iPadOS 14

 

The newest version of iPadOS, now available.

At a Glance

• iPadOS is the iOS version that runs on iPads from Apple. On September 16, iPadOS 14 was launched alongside iOS 14.

Features

• Compatibility with all devices able to run iPadOS 13
• Widget redesign
• New Apple Pencil features
• App Clips
• No full screen calls
• Privacy enhancements

iPadOS 14

Apple launched iPadOS 14, the iOS 14 version designed to run on iPads, in June 2020. Apple separated iOS and iPadOS into separate updates in 2019 to improve functionality unique to the larger iPad display.

IPadOS 14 contains almost all of the same features available in iOS 14, such as redesigned Siri interfaces and incoming calls, redesign of widgets, revamped Maps app, improvements to Messages, and more, so make sure to check out our iOS 14 roundup for a full look at the latest iPad features.

Our iPadOS roundup contains features that are exclusive to iPadOS 14 and unique to the iPad, and are not available on the iPhone or the iOS 14 roundup.

IOS 14 has a new home screen and a feature that allows the Today Center to pull widgets and position them among apps, but that feature has not been extended to iPadOS. The iPadOS gui looks essentially the same but the Today Center has updated widgets.

When the iPad is in landscape mode, widgets still still show up, and there are new size choices for widgets, but only four widgets are allowed and are not seen in portrait mode. Smart Stack, the widget function that uses on-device knowledge during the day to loop through useful widgets, is supported.

The App Library feature introduced in iOS 14 is also missing from iPadOS, which offers a look at all the applications you have installed in one easy-to-see view, and it does not have the Translate app that is also new to the iPhone.

In iPadOS, applications such as images and files have been enhanced with new, less obtrusive slides over sidebars and pull-down menus that provide easier access to app features without switching away from what you are doing.

There is a modern, more lightweight design in the Search interface that does not take up the entire monitor, and it is faster than ever and more comparable to the Finder on Mac, capable of generating more relevant search results.

IPadOS provides lightweight phone and FaceTime calls that do not take up the entire screen, as with iOS 14, and Siri is also displayed at the bottom of the monitor in a compact format with a tiny Siri icon.

The extension of Apple Pencil support is one of the biggest new additions to iPadOS 14. A Scribble function helps you to write with an Apple Pencil in any text area on an iPad, converting written text to typed text.

Scribble works for searches in Safari, in Search, in the Reminders app, in Messages, and anywhere you can write text. Writing errors can be scratched out to delete them, and it is chosen by drawing a circle around a phrase.

There is an option to handwrite notes with an Apple Pencil in the Notes app, with the notes then translated to typed text. Smart Selection allows handwritten text to be picked using the movements used for typed text, and you can copy handwritten notes from the Notes app to another app, such as Pages, with automatically translated handwriting.

You can draw rough shapes such as a circle or a star with a Shape recognition feature, and then it automatically transforms it into a perfect geometric shape. Notes often include built-in intelligence to recognise handwritten text addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, making them clickable just like regular typed text links.

AR experiences can be positioned at unique geographical coordinates with ARKit 4, allowing AR encounters at landmarks around the world to be possible. The update also provides more accurate depth measurements recorded on new iPad Pro models by the LiDAR Scanner to allow virtual objects to interact more realistically with the earth.

As with iOS 14, Safari includes built-in language translation, better performance, and a new Privacy Report on iPadOS 14 that allows you to see what Safari cross-site trackers block.

In the Music app, there's a redesigned song queue, a Listen Now feature that replaces For You, and full-screen lyrics that play in real-time with songs. Search has also been improved to make it easier to find great music.

Other new features include options for setting third-party apps such as the default mail and browser apps, Apple Arcade Game Center integration, App Clips for experiencing a specific part of an app without installing the entire thing, significant privacy enhancements, and more with a complete feature overview, as previously mentioned, included in our iOS 14 roundup.

Current Version

The latest iPadOS edition is iPadOS 14.2, which was released to the public on 5 November. IOS 14.2 is a big update that brings new emoji characters such as tear-smiling face, ninja, pinched fingers, anatomical heart, black cat, mammoth, polar bear, dodo, fly, bell pepper, tamale, wand, feather, hut, and more.

Intercom support is also included in iPadOS 14.2, which transforms the HomePod, HomePod mini, and other devices into intercoms that can be used all over the home.

There is a new Music Recognition toggle in the Control Center that incorporates the Apple-owned Shazam app into the iOS operating system, and in the Control Center there is a redesigned Now Playing widget that lists recently played albums that you may want to listen to while no music is playing.

