During its jam-packed WWDC keynote today, Apple announced the release of iPadOS 18, the next major version of iPad software. Available in a developer beta later today and free for all users this fall, iPadOS 18 promises a host of exciting new features and enhancements. Here’s what iPad users can look forward to later this year.
Customizable home screen and control center
One of the standout features of iPadOS 18 is the increased flexibility in customizing the Home screen and Control Center. Users can now customize Home screen icons and layout with unprecedented flexibility, placing apps anywhere on the screen without adhering to the standard grid rules of previous versions. Additionally, users can change the colors of all icons with a single theming adjustment.
The Control Center is also more configurable than ever before. Now supporting multiple pages of content, it will enable third-party controls for the first time. Users can adjust which controls are available—and their size—directly from the Control Center itself.
App enhancements
iPadOS 18 introduces a variety of enhancements to the way iPad apps work. A notable example is the new tab bar that appears at the top of different apps, offering navigation controls that can morph into a sidebar menu for more options. Additionally, in-app animations have been added throughout various elements, providing a smoother and more dynamic user experience.
Calculator finally arrives on iPad
In a long-awaited update, Apple has finally introduced the Calculator app to iPadOS. The Calculator app, which was previously absent on the iPad, now makes its debut in iPadOS 18. The app looks similar to its iOS counterpart but takes advantage of the iPad’s larger display to offer more buttons and controls on-screen. It also supports dynamic resizing when multitasking, allowing users to adjust the app’s size using Stage Manager, Split View, or Slide Over.
A highlight feature of the Calculator app is Math Notes, which allows users to write out and perform calculations more naturally. This feature is available both in the Calculator app and the Notes app.
AI features galore, perfect for the M4 iPad Pro
iPadOS 18 benefits from the same suite of AI features, or ‘Apple Intelligence’, coming to iPhone with iOS 18. These features include photo generation, Genmoji, intelligent notification summaries, a revamped Siri, and more. These AI-centric features will be available on compatible iPads when iPadOS 18 is released.
Following the recent introduction of the M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air, many anticipated powerful new features in iPadOS 18 that leverage the M4 chip. While iPadOS 18 doesn’t fundamentally change how iPadOS works or enable running macOS virtually, its AI features will be significantly enhanced by the M4’s capabilities. The M4’s Neural Engine, which can process up to 38 trillion operations per second, makes it the ideal chip for AI applications, ensuring that iPadOS 18’s Apple Intelligence features perform optimally on the iPad Pro’s M4.
Handwriting updates with Apple Pencil
iPadOS 18 also brings updates for the Apple Pencil, particularly when used with the Notes app. The new Smart Script feature provides more power for handwriting, allowing users to customize their handwriting for a more aesthetically pleasing design. Apple will automatically enhance handwriting to look exactly the way users want it, and copied text can be pasted into Notes in the style of the chosen handwriting.
Apple’s iPadOS 18 introduces a wealth of new features and enhancements that promise to significantly improve the user experience on iPad. From greater customization options and app functionality enhancements to the long-awaited addition of the Calculator app and powerful AI features, iPadOS 18 is poised to take full advantage of the latest hardware advancements. As Apple continues to innovate, iPad users can look forward to a more intuitive, dynamic, and intelligent experience when iPadOS 18 rolls out this fall.
