Apple today released the second public beta of iOS 11 to its public beta testing group, allowing non-developers to download and test the new operating system ahead of its fall launch. The second public beta of iOS 11 comes a little over two weeks after Apple released the first public beta and it corresponds to the third developer beta that was released earlier this week.
Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 11 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.
Those who want to join the beta testing program can sign up on Apple's beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas. Step-by-step instructions for downloading installing the public beta can be found in our how to. Betas should only be installed on a secondary device as the software is not stable and can include many bugs.
iOS 11 introduces subtle design changes to the operating system, including a new Lock screen experience and a customizable, redesigned Control Center. Siri is smarter, has a more natural voice, and can do more, Messages features person-to-person Apple Pay, Notes has searchable handwriting and document scanning, and Music lets you share playlists with your friends.
A new Files app improves file management on iOS devices, and on the iPad, there's a new Dock, an App Switcher, and support for Drag and Drop, all of which improves multitasking on the device. An entirely revamped App Store is coming in iOS 11, photos and videos take up less space, iMessages can be stored in iCloud, and developers are getting new tools like ARKit for creating impressive new augmented reality apps and games.
In the developer beta released this week, Apple introduced a handful of changes, including new TV Providers, new locations for the Files app, changes to the iPad App Switcher, and more. Details can be found in our beta 3 tidbits post and the video below.
For full details on all of the new features included in iOS 11, make sure to check out our iOS 11 roundup. Apple plans to release iOS 11 to the public in the fall following several months of testing and refinement.
