The iPhone is also getting drag and drop with iOS 11

Apple’s newest mobile operating system, iOS 11, is primarily focused on turning the iPad into something resembling a desktop computer. You’ve got a dock for apps, a new file system, and features like drag and drop. But, not all of these changes are destined for the iPad only. The ability to drag and drop files, for example, is also coming to the iPhone.

There are limitations, though. According to tweets from developers at WWDC, Apple says drag and drop on the iPhone will only work within apps. There is a way to use it between apps (see below) but it seems this is a bug, rather than a feature. You can select multiple elements to drag and drop in iOS 11, but there’s no “spring loading.” (On macOS, this is when you pick up a file and hover over a folder and it opens automatically.)

Drag and drop is going to be particularly useful for the new Files app, which is also available on the iPhone. It’ll make it easier to organize items stored on your iPhone and iPad — everything from music and movies, to documents and presentations.

However, it’s worth remembering that iOS 11 is still in beta, and Apple can remove features if it wants to, including drag and drop. It might do this if it think it’s confusing on the iPhone. For example, think about all the gradations of touch interactions users now have to remember to use iOS 11 to its full potential. From Apple’s point of view, simpler might be better.