Apple Introduces iPadOS 15: First Look at New Features

Apple today unveiled iPadOS 15, introducing new features like widgets on the Home Screen, an App Library, new multi-tasking features, and more.

Widgets

Like iOS 14, iPadOS 15 lets users place ‌widgets‌ anywhere on their ‌Home Screen‌ pages among their apps. Widgets also get a new larger format on iPad to make better use of the larger screen.

There are also new ‌widgets‌ for iPadOS include Find My, Contacts, Parcels, and Game Center.

App Library

App Library, which also debuted in ‌iOS 14‌, is now coming to ‌iPad‌, allowing users to organize their apps into categories. The App Library is built right into the Dock, so users can always get to it with a touch. App Library also lets users hide and reorder their Home screen pages.

Multitasking

iPadOS 15 also brings multitasking improvements with a new multitasking menu that allows users to switch between full screen, Split View, and Slide Over.

In Split View, for example, it's possible to swipe down to replace an app with a new one for either side of the screen, while the same thing works for apps with multiple windows.

Meanwhile a new UI feature called the Shelf gives you access to all open windows for any given app. For example, you can view multiple open Safari windows and even windows that are paired with other apps in Split View, for an at-a-glance overview.

Apple is also adding new keyboard shortcuts for these new multitasking ‌iPad‌ functions.

Notes

Over in the Notes app for ‌iPad‌, users can expect improvements in areas of collaboration and organization. With mentions, for example, you can tag people and they'll receive a notification. You can add a tag anywhere in a note, and find it using the tag browser.

There's also a new Quick Notes feature whereby notes can be jotted down fast on ‌iPad‌ and Mac, and viewed and edited on iPhone.

Other Features

iPadOS 15 Will bring the Translate app to ‌iPad‌ for the first time. The Translate app detects when you're speaking and in what language, and will automatically translate it for you. Meanwhile, the systemwide translate function works anywhere, including with Live Text.

Elsewhere, Swift Playgrounds is gaining the ability to build apps on ‌iPad‌, with improved code completion, new libraries, guides, and even the ability to submit your app straight to the App Store.Related Roundups: iPad Pro, WWDC 2021, iOS 15Buyer's Guide: 11' iPad Pro (Buy Now), 12.9' iPad Pro (Buy Now)Related Forums: iPad, Apple, Inc and Tech Industry, iOS 14This article, "Apple Introduces iPadOS 15: First Look at New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums