iOS 11 is a solid update. But it messes with some fundamental technologies and UIs that we’ve been used to since iOS 7 days. Some of the apps have been redesigned completely, and they’ve lost functionality. Or it’s been moved somewhere else.
Here are the 10 most annoying things about iOS 11 and how you can go about fixing them.
Read more: iOS 11 Features: The Ultimate Guide on How to Use All the New Features on iPhone and iPad
1. Exchange and Office 365 Email Issues
Apple has actually confirmed the issue with using Exchange and Office 365 email address in the Mail app. If you’re getting the “Cannot Send Mail. This message was rejected by the server.” message, you’re not alone.
Apple is said to be working on the fix but till then, try turning the Wi-Fi on and off, or toggling the Airplane mode. This seems to fix the issue temporarily for some users.
2. New Photo and Video Format
Apple has switched the format for photos and videos. It now uses HEIF format for videos and HEVC for videos. They’re efficient when it comes to compression algorithms. But you might be facing issues when recording video or when transferring photos from your iOS device to your PC.
You can switch back to the old formats by going to Settings -> Camera -> Format. Switch to Most Compatible here.
To make sure there aren’t any issues when transferring photos to the Mac, go to Settings -> Photos and from the Transfer to Mac or PC section, make sure Automatic is selected.
3. 32-Bit Apps Won’t Work
iOS 11 stops support for 32-bit apps. There’s no way around it. The apps just won’t launch. To see a list of all the 32-bit apps you have on your device, go to Settings -> General -> About -> Applications.
If you just can’t live without an app listed here, you can try downgrading back to iOS 10. But it will better if you try to find an alternative to the app on the App Store.
4. Using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles in Control Center
Apple has changed the behavior of the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles in iOS 11, which is confusing a lot of users. If you disable the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth toggle in Control Center, the iOS device will immediately disconnect from Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth accessories, but they will continue to be available for what Apple calls important features such as AirDrop, AirPlay, Apple Pencil, Apple Watch, Continuity features like Handoff and Instant Hotpot and Location Services. So when you disable the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth toggle from the Control Center, the color of the icons change from blue to gray.
If you want to disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth completely then you have to do it via the Settings app. If you’re getting confused then you can differentiate the 3 states visually.
Status: On – When Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled, the icons are blue in color as seen below.
Status: Disconnected – When you disable the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth toggle in the Control Center, the color of the icons change from blue to grey as you can see below.
Status: Off – When Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are disabled from the Settings app, the color of the icons change from blue to grey, and they gain another indicator. A diagonal line through the icons to confirm that they are completely disabled as seen below.
So I hope this makes it a little easier to understand the behavior of the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles in the Control Center in iOS 11.
5. Airplane Mode Behavior
In iOS 11, Apple has changed the behavior of the Airplane mode toggle as well. When you first tap it, it will disable Cellular access along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. However, if you enable Bluetooth or Wi-fi toggles or both when Airplane mode is on, then it will remember the last state the next time. So the next time you enable Airplane mode, it won’t disable the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles if you had turned them on the last time.
This can be a bit confusing as we are used to Airplane mode disabling all radios, but if you have a habit of enabling Wi-Fi or Bluetooth or both in Airplane mode then it is quite convenient as you don’t need to keep doing it manually. iOS remembers it for you.
6. Autoplay videos in App Store
The new App Store is awesome. The new Today section is great for discovering new apps and games every day. But there are way too many autoplay videos spread across the App Store.
To disable them, go to Settings -> iTunes & App Store -> Video Autoplay and select Off.
Read more: How to Use the New iOS 11 App Store on iPhone and iPad
7. Wishlist in App Store
The Wishlist feature in iOS 11 is just gone. If you want to create a list of apps you’d want to buy in future, you’ll need to use a third party app like Lookmark. When you’re viewing an app, tap on Share and add the app to Lookmark.
Download: Lookmark
8. 3D Touch App Switcher is Gone (For now)
The 3D Touch multitasking gesture in iOS 11 is gone for now (it looks like the feature will be back in an update). You can no longer force touch on the left edge to get to the App Switcher. The quick shortcut for switching between the last used app doesn’t work either. It’s clear that the feature was removed because of iPhone X.
There’s no real alternative or this. If you just don’t want to hit the Home button twice, should try customizing the AssistiveTouch feature from Settings -> General -> Accessibility -> AssistiveTouch. Add Multitasking as a top-level menu for quicker access to the App Switcher.
Update:
Apple has reintroduced the 3D Touch app switcher in iOS 11.1 beta 2. We expect Apple to release iOS 11.1 before iPhone X goes on sales on November 3.
9. AirPlay Button is Hidden
It’s surprisingly difficult to get to the AirPlay section in iOS 11. From the Control Center, first, you need to expand the Music widget and then tap the AirPlay button.
When the music is playing, just use the AirPlay button that’s in the new Now Playing widget on the Lock screen.
You can also tap on the radar icon in the music widget to quickly open the AirPlay button.
Read more: 3 Ways to Switch AirPlay Device on iPhone and iPad in iOS 11
10. No Twitter or Facebook Integration
iOS 11 removes native integration for Facebook and Twitter. You can’t just sign in with those accounts in Settings. If you were used to sharing things on Twitter without actually installing the Twitter app, those days are over.
The only workaround is that you’ll need to install the Twitter and Facebook apps. If you can’t stand the official apps, try using a third party app like Tweetbot and use their share sheet extensions to share things to Twitter.
11. Podcasts App Changes Podcast Management
In iOS 11, there’s a whole new redesign of the Podcasts app. It’s similar to the Apple Music design language. Which means everything is bigger. Tabs and sections are reorganized as well. There’s no Top Charts section anymore. It’s integrated into the new Browse section.
When you tap on the episode from Listen Now queue, it won’t just start playing. You’ll see a detailed view, and then a Play button. This kind of two-step UI is spread across the whole app.
If you can’t stand the Podcasts app, there’s not much you can do other than to switch to a third party client. Our recommendation is to try the free and feature-rich Overcast app. It comes with Smart Speed and Speed Boost feature. You should also try out Pocket Casts and Castro.
What’s Your Most Annoying iOS 11 Feature?
After updating to iOS 11, is something sticking out like a sore thumb? A new feature you just can’t deal with? Share with us in the comments below and we’ll try to help you out.
