Along with the unveiling of iOS 17 for iPhones, Apple have also previewed iPadOS 17, with new ways of personalising Lock Screens, and interact with widgets.
AutoFill has been added to PDFs, with a collaboration available with Notes. Messages gain a new sticker experience, and users can leave FaceTime video and audio messages. The Health app gets interactive charts, and HealthKit which can create experiences for the display.
The Lock Screen is now more personal, and useful. Photo features have been added to allow users to set images on the Lock Screen, or choose a wallpaper from the gallery, with many different fonts and colours.
The introduction of Live Activities allows users to stay up to date with real time events such as sport games, travel plans, and food delivery orders.
Widgets are now interactive, allowing users to turn on lights, play music, or mark a reminder complete with just a tap. Available on Lock and Home Screens. PDFs can be edited easily with Form Filling, with Notes allowing for easier editing, reading and viewing.
Messages have gained new stickers, along with Live Stickers just like with iOS 17 on iPhones, an expandable menu, an improved search experience, and the ability to jump to the last-read message in a group chat, replying to messages by swiping on a message bubble.
Audio messages can be transcribed automatically, and in FaceTime, audio and video messages can be left if someone doesn’t answer. There are also Reactions and new effects, the calls can be projected to Apple TV or even started using Apple TV.
Safari has new Profiles, and private browsing which can lock the window with Face ID or Touch ID, and remover trackers. The Health app gets a new display, and users can receive insights with Trends, Highlights, and detailed interactive charts. Cycle Tracking allows the tracking of medication, logs momentary emotions, and the ability to view health records.
HealthKit has been added to incorporate data chosen to be shared, with rigorous privacy and data security protocols.
See below other additional updates that are included:
- Stage Manager adds even more flexibility to the position and size of the windows, giving users more control over their workspace, and supports built-in cameras on an external display.
- Freeform offers new drawing tools; support for hover, tilt, and snap to shape; the ability to add connection lines and new shapes to any object; and Follow Along to guide collaborators around the board.
- Spotlight helps users find information and take action even faster by offering shortcuts to the next action, enhanced visual results, and video search.
- Visual Look Up expands its recognition capabilities to food, storefronts, and signs and symbols on things like the laundry tags on clothes.
- Keyboard brings improvements to autocorrect, allowing users to enter text faster and easier than ever before. Inline predictive text helps users quickly finish sentences, and the new speech recognition model in Dictation improves accuracy.
- Siri can now be activated by simply saying “Siri.” Once activated, users can issue multiple commands back to back without needing to reactivate it.
- Sharing content using AirPlay is even easier with on-device intelligence now learning a user’s preferences. AirPlay will also work with supported TVs in hotels, allowing users to easily enjoy their favourite content on the TV when travelling. Built with a foundation of privacy and security, this capability will be available before the end of the year in select hotels, starting with brands from IHG Hotels & Resorts.
- Reminders introduces a new intelligent grocery list experience, making shopping easier by automatically grouping related items into sections, and provides a new column view to display sections horizontally across the screen.
- Maps now allows users to download maps and use them while offline. Users can select an area, search and explore rich place information, and get routes for all modes of mobility, all while offline.
- Privacy updates include the expansion of Communication Safety, adding protections for children as well as a Sensitive Content Warning for adults. Updates to Photos and Calendar permissions help users make more informed choices about what data they share with apps. And a Lockdown Mode update enhances the protections for those who may be targeted by mercenary spyware.
- New accessibility tools make iPad even more accessible. Assistive Access is a customisable interface that helps users with cognitive disabilities use iPad with greater ease and independence. Live Speech helps nonspeaking users type what they want to say and have it read aloud during phone, FaceTime, and in-person conversations. Personal Voice gives users at risk of speech loss the option to create a personalised voice that sounds like them and integrates seamlessly with Live Speech. And in Magnifier, Point and Speak helps users who are blind or have low vision interact with electrical appliances and other physical objects with small text labels.
It is currently available for developer beta, with a public beta becoming available next month and the expected official release later this year.
