iPadOS 17 Unveiled: Enhanced Personalization and Versatility for iPad Users

iPadOS 17 Unveiled: Enhanced Personalization and Versatility for iPad Users

Cupertino, California – Apple has provided a sneak peek into the exciting features of iPadOS 17, offering users a whole new level of personalization and interaction with widgets.

This latest update includes remarkable enhancements to the Lock Screen, interactive widgets, improved PDF and Notes capabilities, updates to Messages, FaceTime, and Safari, as well as the introduction of the all-new Health app.

iPadOS 17 offers a developer beta release today, and it will be available as a free software update later this fall. According to Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, “iPadOS powers our most versatile device and enables users to do so many things on iPad, and now with iPadOS 17, we deliver an experience that’s even more personal and capable. With interactive widgets on the Lock Screen, updates to PDFs and Notes, as well as enhancements to Messages and FaceTime, iPadOS gives users even more ways to get things done easier and faster than ever.”

Tailored and Stunning Lock Screen Experience

Utilizing the full potential of the iPad display, users can now customize their Lock Screen to make it more personal, useful, and visually appealing. Exciting photo features allow users to choose their favorite images and stylize them in unique ways. Selecting a photo from their personal library, a dynamic photo set that changes throughout the day, or a Live Photo with a smooth slow-motion effect upon waking up the iPad is now possible.

Users can further personalize the Lock Screen by selecting wallpapers from the gallery, picking expressive font styles and colors for the date and time display, or creating distinctive designs using their favorite emojis and color combinations.

Stay Informed with Live Activities on iPadOS

The introduction of Live Activities in iPadOS allows users to stay up to date with real-time information directly from the Lock Screen. Whether it’s following a sports game, tracking travel plans, or monitoring a food delivery order, users can conveniently access live updates and keep informed without unlocking their device.

Empowering Widgets for Enhanced Productivity

Widgets become interactive in iPadOS 17, empowering users to complete tasks with a single tap. For instance, users can control smart devices, play music, or mark off completed reminders right from the widgets. Additionally, WidgetKit updates enable developers to create widgets with interactive functionalities.

Interactive widgets are now available on both the Lock Screen and Home Screen, providing users with at-a-glance information and quick actions. On the Lock Screen, widgets seamlessly blend with the wallpaper, adapting to ensure optimal legibility.

Streamlined PDF Workflow

Working with PDFs is now more seamless and efficient than ever. iPadOS 17 incorporates machine learning technology to identify and fill in fields within PDF forms automatically. This intelligent feature streamlines the process of entering information such as names, addresses, and emails from Contacts, simplifying the PDF workflow.

Revamped PDF Experience in Notes

The Notes app receives a significant update, introducing new ways to organize, read, annotate, and collaborate on PDFs. In iPadOS 17, PDFs are displayed full width, making it effortless to flip through pages, add quick annotations, or sketch directly on the document using Apple Pencil. Users can review and mark up PDFs and scanned documents within their notes, while live collaboration ensures real-time updates when sharing notes with others.

Enhanced Communication Tools in Messages

Messages now offers more interactive features, including an enhanced stickers experience with emoji stickers. Users can create Live Stickers using their own photos, removing subjects from the background. Moreover, users can add effects to Live Stickers, adding vibrancy and dynamism to their conversations. The updated keyboard includes a dedicated drawer to conveniently access all stickers.

Other notable updates to Messages include an expandable menu for easy access to frequently used iMessage apps, improved search capabilities with filters, simplified navigation within group chats, and quicker inline message replies through swipe gestures. Furthermore, audio messages are automatically transcribed, allowing users to read them in real-time or at a later stage. Location sharing in Messages displays live updates until the session ends.

Expressive FaceTime Communications

FaceTime gains new features, allowing users to leave video or audio messages when a recipient is unavailable to answer a call. Reactions have been introduced to FaceTime, enabling users to express themselves with visual effects such as hearts, balloons, fireworks, and more. These effects can be activated through intuitive gestures, and third-party video-calling apps can also leverage these effects.

