Apple previewed iPadOS 17, delivering entirely new ways for users to personalise the Lock Screen and interact with widgets. Messages gets significant updates, including a new stickers experience, and users can now leave FaceTime video and audio messages. The health app comes to iPad with interactive charts, and HealthKit enables developers to create innovative experiences designed for the iPad display. iPadOS 17 is available as a developer beta today, and will be available as a free software update this fall.
“iPadOS powers our most versatile device and enables users to do so many things on iPad, and now with iPadOS 17, we deliver an experience that’s even more personal and capable,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “With interactive widgets on the Lock Screen, updates to PDFs and Notes, as well as enhancements to Messages and FaceTime, iPadOS gives users even more ways to get things done easier and faster than ever.”
Taking full advantage of the iPad display, users can now customise the Lock Screen to make it more personal, useful, and beautiful. Users can select a photo from their personal library, a dynamic set of photos that shuffle throughout the day, or a Live Photo for a smooth slow-motion effect whenever they wake iPad. Live Activities comes to iPadOS, allowing users to stay on top of things that are happening in real time right from the Lock Screen, such as a sports game, travel plans, or a food delivery order.
Widgets get interactive in iPadOS 17, allowing users to get tasks done with just a tap. For example, users can turn on the lights, play a song, or mark a reminder as complete in the moment, right from a widget. And with updates to WidgetKit, developers can build interactivity into their widgets. Interactive widgets are now available on the Lock Screen and Home Screen, making it easy to take action and get helpful information at a glance. On the Lock Screen, widgets blend seamlessly with the wallpaper with adaptive tinting to optimise for legibility.
A big update to the Notes app gives users new ways to organise, read, annotate, and collaborate on PDFs. In iPadOS 17, PDFs appear full width, making it easy to flip through pages, make a quick annotation, or sketch directly in the document with Apple Pencil.
Messages offers new ways to connect, including a stickers experience with emoji stickers, and the ability for users to create Live Stickers from their own photos by lifting a subject from the background. Users can also add effects to Live Stickers that help bring conversations to life. Available from the keyboard, a new drawer gathers all of a user’s stickers in one place for easier access across iPadOS. Audio messages are transcribed automatically so users can read them in the moment or listen later. When a user shares their location in Messages, it shows up live in the conversation until the sharing session is over.
In FaceTime, users can leave an audio or video message when someone doesn’t pick up the call. FaceTime calls also get more expressive with Reactions, such as hearts, balloons, fireworks, laser beams, rain, and more. The new effects can be activated through simple gestures, and third-party video-calling apps can take advantage of them as well.
In an exciting update to Apple TV 4K, FaceTime now extends to the biggest screen in the home. Powered by Continuity Camera, users can initiate a video call directly from Apple TV, or start the call on iPad and then hand it off to Apple TV to see friends and family on their television. With Center Stage, users will have perfect framing even as they move around the room.
Improvements to Safari allow users to be more productive than ever. With Profiles, users can keep their browsing separate between topics like work and personal. Each profile has their own history, cookies, Tab Groups, and Favourites, and it’s easy to switch between them. Private Browsing now allows users to lock the window they’re viewing with Face ID or Touch ID, and removes trackers used for cross-site tracking.
iPadOS 17 brings the health app to iPad, giving users new ways to see their health data in rich detail. With an optimised design for the iPad display, Favourites has a new look, and users can receive insights into their health data with Trends, Highlights, and detailed interactive charts. Now, iPad users can also track and manage their medications, use Cycle Tracking, log their momentary emotions and daily moods, view their available health records from multiple institutions, and more — all in one central, secure, and private place.
Health and fitness developers can now use HealthKit on iPad, opening up new opportunities to create innovative experiences in their apps that incorporate data users choose to share, with rigorous privacy and data security protocols from the health app.
Availability
The developer beta of iPadOS 17 is available to Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com starting today, and a public beta will be available to iPadOS users next month at beta.apple.com. New software features will be available this fall as a free software update for iPad (6th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2nd generation and later), 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and 11-inch iPad Pro (1st generation and later). For more information, visit apple.com/ipados/ipados-17-preview. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all regions, all languages, or on all devices. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.
