Image: Apple. iPadOS 16
Since the launch of the first-generation iPad in 2010, Apple has dominated the pill market. Originally launching with iPhone OS 3.2, the first-generation 9.7″ iPad was architecturally akin to a big iPhone. With successive fashions, Apple has differentiated the iPad from the iPhone by including help for enter strategies such because the Apple Pencil, and totally different display sizes such because the 7.9″ iPad Mini, and the 11″ and 12.9″ iPad Pro and the 11″ and 12.9″ iPad Pro with M1 chip.
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As the iPad lineup has expanded into an entirely separate product class, Apple introduced at its 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) that it has rebranded iOS for iPad as iPadOS, beginning with iOS 13, to spotlight and goal the options that differentiate the iPad from different gadgets. This follows Apple’s naming pattern of watchOS for Apple Watch and tvOS for Apple TV.
TechRepublic’s cheat sheet for iPadOS is an outline of the software program’s options. This article will likely be up to date periodically as new details about iPadOS turns into obtainable. You can even obtain this text: Apple iPadOS: A cheat sheet (free PDF).
SEE: Apple’s Sept. 2021 occasion: What enterprise professionals must know (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
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What is iPadOS?
For the discharge of iOS 13, Apple rebranded the variant of iOS for the iPad as iPadOS, successfully making it a superset of the phone-oriented iOS. iPadOS contains all the enhancements obtainable with iOS 13, in addition to new options and optimizations particular to the iPad.
“iPad transforms how people work and express their creativity, and with iPadOS, we’re taking it even further by delivering exciting capabilities that take advantage of its large canvas and versatility,” mentioned Craig Federighi on the WWDC 2019 occasion. “iPadOS delivers exciting features, including a new Home screen with widgets, more powerful multitasking and new tools that make using Apple Pencil even more natural.”
Today, iPadOS 16 transforms the iPad right into a extra desktop-class expertise that’s on par with what you’ll anticipate from macOS and departs rather a lot from the earlier expertise that was a much bigger iOS working system.
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What are the primary options of iPadOS?
iPadOS brings the iPad nearer to characteristic parity with the entry-level MacE book, making it extra attainable to make use of as a laptop computer substitute. iPadOS contains the next options.
Tablet-oriented residence display
The iPadOS residence display now helps persistent widgets. The iPadOS residence display will help Home Screen widgets on iPadOS 15 and newer. Users can place and set up widgets on the house display the way in which they’d an app (much like widgets on Android tablets since Android 3.0).
Improved multitasking
Users can transfer between Slide Over apps by swiping alongside the underside or swiping as much as see all of the apps within the Slide Over view. Slide Over apps could be moved to full display by dragging them to the highest or closed by opening to the app switcher and flicking the app upward.
The Multitasking characteristic obtainable on iPadOS 15 and newer makes it simpler to seek out and use apps on iPad. Users can use a single app in full display mode or use a number of apps concurrently within the Split View or Slide Over mode.
The new heart window characteristic permits customers to the touch and maintain to convey notes or messages to the middle of the display with out leaving the present activity. With straightforward menu choices, customers can entry extra choices with out interrupting no matter activity they’re at present engaged on.
At WWDC 2021, Apple additionally launched the “shelf,” a tray that shows open apps that customers can entry on the backside of their iPad display.
Desktop Safari
Safari now hundreds the desktop model of internet pages, optimized for touchscreens, in addition to higher help for Google Docs and WordPress editor. Some 30 new keyboard shortcuts have been additionally added to Safari.
External drive help
USB drives and SD playing cards at the moment are supported in Files, making it attainable to plug in to an iPad immediately with no need a third-party program or an middleman Mac for file administration.
Improvements to Files app
Files provides a column view much like Finder on macOS in addition to help for Server Message Block (SMB) shares.
Camera help
Cameras could be linked on to the iPad, and photographs could be imported for enhancing on iPad apps, equivalent to Adobe Lightroom.
Font help
Fonts could be downloaded from the App Store to be used in varied apps.
New gestures for quicker enhancing
Copy, paste and undo can now be carried out utilizing three-finger gestures, with three-finger pinch to repeat, three-finger unfold to stick and three-finger swipe to undo. This characteristic is obtainable for first-party and third-party apps.
Apple Pencil enhancements
Swiping from the nook of the display with Apple Pencil opens the markup view, permitting customers to annotate something on the display and export it. Latency for Apple Pencil was additionally decreased from 20ms to 9ms.
At WWDC 2021, Apple introduced new capabilities for the Apple Pencil. Users can add notes by swiping up on the display with the Pencil after which writing a Quick Note. Users can even add hyperlinks/URLs to save lots of a Quick Note for every website they go to. The Quick Note will routinely be obtainable when the person returns to the identical web site. Quick Notes are additionally accessible by way of Notes.
The Apple Pencil Quick Notes characteristic is obtainable on macOS and iPadOS and could be accessed on iOS.
