Apple unveils iPadOS 15 at WWDC 2021
Apple revealed iPadOS 15 at its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday. The latest update will bring new features to the iPad, along with some that should look familiar to anyone using iOS 14.
Big Widgets and App Library
The iPad is getting a home screen makeover. It now has larger widgets designed specifically for the iPad's larger screen, and all new widgets for Find My, App Store, Game Center, Mail, and Contacts. Plus, it's getting the App Library that debuted in iOS 14, which will organize your apps into tidy little folders like Productivity, Games, Recently Added, and more.
Multitasking menu
iPadOS 15 will put a mini menu at the top of the screen, where you can easily access multitasking tools.
Split View allows you to run two apps at once and easily switch between them with quicker access to the Home Screen. Slide Over will place things like a specific email directly on top of your app interface, while the Shelf will house any apps you want to minimize in a small bar at the bottom of your screen for easy access. The multitasking tools will also be accessible with new keyboard shortcuts for external keyboard users.
Notes app updates and Quick Note
You'll be able to tag contacts directly in Notes so they receive a notification on their phone, and all changes in shared Notes will be logged and visible in the new Activity Tracker. You will also be able to add hashtags anywhere in the document to make searching through Notes easier, which will be sorted into tag-based Smart Folders.
Quick Note will allow you to swipe up from the iPad's corner at any time to start a Note. You can type or use an Apple Pencil to quickly scribble down your thoughts. And if you open a Quick Note on top of an app like Safari, it will integrate data like the web link into the Note's content for fast, interactive access.
Translate on iPad
Apple's Translate app will now be available on the iPad to help with both spoken and text translation.
When the Translate app is running, the Auto Translate feature will detect when someone is speaking and display a translation on screen, eliminating the need to tap a microphone button before each spoken sentence. Plus, all text, whether handwritten, captured in a photo, or displayed online or in an app, can be easily translated by selecting the text and tapping Translate.
Increased accessibility features
The new VoiceOver screen reader will be able to describe objects within images with more detail, and the iPad will support third-party eye tracking tech to enable tablet control via eye movement only.
Jennimai is a tech reporter at Mashable covering digital culture, social media, and how we interact with our everyday tech. She also hosts Mashable’s Snapchat Discover channel and TikTok, so she naturally spends way too much time scrolling the FYP and thinking about iPhones.
