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At WWDC 2024, Apple announced iPadOS 18 with several exciting new features that will make their way to iPads in fall 2024. Below, we’ll discuss some of the best iPadOS 18 features that will further improve your experience with your iPad.
1Apple Intelligence and Siri Revamp
Amongeverything announced at WWDC 2024, Apple Intelligence was definitely the highlight of the event, which is basically a suite of new generative AI features. you’re able to now generate AI images, write better with the new Writing Tools feature, communicate with a more context-aware Siri, and much more.
Let’s start with the Image Playground feature, which is Apple’s fancy word for AI image generation. With iPadOS 18, you can generate unique original images that you can use anywhere without worrying about copyrights. Additionally, the Genmoji feature will let you create custom emojis you’ve never seen before with AI.
Apple Intelligence also introduces Writing Tools to help you write better using AI models. It can proofread, summarize, and even change the tone of your text. The best part is that Writing Tools isn’t limited to just Apple apps; it works system-wide across all apps.
Siri is also getting a major upgrade. It will now be able to take note of what’s on your screen, understand the context, and give you more relevant responses even when you stumble over your words. For tasks Siri can’t handle, it will ask you permission to useOpenAI’s GPT-4o modelto provide more detailed answers.
Since all the processing happens on-device, you’ll need an iPad with an M1 chip or later to use all the new Apple Intelligence features. So, if you have an older iPad or lower-end iPad model, unfortunately, you’re out of luck.
2Handwriting With Smart Script
If you don’t have very good handwriting or struggle to write using an Apple Pencil like me, you’ll be happy to take advantage of the new Smart Script feature. It uses machine learning to understand your handwriting style and automatically refines your handwritten notes to be more legible.
It’s also way easier to format handwritten text now, as you may edit your notes in real time as if they were typed text. You can add a space between words, paste typed text in your own handwriting, and much more. If you have an Apple Pencil, you have all the reasons to be excited about these improvements.
3The Calculator App With Math Notes
iPads never had a native Calculator app ever since their introduction in 2010, but that’s about to change with iPadOS 18. The new Calculator app for iPads is unlike any other, offering a robust feature called Math Notes. It can understand mathematical equations, solve them in real time, and even generate visual elements like graphs.
Math Notes can even remember variables in the Notes app and automatically implement them across your equations to derive a solution. The Calculator app in iPadOS 18 also supports unit conversions, meaning you’re able to easily convert variables like length, currencies, and much more.
4Home Screen Customization
Most of thefeatures Apple announced for iOS 18will make their way to iPadOS 18 too. you’re able to now place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen, making it much easier to reach them, especially on larger iPad screens. You can also match the theme of your app icons and widgets to your wallpaper.
However, keep in mind that this might not always look great since it often just adds a colored tint to the icons of most third-party apps. Additionally, there’s now a dark mode option for your app icons and widgets.
5Lock and Hide Apps
iPadOS 18 will also allow you to lock any app on your iPad, after which it’ll require your passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID for authentication. Previously, you had touse an iOS shortcut to lock apps, which was cumbersome, so this new feature is a welcome change. Content from locked apps won’t appear in Spotlight search, Siri Suggestions, and Notification Center.
Additionally, the App Library in iPadOS 18 includes a new hidden folder that requires biometric authentication or your passcode to access. you may move sensitive apps to this hidden folder and make sure no one sees them.
6Redesigned Control Center
Apple redesigned the Control Center for iPadOS 18 to provide more room for customization. The redesign not only looks different but also lets you add controls directly within the Control Center without needing to visit the Settings app. You can resize the controls according to your preference and place them wherever you like.
Additionally, the Control Center now includes separate pages for various groups of controls, such as media playback, Home, and connectivity. you may also create your own Control Center pages to better organize your controls.
7A Dedicated Passwords App
You can add 1Password and similar apps to thebucket of apps Sherlocked by Apple, as iPadOS 18 offers a new Passwords app. It can store your passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, verification codes, and more. The Passwords app will sync stored credentials across all linked Apple devices and Windows PCs with the iCloud for Windows app installed.
Although Apple plans to roll out iPadOS 18 to the public in fall 2024, you caninstall the iPadOS 18 beta right nowif you’re eager to try it out. However, it’s worth noting that Apple Intelligence features aren’t available in this initial beta build, so you may have to wait a bit longer to access them.