The iPadOS 14.2 update for AirPods adds improved battery charging for AirPods, which slows down battery ageing by reducing the amount of time spent completely charged by AirPods. By tracking your use patterns and avoiding a full charge until just before the AirPods are required, the mechanism works.

There are also several new wallpapers and a long list of bug fixes outlined in our full iPadOS 14.2 release article.

iPadOS 14.3

For testing purposes, Apple has also seeded three betas of the forthcoming iPadOS 14.3 update to developers and public beta testers. Ecosia can now be set as the default search engine on the iPhone and iPad, a search engine that plants trees when people perform searches.

The iOS 14.3 update, while not a feature, hints at some potential product launches. There is an icon that can show the AirPods Studio's architecture, along with AirTags information and the Find My feature that is intended to incorporate third-party devices with the Find My app.

Code in iOS 14.3 shows that Apple is setting the groundwork for adding support in the Find My app for third-party item trackers and Bluetooth devices, enabling these devices to be monitored next to iPhones and iPads. What products will support the feature or when support will be rolled out is not yet clear, but we may soon hear additional details.

It is expected that iPadOS 14.3 will add support for Apple Fitness+, the upcoming fitness service from Apple that will operate with the Apple Watch. The Fitness app coming to the iPad will allow Apple Fitness+ to be viewed.

Other new features include configuration tips for third-party applications in some countries, support for scanning App Clips QR codes with the camera app, an option for upgrading HomeKit items with the Home app, integration with Fitness+, and more, with a complete list available in our features guide for iOS 14.3.

Design Changes

With the ability to add widgets to the Home Screen and an App Library, iOS 14 received a big interface update that allows you to see all the installed applications on an iPhone at a glance, but these features did not make their way to the iPad.

There is no App Library, and although it is possible to add widgets to the Home Screen as of iOS 13, the functionality is restricted to four widgets, location can not be changed, and only landscape mode shows the widgets.

However the Today Center on the iPad received the same redesign that was introduced on the iPhone, with a new look and updated widgets being introduced by Apple.

Widgets

Widgets have more data than before and some widgets, such as Calendar, Stocks, and Weather, have been updated by Apple. There are also new Screen Time and Apple News widgets.

In the Widget Gallery, you can access all of the widget options, both from Apple and third-party apps, by long-tapping the display and then tapping the '+' button. The Widget Gallery's recommendations for the widget are based on what users install the most.

Widgets come in small, medium, and large sizes, with each size providing a different amount of information. A small version of the Apple News widget provides just one story, as an example, but the large version shows three.

To best use space on both the Home Screen and the Today Hub, up to 10 widgets can be stacked on top of each other with an option to swipe between each of the widgets.

Apple has also introduced a "Smart Stack" feature that is similar to the stacking option for the widget, but with a smart twist. In the Smart Stack, based on time of day, operation, and venue, Siri displays the most important widget.

Based on your iPad user patterns, a similar Siri Recommendations widget uses the same on-device intelligence to surface recommended applications you may want to use at the current time. If you still watch YouTube at 7pm during dinner, at the right time, this widget might display the YouTube app as a suggestion.

• iPadOS 14: How to Add Widgets to Your iPad's Home Screen

App Design

Sidebars have been updated with new sidebars in iPad apps like Images, Music, Calendar, Mail, Files, Notes, and more that offer more information at a glance while also ensuring that content is front and centre. The revised system-wide sidebar design ensures a consistent usage experience for each of Apple's apps.

For easy access, toolbars in apps such as Calendar and Files have also been simplified to merge buttons and menus into a single top bar.

For easier access to app features from one button, pull-down menus have been introduced throughout Apple's default applications, and pop-ups automatically go away when you communicate with another component of an app.

Search

IPadOS quest has been updated to be more portable, so the entire show is no longer taken over by it. As a single destination for discovering and launching applications, websites, contacts, and files, Apple reimagined search, surfacing rapid information such as weather and charts, and getting answers to common questions.

At the top of the search interface, the most appropriate search results for a given query are presented, and search suggestions begin to appear as you type, so that before you even finish a thought, you can get what you need.

Apple also added a new "Search in Apps" feature that lets you enter a search term and execute a search within relevant apps like Messages, Mail, and Files with a tap, plus you can type in an app name and hit "Go" to launch a website or an app right from the search interface.

