tell me more about how customisable the dock is? Is the three-on-the-right being the dynamic most-recently-used apps and the rest to the left of them being the fixed user-defined apps something that is hard-coded into the dock functionality or is there the option to change the balance of how much of the dock is used for user-defined vs most-recently-used apps - maybe even hide the most-recently-used section altogether so that the full dock width can be set up by the user as they want? I would probably do the latter if I could.

Also, I wonder whether we will have the option to put more apps on the home screen by the time iOS 11 gets to full release status. I find the 4 x 5 grid too sparse even on my 9.7" iPad so it's going to look even worse, at least to my eyes, on my three-hours-until-delivery 10.5" iPad Pro. One thing I really like about the new dock is its tighter icon packing so I hope some of that tighter packing finds its way to the main home screen as well

 

[mazz0]

The two hand/two finger method still confuses me. So you have to touch and hold an app icon in home screen, swipe up from bottom with another finger to open app switcher, then drag the icon to the previously opened app in the app switcher? Doesn't holding down an icon in home screen cause the icons to go into move/delete mode?

That's good you can use two fingers instead of requiring two hands. But still I think requiring precise independent movement of fingers is something that should be avoided if possible. There has to be a better solution. I can think of one off the top of my head.

So the last used app always shows up on the right side of the dock? So you can actually open the second app separately, then drag the first app icon from the dock to split view, right? That seems like the easiest method. But I don't like the fact that you have to completely close the first app to open up the second. There needs to be an obvious visual reminder that you are still working in the first app while you look for the second app in home screen. The icon in the right side of the dock isn't obvious because that icon is there whether or not you plan on going back to that app (I'm assuming).

Apparently you can also use spotlight to open a split screen app. I have no idea how that works. I can't believe there are no videos of anyone demonstrating all the different ways to open split view apps (that aren't in the dock). Maybe because they're so unintuitive, they don't even realize they exist.

It certainly is unintuitive. I'm not massively impressed with how they've done it.

Also, sometimes swiping on from the right bring a split app back and sometimes it doesn't. Confusing. Maybe this'll be worked out in a later beta. If swiping from the right won't be a thing though, I wish they'd make it take you forward in Safari again like it used to.

 

[kazmac]

Looking forward to using some of these features in the Fall.