iPadOS is the operating system for Apple's highly successful tablets. iPadOS 13 was the first iteration of the operating system, and iPadOS 16.5 is the latest. Get details on each version. Here's a guide to iPadOS versions.
iPadOS 17: Widgets, Health app, and PDFs
Release Date: Expected mid-September 2023
This update to iPadOS isn't as huge as some others, but it still has some great and useful features.
The Health app is available for the first time on Apple tablets, meaning the helpful graphs you're used to seeing on your iPhone or Apple Watch have more breathing room. Your health data will sync across your other devices using your Apple ID, so you can seamlessly navigate between them.
PDFs are easier to use and create in iPadOS 17; you can automatically create one if you take a photo of a model. The iPad is also better at working with PDFs, which usually end up in your Files app and are read-only.
The last major update is with widgets, which already appeared on the iPhone in iOS 16. In iPadOS 17, you can drag your widgets to the big screen and make updates in an app directly from your widget.
iPadOS 16: Editing comes to iMessages, email reminders, and the Weather app
Publication date: October 24, 2022
The 2022 iPadOS update introduced some much-needed updates to Messages, including the ability to edit texts for other Apple users. You have a 15-minute window after sending a message to make changes, and an edit history is available. Similarly, you have two minutes to unsend a text message by mistake. You can also mark conversations as unread so you can return to them later and recover conversations you recently deleted.
Mail also lets you unsend messages, and you can set reminders to respond to important emails. You can also schedule emails to be sent later, add links, and keep outgoing communications at the top of your inbox for easy reference.
Safari has added translation support for Arabic, Dutch, Indonesian, Korean, Polish, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Tab groups have also received a complete overhaul. For example, you can share a group of Safari tabs with friends and then use them for collaboration. They'll automatically update as people add to or subtract from the group. Additionally, you can use a tab group as your start page and customize its background.
Other notable app updates include an iPhone-only Weather app that was previously available on iPad, a new Home app for smart devices, new search features and context menus, and functionality. Live text In videos.
iPadOS 15: New multitasking features and app redesign
Chest: September 20, 2021
Final version: 15.7.2
iPadOS 15 introduces a newly designed Home screen featuring built-in widgets and an App Library. App redesigns include a new tab bar design for Safari and new FaceTime features like Noise Isolation and Spatial Audio. New system features include QuickNote, which lets you quickly and easily jot down notes regardless of the app you're using, and Live Text, which lets users recognize text in images.
iPadOS 15 focuses on multitasking, introducing a multitasking menu that lets users easily jump into Split View or Slide Over to get more done quickly and work more efficiently within multiple apps. Additionally, improved widget options let users place widgets with apps on their Home screens. Users can also access the App Library from Docs to easily access and organize apps.
Other notable changes in iPadOS 15 include Focus Input, which lets users filter notifications and apps so they can focus on the task at hand, and the Translate app, which can detect when someone is speaking in another language and automatically translate what they're saying. If you're a power user, you can now use your iPad to create apps and submit them directly to the App Store.
iPadOS 15 brings numerous improvements to the user interface, general controls, and built-in apps that create an enhanced user experience.
iPadOS 14: Redesigned UI elements and a new Scribble app
Publication date: September 16, 2020
Final version: iPadOS 14.8
This version of iPadOS featured numerous interface improvements, redesigned apps, and augmented reality. It also added more privacy information to the App Store and introduced a Privacy Report for the websites you visit. When using Airpods iPadOS 14 introduces battery notifications and lets you seamlessly switch from iPad to iPhone and back.
iPadOS 14 introduced the Scribble app, which converts handwriting to text and lets you use Apple Pencil in any text field. It also introduced the ability to scratch to erase and circle to highlight text.
Apple's Today View widget has been redesigned to fit more information on your Home screen. Apps have been improved with sidebars and drop-down menus for easier navigation.
iPadOS 14 introduced a feature where when making or receiving calls through your iPhone and FaceTime And other communication applications, call information is displayed in a compact design that takes up only a very small amount of screen space.
The Messages app has added pinned conversations, inline replies, and the ability to type a name to send them a direct message. Finally, convenient cycling and electric vehicle routing directions have been added to Maps.
iPadOS 13: Widgets, Dark Mode, Gestures, and More
Publication date: September 24, 2019
Final version: iPadOS 13.7
iPadOS 13 allows users to fit more apps on the screen at once and introduces the new Pinned Widgets feature.
iPadOS also added improvements to Slide Over and Split View. You can open multiple apps in Slide Over, making switching between them much faster in the right-hand column Apple placed inside. Split View was able to bring "Spaces" into the same app, so you can, for example, open two two-page documents at once.
iPadOS 13 introduced improvements to Apple's iconic stylus, the Apple Pencil. Device latency has been reduced to minimize the delay between placing the tip down on the iPad and the screen becoming active. It also debuted an all-new Apple Pencil panel, making it easy to mark up entire documents, and made expanding the screen of your Mac running macOS Catalina even more useful.
iPadOS 13 has added a number of gestures specifically designed for text editing. Users can use a three-finger pinch to copy, a three-finger pinch to paste, and a three-finger swipe to undo. A three-finger double pinch can also be used. Cut text just as easily..
Safari has also been redesigned to identify itself to web servers as a Mac, bringing users to a PC-optimized website the first time. This was a great addition for users of web applications like Google Docs or WordPress.
The long-awaited dark mode has arrived in iPadOS 13, and it's not just for inverting colors. It was built from the ground up and integrated across the entire system.
iPadOS 13 comes with iOS XNUMX. Apple Arcade , a premium gaming subscription service, a new Siri voice, smarter maps and ways to share your stuff with other people, improved Notes, an all-new Reminders app, the ability to add fonts, a privacy-focused Sign in with Apple, and much more.