App Updates

In iOS and iPadOS 14, several applications including Calls, Home, Safari, and Maps have been modified and these big new features are highlighted in our iOS 14 roundup. However, there are several iPad-exclusive features that are outlined below for applications.

Music App

The Music app on the iPad now provides an option to see lyrics for a song in full-screen so you can follow along with your favorite music with timed lyrics that take up the entire display.

Music also includes a new "Listen Now" tab that replaces the "For You" tab with better suggestions for new music, an autoplay feature that plays similar music when a playlist ends, improved search that showcases music by genre and mood, and library filtering so you can find your favorite content more quickly.

Photos

A new Photos sidebar with easy access to For You, Collections, Shared Albums, Media Forms, and Search is available in the Photos app on the iPad. You can edit the modified Sidebar to alter the order of albums in the My Albums view.

Photos for iPadOS also includes better zooming navigation tools for all views in the app, filters for sorting your photo collection, the option to add captions to images, and more relevant Memories, and a redesigned image picker for apps.

Files

Files in iPadOS 14 includes a redesigned sidebar that consolidates the app's core functionality in a central location with access to recents, shared documents, external drives, file servers, and favorite folders available with just a tap.

Files also now supports external drives that use APFS encryption.

Scribble

The Scribble function that works with the Apple Pencil is one of the biggest updates to the iPadOS. In any text area on the iPad, Scribble lets Apple Pencil owners write, then transform the handwritten text into typed text.

Scribble can be used to write iMessages, perform Safari searches, look up directions in maps, schedule calendar activities, and more on iPadOS 14. For instance, you can open the Safari app and write MacRumors.com in the URL bar, converting it to the correct typed URL on the iPad so that you can visit the site.

For those who choose to use the Apple Pencil on an ongoing basis, Scribble is an excellent feature, as there is no need to put the Apple Pencil down and turn to the keyboard for several iPad tasks.

Even if it's messy because it can read the intended strokes, the scribble option is good at recognizing all kinds of handwriting, but it doesn't work well with cursive.

When you get used to handwriting in text fields, it interprets capital letters, spacing, and symbols, allowing for a smooth experience.

If you make a mistake, you can simply use the Apple Pencil to scribble it out to trigger a delete function, and you can circle it with the Apple Pencil if you need to pick anything.

All handwriting to text conversion is done on-device so writing stays private and is not uploaded to Apple. Scribble works with English and Chinese, and supports mixing the two languages.

Scribble in Notes

Scribble has also been built into the Notes app. Tap on the toolbar, choose the pen with the "A" text on it, and everything that you handwrite in the Notes app is converted to text.

Smart Selection and Copy as Text

There is a cool function that allows you in Notes or another app to pick all of your handwritten text and then paste it into an app like Pages where handwriting is not supported. The iPad automatically converts handwritten text to regular text when you paste it.

You can select text by dragging the Apple Pencil or a finger over it in one motion to select a word, paragraph, or entire page. To paste in new app, use the Copy as Text option.

In Notes, text can also be selected and then modified with colors or text styles like italics or bolding.

Shortcut Palette

For Scribble, there is a shortcut palette that can be used to access popular app behaviour that you use without having to access the onscreen keyboard. So for instance, if you're writing an email, the shortcut palette gives the font picker and image insertion options.

Data Detectors

As with typed text, the iPad will detect it and convert it into a clickable connection if you write out a phone number, address, email address, or link. That allows you to do stuff like write out the phone number of someone and then tap it to call it.

Shape Recognition

The Shape Recognition tool in Notes and other apps lets you draw a rough shape like a circle or a star and have it converted into a perfect version by the iPad, which is useful for taking notes and making diagrams.

Lines, curves, squares, rectangles, circles, ovals, hearts, triangles, stars, clouds, hexagons, thinking bubbles, outlined arrows, continuous lines, arrow endpoint lines, and arrow endpoint curves function with shape recognition.

Scribble Research

After thoroughly studying the way people around the world write things down with Apple collecting data on writing slowly, writing quickly, writing at a tilt, and more, Apple created the Scribble feature. Apple does not use recognition based on letters, but recognition based on strokes, which can help determine what people are trying to write.

All of the recognition based on stroke, along with character and word prediction, is performed in real-time right on the iPad, making it lag-free.

ARKit Updates

The Depth API added to iPadOS 14 provides accurate depth measurements collected in the latest iPad Pro models by the LiDAR Scanner, which enables virtual objects to communicate in new ways with the real world.

Apple says this feature enables powerful new AR features, such as accurate body measurements for accurate virtual try-ons or advanced effects of picture and video editing.

