What you need to know
- Apple announced iPadOS 15 during its WWDC event.
- There are tons of new features to look forward to!
Apple announced iPadOS 15 today with some big new features and this is sure to be the best version of iPadOS ever. There's a ton to get into so let's get started.
With iPadOS 15, Apple is bringing widgets to the Home screen proper, instead of reducing them to the sidebar. New, larger widgets will be available as well thanks to the iPad's larger display. New Contacts and Find My widgets are also coming.
Much like iOS 14, Apple is also bringing App Library to iPadOS 15, making it available via the iPad's Dock as well. You'll be able to hide entire Home screens as well, getting rid of those apps we don't want to use all that often.
iPad multitasking improvements are also incoming, with a new multitasking view giving users the option to choose between split-screen and other views when running more than one app at a time. Swiping down while in split-screen mode will also give users the chance to open a different app. Apps can be minimized to the Shelf, an area that will hold apps that can be quickly re-opened when needed. This being iPad, everything works via keyboard shortcuts as well.
Improvements to Notes mean we can mention a person and have their details at hand, while a new activity view will show us what changes have been made to a note that's being edited by multiple people. Tags are also being added for easier note organization.
Quick Notes are a fast and easy way to get to a note from anywhere. Swipe from the bottom corner of the screen using an Apple Pencil and your note appears, ready to be used. Notes can be dismissed via a swipe when you're done. Third-party apps can be used, and Notes will recognize which apps you're using and make suggestions based on the context.
Next up, translation. The Translate app is coming from iPhone. Users can now translate text system-wide, including inside photos and more. You can even translate conversations in real-time, with the iPad detecting which language is being used automatically.
A new Swift Playgrounds allows users to create apps on their iPad using SwiftUI, with documentation included. You can even submit your apps to the App Store from within Swift Playgrounds!
Developers can download iPadOS 15 beta 1 today, while a public beta will run next month. Everyone else should be good to go from this fall.
Apple says it's time to re-think what we do with our iPad and, if iPadOS 15 lives up to the hype, we might be doing exactly that!
