iOS 11, the newest major release of Apple’s mobile operating system, began pushing out to compatible iOS devices on Tuesday, September 19th. This upgrade focuses on a subtly revamped user interface and overall design, strengthens the productivity capabilities of the iPad, and provides some improvements for Siri. iOS 11 is compatible with iPhone 5s or newer, iPad 5th gen and iPad mini 2 or newer, and iPod touch 6th gen, as well as all iPad Pro models. However, not all iOS 11 features and improvements function on all devices. Information Systems & Computing (ISC) believes that most Penn constituents can safely update to iOS 11.0.1 or later, providing that the compatibility issues detailed below do not affect them.
Compatibility issues
One major system level change and a significant item to consider before upgrading is that iOS 11 will no longer support 32-bit apps. Any 32-bit apps still running on your device (usually apps that have not been updated in four years or more) will not function after an upgrade to iOS 11. If you are currently running iOS 10.3, you can find a list of apps that will no longer be compatible by navigating to Settings >> General >> About >> Applications, and looking under the “No Updates Available” heading. If any apps appear on this list that you find pertinent or necessary, it is highly recommended that you remain on iOS 10.3.3 until updates are pushed for the offending apps, or alternative solutions have been found.
ISC and others across campus have tested iOS 11 and have not discovered any compatibility issues with various University systems and many current University apps, including the apps and services listed here:
PennO365 and associated Microsoft Office apps (an issue with the Mail app and PennO365 was fixed in iOS 11.0.1)
Penn+Box
AirPennNet
BlueJeans
Zoom
Junos Pulse VPN
PennMobile
Canvas
Concur
Slack
Upgrading to iOS 11 on your device
The iOS 11 upgrade should not affect any data on the device being upgraded, but as with any operating system change, ISC strongly recommends performing a backup with iTunes before upgrading the device. ISC also recommends connecting devices to a power source for the duration of the upgrade process. Lastly, ISC recommends updating all apps via the App Store before upgrading to iOS 11.