Apple’s iPadOS 18 updates the iPad’s operating system, adding accessibility and a Calculator app, among other things.
Apple has highlighted several of the changes that will be coming to iPadOS in the fall of 2024 as part of the iPadOS 18 update. The multiple tweaks promise to provide a significant upgrade to the iPad experience for many customers.
Accessibility
As part of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple has already previewed the accessibility features that will be added to iPadOS and other operating systems in May.
The most significant change is eye tracking, which allows users to navigate the operating system’s UI using their eyes. While copied from the Apple Vision Pro, the feature will only function with the iPad’s front-facing camera.
Personalisation
iPadOS users will be able to personalize their home screens in the same way that iOS users can. App icons can be moved and anchored to various places of the screen, allowing more of the user’s background to be visible.
Icon variations in dark mode are available, which change depending on the system configuration. Icons can also be colored, providing more customisation for Dark Mode icons.
Control Center now allows developers to add new controls to it, offering users another method to access critical functions and tasks.
SharePlay
SharePlay’s screen sharing feature is being enhanced to include the ability to tap and draw on a screen, allowing you to guide others on what to do on their own device. It is also feasible to receive aid from iPhones.
Calculator
The Calculator is finally available for iPad, and it makes advantage of the Apple Pencil with its Math Notes function, which AppleInsider reported on in April. When an equal sign is entered into an expression, the calculator will solve the problem immediately.
It will also have functions like a scientific calculator. Importantly, it will save notes for future use.
Freeform
The Freeform app now includes Scenes, which allow you to swiftly navigate around a Freedorm document. This should boost group productivity and help new document users understand what has already been recorded in the program.
Photos
As part of the app’s largest revamp to date, users can now find the photographs they desire more easily than ever before. The Library view, which has been unified into a single view, now has filters that allow you to rapidly narrow down the categories of content displayed, including screenshots.
Notes
iPadOS’s Notes app now allows users to change text in their own handwriting. Users can now spellcheck handwritten notes in Notes, with adjustments tailored to their unique script.
The adjustments also occur when users relocate text, altering what is already written to make room for new information.
There are also collapsible sections in Notes, which allow users to access the most relevant parts of their notes while temporarily hiding less important ones.