Apple also implemented enhanced occlusion of artefacts using the LiDAR Scanner and improved support for edge detection. With these new features, virtual objects in AR Quick Look communicate with the world in Safari and apps and can be obscured by physical objects.

Another new ARKit feature, Location Anchors, enables AR experiences to be positioned at unique geographic coordinates so that immersive elements of augmented reality can be applied to real-world locations such as famous landmarks, restaurants, shopping centres, and more.

On all devices with an A12 Bionic chip or later, Apple added extended face tracking support, and video textures can now be added to part of a scene or virtual object in RealityKit to bring objects and characters to life.

Gaming Feature

IPadOS 14 adds support for iPad gaming to the keyboard, mouse, and trackpad, enabling users to take advantage of normal keyboard and mouse peripherals while playing iPad games.

For games with more complex control choices, this opens the door and enables games to add mouse and keyboard support to existing controller options.

In iPadOS 13, keyboard and trackpad support was first introduced to the iPad, and this update extends features to include games as well.

Support for additional game controllers, including Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controller, is being added to iPadOS 14 by Apple.

IPadOS introduces additional controller features, including the touchpad and lightbar of the Dual Shock and the paddles of the Xbox Elite, zone-based rumble haptics, and motion sensors. OS-level controller button remapping and button glyphs in game interfaces can also be used by game developers now.

Other New iPadOS Features

As stated at the beginning of this roundup, iPadOS also has hundreds of other improvements that were implemented in iOS 14, in addition to the features included. Make sure you check out our iOS 14 roundup for a complete picture of what's new on iPadOS, too.

IPadOS 14 is basically iOS 14 with some additional improvements to suit the iPad's larger monitor and the two updates to the operating system share several features such as app clips, changes to notifications, lightweight phone calls and Siri gui, changes to Safari, privacy updates, maps of cycling and EV directions, updates to AirPods, and loads more. It does not have the Translate app or as the iPhone does, supports customizable widgets on the home screen. The Software Library is also not included in it.

Compatibility

iPadOS 14 is compatible with all of the same devices that were able to run iPadOS 13, with a full list below:

• All iPad Pro models
• iPad (7th generation)
• iPad (6th generation)
• iPad (5th generation)
• iPad mini 4 and 5
• iPad Air (3rd & 4th generation)
• iPad Air 2

iPadOS 14 Timeline

DECEMBER2020

Dec 2Apple Releases Third Betas of iOS 14.3 and iPadOS 14.3 to Developers [Update: Public Beta Available]

NOVEMBER2020

Nov 23Safari Translation Feature Reportedly Working in Additional Countries

Nov 20Apps for Customizing iOS 14 Home Screens Installed on 15% of US iPhones

Nov 19Apple Releases iOS 14.2.1 With Fix for Text Message Bug and iPhone 12 Mini Lock Screen Issues

Nov 18Custom App Icons on Home Screen No Longer Route Through Shortcuts App in iOS 14.3 Beta 2

Nov 17Apple Releases Second Betas of iOS 14.3 and iPadOS 14.3 to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Nov 16Privacy Group Files Legal Complaints in Europe Targeting Apple's Device Identifier Service for Advertisers

Nov 13Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS 14.3 and iPadOS 14.3 to Public Beta Testers

Nov 12Code in iOS 14.3 Adds Support for Third-Party Bluetooth Trackers With Find My Integration

Nov 12What's New in iOS 14.3: ProRAW Support for iPhone 12 Pro, Shortcuts Icon Changes, Cardio Fitness Features, and More

Nov 12Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS 14.3 and iPadOS 14.3 to Developers

Nov 6iOS 14.2 Features: Everything New in iOS 14.2

Nov 6Safari Webpage Translation Feature Reportedly Working in More Countries

Nov 5Apple Releases iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 With New Emoji, Control Center Music Recognition, Intercom, Wallpapers and More

OCTOBER2020

Oct 30Apple Seeds New iOS 14.2 Versions Which Stops 'New iOS Update Available' Alerts

Oct 29How to Change the Default Web Browser on iPhone and iPad

Oct 28iOS 14's Upcoming Anti-Tracking Prompt Sparks Antitrust Complaint in France

Oct 27iOS 14 Poised to Surpass iOS 13 Installations as Adoption Nears 50%

Oct 21Apple Releases Fourth Public Betas of iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 With New Emoji and Shazam Control Center Options

Oct 21Third-Party Default Email and Browser Apps in iOS 14 Reset After App Updates