iOS 11 GM is now available to download for all iOS 11 beta users, including those in the developer preview program and the iOS 11 public beta testing program. GM stands for Golden Master, and typically represents the final shipping version of a software release.
Users who are enrolled in the developer and public beta testing programs can find iOS 11 GM available to download now from the Settings app Software Update mechanism of iOS.
The download via over-the-air update is actually labeled as simply “iOS 11” and has no mention of the GM build, whereas the download from the Apple Developer Center labels it is the iOS 11 GM seed release.
iOS 11 includes many new features and changes for the iPhone and iPad system software, including improvements and refinements to Siri, Messages, Photos, and more. iOS 11 offers the most notable changes to iPad users, with enhanced multitasking capabilities, the Files app which is a file system of sorts that ties into iCloud Drive, and a redesigned Dock and app switching experience that is similar to how Mission Control works on the Mac. It’s certainly a compelling release for iPad users and well worth experiencing either by enrolling in the public beta or by installing the final build when it is released in a week.
In addition to iOS 11 GM for iPhone and iPad, watchOS 4 GM and tvOS 11 GM are also available for Apple Watch and Apple TV, respectively.
For those not enrolled in the beta programs, iOS 11 will be released to the wider public on September 19 as a free download for all iOS 11 compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models.