Hello all,
I am back from PTO, and a bit of a mess. So much travel to get home. But I thought I would get started with technology again with a quick post.
I have been waiting for iOS 11.4 since it was supposed to provide HomePod stereo support which I am interested in, and I was hopeful for Canadian support for HomePod too. I like the iMessage and Cloud changes too. But below is the readme info.
I so want to have News finally in Canada but I do not see that in this upgrade. Too bad.
Some additional info on this release can be found in this article. It has info on other updates too.
I updated an iPhone 8 and it went very smooth and all my apps (so like Expensify, Tweetbot, Slack, Nest, Ring, 1Password) continued to work. As always I did an iTunes update as it does a better job by including more stuff in the backup. I updated an iPad Pro 10.5 with no issues and the same apps all worked fine. Including View too actually.
BTW, my iPads / iPhones all felt a little warmer than normal during upgrades so I guess that means more index updates or something like that. But nothing was hurt by it and it did not last. It is worth letting your iPhone battery die naturally after a upgrade, and not turn it off. You want all the indexing to complete.
Readme:
iOS 11.4 includes AirPlay 2 multi-room audio, support for HomePod stereo pairs, and Messages in iCloud. This update also includes bug fixes and improvements.
AirPlay 2
• Control your home audio system and AirPlay 2-enabled speakers throughout your house
• Play music at the same time on multiple AirPlay 2-enabled speakers in your house, all in sync
• Control AirPlay 2-enabled speakers from Control Center, the Lock screen, or AirPlay controls within apps on your iPhone or iPad
• Use your voice to control AirPlay 2-enabled speakers with Siri from your iPhone or iPad, HomePod, or Apple TV
• Take a call or play a game on your iPhone or iPad without interrupting playback on your AirPlay 2-enabled speakers
HomePod stereo pair
• This update supports setting up your HomePod stereo pair using your iPhone or iPad
• HomePod pair automatically senses its location in the room and balances the sound based on the speakers’ locations
• Advanced beamforming provides wider soundstage than traditional stereo pair
• HomePod will automatically update to support stereo pairs, unless auto updates are disabled in the Home app
Messages in iCloud
• Store your messages, photos, and other attachments in iCloud and free up space on your devices
• All your messages appear when you sign into a new device with the same iMessage account
• When you delete messages and conversations they are instantly removed from all your devices
• To turn on Messages in iCloud, enable Messages in iCloud settings (Settings > [your name] > iCloud)
• Your conversations continue to be end-to-end encrypted
Other improvements and fixes
• Enables teachers to assign their students reading activities in iBooks using the Schoolwork app
• Fixes an issue where certain character sequences could cause Messages to crash
• Addresses a Messages issue that could cause some messages to appear out of order
• Addresses an issue that could prevent logging in or accessing files on Google Drive, Google Docs and Gmail in Safari
• Fixes an issue that could prevent data syncing in Health
• Fixes an issue that could prevent users from changing what apps can access Health data
• Resolves an issue that could cause an app to appear in an incorrect location on the Home screen
• Fixes an issue where CarPlay audio could become distorted
• Fixes an issue where selecting music from your iPhone could fail when playing music over Bluetooth or when connected to USB on some vehicles
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
Michael
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