Apple recently held its Apple event for the annual launch of a new iPhone, besides other products. And it’s safe to say that, for us, the new iPads took the spotlight this time. Only a week after, Apple has released the latest operating systems for iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. And we’re here to bring you everything you need to know about the new and shiny iPadOS 15. Here are all the great features coming with the OS upgrade.
Improved Multitasking Window
The larger iPad screen is the perfect companion when it comes to multitasking. With iPadOS 15, turning on multitasking mode is simpler, thanks to a dedicated menu. A single tap on the top of the screen will let you enable a full screen, split-screen, or a slide over multiple apps. Certain apps like Messages also support a centre window that lets you quickly reply without closing your current window.
When you tap on any of the modes on the multitasking menu, it will display all your apps, letting you choose which one you want to work on simultaneously. There is also a new Shelf pane that opens up previously visited windows of the same application. This way, you can quickly go back several pages in Safari or move from one note to another. The App Switcher no longer restricts you to moving between apps or force quitting one; you can gesture one app over the other and use the switcher window to open specific split-screen views. For instance, if you want to work on Mail and Notes plus Photos and iMovie, you can drag and drop either of them in the App Switcher pane and simultaneously shift between two split-screen windows.
Displays Keyboard Shortcuts
Ever since Apple introduced the keyboard for iPads, productivity has increased in a multitude of dimensions. To make the most of the attached keyboard, iPadOS 15 can display available shortcuts within any application as you press and hold the Command key. A quick menu opens, and you can use your desired shortcuts by looking through the options available on your screen.
Finally, Home Screen Widgets and App Library
Though this feature is not new for those who have iOS 14 installed on their iPhones, Apple is now finally bringing widgets to your iPad with iPadOS 15. And honestly, they’re even more perfect for the bigger screen of the iPad.
As an iPhone user, my cluttered home screen had been automatically categorised into folders as soon as the iOS 14 update arrived, thanks to the App Library feature. So, if there is one thing that I am eager to use on my iPad, it’s the App Library. Additionally, the App Library has been integrated into the dock, so whenever you want to look up applications on your iPad, they’ll be right there and neatly categorised into folders.
The Quick Note
Undoubtedly, the iPad is one of our favourite note-taking devices. With the Quick Note feature, it’ll be easier and faster. Users will be able to note down anything without closing the app they were working on, or from the home screen without opening Notes. The Quick Note feature can be accessed using a keyboard shortcut or from the Control Centre. For those who have the Apple Pencil, you can enable Quick Notes by swiping up from the corner of the screen using the stylus.
Apple’s native Notes app will witness a big upgrade in the form of adding tags and sharing the note’s content. You can now request family, friends, or co-workers for inputs on a note by simply adding a person’s name. Additionally, with a # symbol and a keyword, you can search for a particular note using the tag browser. Furthermore, for links saved on your notes from an app or Safari, a quick thumbnail will appear once you reopen the app or the webpage highlighting the note you made from your previous visit.
One Trackpad/Mouse and Keyboard For iPad and Mac
This feature will only be available after the macOS Monterey is released, which is probably next month. Nevertheless, a single trackpad/mouse and keyboard can be shared between a Mac and an iPad once enabled. With your iPad next to your Mac, you can drag the cursor to the screen’s edge towards your iPad to shift the cursor between devices.
All This, and More
Apart from the iPadOS 15 features mentioned above, there’s a lot more coming your way. You will be able to share your screen during a FaceTime call. Moreover, you can watch movies from Apple TV+ or listen to music from Apple Music with SharePlay with family and friends during a FaceTime call.
All of the privacy features that’ll be a part of the iOS 15 update are coming to iPadOS as well. You can view the App Privacy Report or use iCloud+ features across the iPad and iPhone. Like the iPhone, the Live Text feature can be accessed with the iPad’s camera as well. All you need is a compatible device to enable all the brilliant features coming with iPadOS. The upgrade will be available for iPad 5th generation and above, iPad Air 2 and above, and devices above iPad mini 4. Also, the iPad Pro 9.7-inch and 10.5-inch, along with all the generations of the 12.9-inch and 11-inch models, can run iPadOS 15.
