Since your messages and emails can contain important conversations that may require your instantaneous response, iOS 11 allows you to reply to them right from the Lock screen of your iPhone.
Although you are still taken to their corresponding apps from where you can type your reply, the need of unlocking your device and opening the apps manually is entirely eliminated as the process is automatic.
Here’s how you can reply to your messages or emails from the Lock screen in your iPhone with iOS 11:
Reply to Your Messages from the Lock Screen
- ■Wake up your iPhone
Press the Sleep/Wake button, press the Home button, or simply raise your iPhone (for new iPhones). This wakes up the phone to the Lock screen, and displays the unread messages you have in your inbox.
■Open the message
Tap the message you want to reply to, and tap Open. This opens the message thread in the Messages app.
■Reply to the message
Tap inside the Text Message/iMessage field, type your message, and tap the Send button. This sends your reply to the sender of the message.
Reply to Your Emails from the Lock Screen
- ■Wake up your iPhone
Press the Sleep/Wake button, press the Home button, or simply raise your iPhone (for new iPhones). This wakes up the phone to the Lock screen, and displays the unread emails your mailbox has.
■Open the email
Tap the email you want to reply to, and tap Open. This opens the email in the Mail app.
■Reply to the email
Tap the Respond icon from the bottom, tap Reply, type your reply in the work area, and tap Send from the top-right corner. This sends your reply to the sender of the email.