Apple iOS 11.4 released with AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud

Apple has released iOS 11.4, which includes several new features and improvements including AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud. The update as usual will be pushed to your iOS devices automatically, but you can manually check for its availability by heading to Settings > General > Software Update on your iPhone or iPad.

With AirPlay 2, users will be able to connect two HomePod units in the same room and use them as a left and right speaker to stream music in stereo. AirPlay 2 also allows users to play music in any room from any room using their iOS device, HomePod, Apple TV or Siri. Music can be moved from one room to another, and different sounds can be streamed in different rooms. If you dont want to use Siri to control the speakers, you can also do so using the Control Center on your iOS devices.

AirPlay 2 will be available in the U.S. U.K. and Australia starting today, and will rollout to Canada, France and Germany on June 18th.

With Messages in iCloud, users will have their messages synced across their Message threads across their iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watches. If you delete a message on one device, it will be deleted across all the devices you own. This allows users to follow and continue the latest conversation thread across all their iMessages. This also allows storage to be freed up across your devices by deleting messages you no longer want to keep.

The update also adds calendar support for Apple's HomePod smart speaker. Unfortunately, users in Canada, France and Germany will have to wait until later this year for this function to be available on their HomePods.

source - Apple