Additionally, FaceTime extends to Apple TV 4K, providing users with the ability to initiate video calls directly from their television. Powered by Continuity Camera, users can switch from iPad to Apple TV to interact with friends and family on the big screen. With Center Stage, users are framed perfectly even when moving around the room.

Boosted Productivity with Safari

Safari receives several enhancements to maximize user productivity. The introduction of Profiles allows users to separate their browsing activities between different categories such as work and personal use. Each profile has its own history, cookies, Tab Groups, and Favorites, enabling seamless transitions between profiles.

Private Browsing in Safari now includes the ability to lock the active window using Face ID or Touch ID. This feature ensures increased privacy by eliminating trackers used for cross-site tracking. The search experience is also improved, with faster response times, more relevant search suggestions, and enhanced readability of suggestions.

Introducing the Health App to iPad

iPadOS 17 introduces the Health app to iPad users, providing a comprehensive and detailed view of their health data. Optimized for the iPad display, the Health app features an updated design for Favorites, offering insights through Trends, Highlights, and interactive charts. iPad users can now track and manage medications, utilize Cycle Tracking, log momentary emotions and daily moods, view health records from multiple institutions, and more, all in a secure and centralized location.

Health and fitness developers can leverage HealthKit on iPad to create innovative experiences in their apps, incorporating data that users choose to share. These experiences prioritize privacy and data security, adhering to stringent protocols established by the Health app.

Other Updates in iPadOS 17

iPadOS 17 also includes several additional updates to enhance the user experience:

Stage Manager provides users with more control over window positioning and size, supporting built-in cameras on external displays.

Freeform introduces new drawing tools, hover and tilt support, snapping to shape functionality, the ability to add connection lines and new shapes, and Follow Along to guide collaborators.

Spotlight offers shortcuts for quicker actions, enhanced visual results, and video search capabilities.

Visual Look Up expands its recognition capabilities to include food, storefronts, signs, and symbols.

Keyboard improvements enhance autocorrect functionality, enabling faster and easier text input. Inline predictive text assists users in completing sentences quickly, while the new speech recognition model in Dictation enhances accuracy.

Siri can now be activated by simply saying “Siri.” Once activated, users can issue multiple consecutive commands without reactivating the voice assistant.

AirPlay content sharing is made more convenient through on-device intelligence, which learns user preferences. AirPlay is also compatible with supported hotel TVs, allowing users to enjoy their preferred content seamlessly while traveling. This feature will initially be available in select hotels, starting with brands from IHG Hotels & Resorts, and prioritizes privacy and security.

Reminders introduces an intelligent grocery list experience, automatically grouping related items into sections. Additionally, a new column view displays sections horizontally for easier navigation.

Maps now allows users to download maps for offline use, enabling them to search and explore rich place information and access routes for various modes of transportation without an internet connection.

Privacy updates include expanded Communication Safety features to protect children and a Sensitive Content Warning for adults. Enhancements to Photos and Calendar permissions empower users to make informed choices about sharing their data with apps. An update to Lockdown Mode enhances protection against mercenary spyware for individuals who may be targeted.

New accessibility tools make iPad even more accessible, including Assistive Access for users with cognitive disabilities, Live Speech for nonspeaking users to type and have their text read aloud during conversations, Personal Voice for users at risk of speech loss to create personalized voices, and Point and Speak in Magnifier for users with visual impairments to interact with small text labels on physical objects.

Availability

The developer beta of iPadOS 17 is available starting today for members of the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com. A public beta will be released next month for iPadOS users at beta.apple.com. The new software features will be offered as a free update this fall for the following iPad models: iPad (6th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2nd generation and later), 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and 11-inch iPad Pro (1st generation and later). For more information, visit apple.com/ipados/ipados-17-preview. Please note that features are subject to change and may not be available in all regions, languages, or on all devices.

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