Sidecar
Users can prolong their macOS desktop onto the iPad as a second show or mirror content material between each shows. When used along side the Apple Pencil, Sidecar could make the iPad usable as a drawing pill. Sidecar works by way of a wired connection or wirelessly inside 10 meters.
Trackpad help
There is help for Apple’s Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2 in addition to third-party equipment linked over Bluetooth or USB. When you join a mouse or trackpad to the iPad, it supplies a round cursor which you can transfer throughout the display and work together with components on the display. multi-touch gestures additionally simply work on the trackpad as properly, permitting the person to by no means must take their fingers off the keyboard and trackpad/mouse.
Scribble
This characteristic in iPadOS 14 for Apple Pencil permits Pencil house owners to handwrite in any textual content area and have it routinely translated from handwriting to kind. On launch, it supported English and conventional and simplified Chinese, and will even distinguish between the 2 when used collectively in the identical textual content area.
Translate
Apple’s Translate app is obtainable with new options in iPadOS 15. iPad makes use of a brand new auto-translate characteristic that detects when an individual is talking, so no button pushing is required so as to translate spoken phrases. Users can translate textual content from wherever inside their iPad display (electronic mail, Safari/internet looking, texts and so forth.).
Swift Playgrounds
At WWDC 2021, Apple introduced Swift Playgrounds, which permits builders to construct apps immediately on iPad by way of Swift UI. Using Swift Playgrounds, builders can instantly see their coding modifications mirrored in preview mode. Those who’re new to app growth are in luck—Swift Playgrounds gives a information to creating your first app, and it might even be submitted on to the App Store for iPhone and iPad.
Stage Manager
A brand new software slated for launch in iPadOS 16, Stage Manager is a brand new multitasking mannequin for iPad that enables for a number of iPad apps in home windows to be displayed at a single time on the iPad. Even a number of overlapping and resizable home windows can be found to customers.
External Display Support
With iPad Pro or iPad Air with M1 chips, customers can join exterior displays and prolong or mirror the iPad display on the bigger show to show much more apps at a single time, even dragging and dropping information and apps between shows.
Desktop-Class Apps
With iPadOS 16, Apple is devoting extra customizations to iPadOS than usually was shared between iOS and iPadOS. With the brand new iterations of iPadOS, desktop-class apps are attainable, together with minor particulars like having the ability to customise tab bar objects; undo and redo in additional locations; change file extensions and test file sizes in Files app; and duplicate, rename, and export information in additional locations.
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What is the most recent iPadOS model?
The present model variety of iPadOS mirrors the discharge of iOS and is up to date yearly at Apple’s WWDC usually held in June annually. As of August 2022, the present transport model of iPadOS is iPadOS 15; nevertheless, Apple unveiled iPadOS 16 at WWDC ’22, which is slated for a Fall 2022 launch resulting from transport delays.
What is the discharge date for iPadOS 16?
iPadOS 16 was initially scheduled for launch across the time that iOS 16 was scheduled to be launched: September 2022; nevertheless resulting from delays in transport, iPadOS 16 is now slated to be transport in Fall 2022, which is absolutely anticipated to be within the late-September to mid-October timeframe.
Which iPads are suitable with iPadOS 16?
iPadOS 16 will work with the next fashions of iPad:
iPad Pro (all fashions)
iPad Air (third technology and later)
iPad (fifth technology and later)
iPad mini (fifth technology and later)
With iPadOS 16, Apple dropped help for iPad Air 2 and iPad 4th technology. If you may have an older iPad, then iPadOS 15 can run on the next gadgets:
iPad Pro (all fashions)
iPad Air (2nd technology and later)
iPad (fifth technology and later)
iPad mini (4th technology and later)
How are you able to inform what model of iPadOS you may have?
If you’re uncertain about which model of iPadOS your iPad is at present working, then you’ll be able to test it by performing these steps:
Open the Settings app.
Select General > About.
Under Software Version, you’ll be able to see the model your iPad is working.
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When was iPadOS launched?
Apple first introduced iPadOS at WWDC 2019. The firm introduced iPadOS 14 at WWDC 2020; developer betas have been made obtainable on June 22, 2020—the day of the announcement. The public beta for iPadOS 14 was launched on July 9, 2020, and the ultimate launch was on Sept. 16, 2020. Apple launched iPadOS 14.5 on April 26, 2021.
iPadOS 15 was introduced at WWDC 2021 on June 7, 2021; the general public beta was launched on June 30, 2021; and the general public launch of iPadOS 15 was obtainable for obtain on Sept. 20, 2021.
iPadOS 16 was introduced at WWDC ’22 on June 6, 2022; the general public beta of iPadOS 16 was launched on July 11, 2022. The public launch of iPadOS 16 is scheduled for “Fall” (usually October) 2022.
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How do I get iPadOS?
The replace is now obtainable on suitable iPad fashions. To replace, open the Settings app, and go to General > Software Update. For customers of LTE-capable iPads, connecting to Wi-Fi is advisable to keep away from overages or throttling on account of downloading the replace.
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