How to download iPadOS 17.1 for your iPad right now

(Image credit: Apple)

WWDC 2023

(Image credit: Apple)

iPadOS 17.1 is finally here, bringing with it bug fixes, subtle changes and better AirDorp support. Originally available for developers and insiders to test out, the general public has finally gotten the full release so you are able to download it right now.

It has been a busy month for Apple, with both the launch of the latest iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro handsets but brand new watches also called for new software. If you have found yourself having some problems with your watch, watchOS 10.1 has arrived to fix it.

If you have an iPad, you're in for a treat as iPadOS 17.1 is an iteration of an already great bit of software. If you want to make sure your iPad is upgraded to iPadOS 17.1, here's everything you should know.

iPadOS 17 Lock Screen — (Image credit: Apple)

Download iPadOS 17.1 on devices running iPadOS 16.4 or later

If your iPad is running iPadOS 16.4 or later, it should be incredibly easy to get the newest version, iPadOS 17.1, for your device.

Open Settings on your iPad
Tap General
Then tap on Software Update
You might see more than one available update, tap the one for iPadOS 17.1
Tap on Download and Install
You might need to enter your passcode
Then tap Install Now

It's that simple. And, if you already have updates set to download automatically, you might not even have to follow those steps at all. You may have already woken up to iPadOS 17.1 without realizing it.

iPadOS 17.1 is here, and it's glorious

iPadOS 17.1 is the next generation of iPad software and it's incredibly exciting, representing a major upgrade to the way your iPad looks and works.

We can't wait to get properly stuck into iPadOS 17.1 and all of the changes it will bring. With the announcement of iPadOS 17 at WWDC 2023, we've had some time to test out the new lock screen, customization options, widget implementation, and new PDF features. iPadOS 17.1 only improves all of that.

Interestingly, the latest update to iPads seems to be making your experience more macOS-like too, with Safari updates and Stage Manager extras. Even the keyboard is being spruced up while there's the addition of a health app you're more used to seeing on your iPhone.

John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself. Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings. John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019. John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.

In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit.