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This big-screen counterpart to Apple's mobile operating system is getting an update in 2024. The latest version of iPadOS follows in the footsteps of iOS 18 by introducing a slew of Apple Intelligence features that use generative AI to enhance and expand the experience that the Apple's trademark tablet offers.
Throughout this running guide, we'll look at what to expect from the update bit by bit. For the best overview, be sure keep up to date with our iOS 18 updates too.
This update introduces the first set of features powered by Apple Intelligence. It also includes other features, bug fixes, and security updates.
Writing Tools
Writing Tools are available nearly everywhere you type in iPadOS. These let you to rewrite, proofread, and summarize text as needed.
Siri
Siri has gotten a makeover. The voice assistant now boasts a new look and animations that respond to the sound of your voice. It also won't get in the way if you're scrolling and supports both text inputs and a more conversational commands.
Photos
The search function in the Photos app now lets you find photos and videos simply by describing what you’re looking for. You can also clean up your library of "distractions" and create "memory movies" by describing them to your iPad.
Other features and improvements
The first version of iPadOS 18 didn't come with any of the Apple Intelligence features that Apple promised in September, but it did include an overhaul of almost every corner of the operating system.
Additional Home Screen options
iPadOS 18 comes with a ton of ways to put a personal touch on your tablet. For instance, you can now place app icons and widgets into any open position on the Home Screen, even along the bottom or off to the side. You can also now color tint your app icons and widgets to better complement your wallpaper and make app icons and widgets bigger. Meanwhile, night owls and goths alike will appreciate the ability to toggle darker icons for your home screen by default or via Night Mode.
Photos
The Photos app has been redesigned in iPadOS 18. There's a new layout, automatic collections and new options when it comes to how those collections are organised. As an example, you can now pin collections, group together people and pets or see your photos organised by days with the screenshots filtered out. You can even control the playback of high frame rate video content now.
Messages
The Messages app now supports text effects that let you visually amplify and enhance letters, words, phrases or emojis. Prefer to keep it professional? You've also got the ability to format your messages the old fashioned way with bold, underline, italics, and strikethrough toggles. On top of that, you can reply to messages using emojis and sticker tapbacks and schedule messages to send at a later time.
Control Center
The Control Center has been redesigned to support grouping, additional customisation and third party apps.
Lock Screen
Finally, iPad owners can customise the controls on the lock screen. You can also change up the font, with the addition of 10 new numeral scripts.
Notes
Still relying on the classic Notes app? I've got some good news. You're getting a few new features in the form of math equations, colored highlights, audio recording integration and collapsible text. Got an iPad with an A14 Bionic or M1 and above? Then you'll also gain the benefits of new handwriting refinement, the ability to paste text from other sources as if it was handwritten, live transcriptions on the aforementioned audio recordings and a spell check for whatever you write.
Calculator
The Calculator isn't the sexiest app on the iPad, but it is getting a key upgrade this year in the form of new math notes. This feature allows you to evaluate expressions, assign variables and draw graphs by hand. You can also now view your previous calculations via a history tab and quickly and easily convert units.
Gaming
Game Mode has been tweaked in iPadOS 18. It now minimizes background activity to sustain the highest frame rates and offers improved responsiveness with both wireless accessories like game controllers and Bluetooth accessories like the AirPods.
Safari
Safari now offers a Distraction Control toggle that hides elements on a webpage that you find disruptive to your browsing. You can also highlight key information from the webpage you’re visiting with summaries.
If you prefer to rely on Reader Mode, that's also been updated to more streamlined and offer up a summary for shorter articles and a table of contents for longer ones.
Passwords
As with iOS 18, iPadOS now has a native password app. As you'd expect, this app lets you access all your credentials for websites and apps in one place, including two-factor authentication codes. This app supports secure syncing to iCloud and Windows via the iCloud Passwords app.
SharePlay
You can now ask someone to share their screen with you via Messages or while in a FaceTime call. If you do so, you can draw to highlight elements or even take control directly via a remote control feature. Naturally, only known contacts can request control and the device owner’s actions will always take preference over remote ones.
Freeform
The Freeform app now lets you roganise content into scenes, share copies via link and the same handwriting recognition and math tech found in the updates Notes app. Diagramming has also been improved while Snap to Grid makes it easier to align content.
Tab bar and sidebar upgrades
The tab bar has been redesigned to stay out of the way of app content while the sidebar has been updated to offer more access to app-specific functionality.The document browser has also been given a new look. Animations and gestured in apps has also been touched up to make them feel more responsive.
Privacy tweaks
You can now used locked apps to protect your sensitive apps and the information inside them by requiring Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode to open them. Using this feature will also hide the content from search, notifications, and other parts of iPadOS.
Hidden apps have the same protections as locked apps, plus they are placed in a new hidden apps folder that is locked. You can also now pair Bluetooth accessories while keeping them private and exercise more control over how you share your contacts with an app.
Maps
The new version of Maps features a ton of nifty information for hikers relying on topographic maps including trails, contour lines, elevation, and points of interest. In addition, you can now create new custom walking and hiking routes. Anything you create or save is now stored in the Places library.
Apple TV app
The Apple TV App now lets you see real-time information for what you're watching, enhances dialogue to make it easier to hear and improved timing on subtitles.
Other features and improvements
The Calendar app now lets you create, view, edit and complete reminders alongside with your events
You can now view and retrieve deleted reminders in the Reminders app.
Guest access in Home app lets you provide visitors with date and time- based access to locks, garage doors, and alarm systems
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