iPadOS 17: What you need to know about iPadOS 17 – Theme

Apple has announced iPadOS 17! Read here all the new features that we see in iPadOS 17 and when we can expect the update for your iPad.

iPadOS 17 in brief

• More lock screen features
• Widgets are available for the home screen
• Create profiles in Safari
• Health app now also for iPad
• Edit PDF files more easily
• New features for FaceTime and iMessage

New features iPadOS 17

On June 5, Apple unveiled iPadOS 17 at WWDC 2023. It’s an update that brings many of the features we already saw in iOS 16 to the iPad. We’ve listed some cool new features for you!

1. Lock screen gets more features

In iPadOS 17, all functions of the lock screen on the iPhone come to the iPad. For example, it is currently not yet possible to set widgets on the iPad’s lock screen. In iPadOS 17 this is finally possible.

In iPadOS 17 you also get to choose which clock you want to set on your lock screen. This was already possible on your iPhone and is now also possible on the iPad. Setting a background is also slightly more extensive, Live Photos can then be selected as wallpaper. You can also play this in slow motion for a very cool effect.

2. Widgets, widgets and more widgets

New in iPadOS 17 are interactive widgets. We already knew those from iOS 16 and are now making their entrance with the iPad. For example, you will soon be able to click on a song in the Apple Music widgets to start a song. Or you can control the smart devices in your home via the widget of the Home app. That way you no longer have to open the app every time, but you can operate the apps from your home screen.

In addition to the interactive widgets, Live Activities has also been added to iPadOS 17. The new feature makes it possible to closely follow various activities. Think of the delivery of your food or a (sports) competition. Live Activities can be added to the access screen of your iPad, so that you can see at a glance how things are going.

3. Stage Manager improvements

In iPadOS 17, Stage Manager gets some features again. There will be support for webcams in external monitors and you will be able to stream multiple audio/video sources while using Stage Manager. In addition, there is more flexibility for the placement of the windows and the size of the tabs. This way you can decide for yourself how to set up your workspace on your iPad.

4. Health app to the iPad

With iPadOS 17, the Health app finally comes to the iPad. So you no longer need your iPhone to view your health data. The app has received a number of small adjustments, so that it better fits the interface of the iPad. For example, Favorites has been given a new design, in which you can clearly see your most important health data.

Also new: from now on you can keep track of your medication and cycle, record your emotion of that moment and your daily moods on iPad. This allows you to see all the health data you need at a glance.

5. PDF files much easier to edit in iPadOS 17

Editing a PDF file is often still cumbersome on the iPad. This will change in iPadOS 17, because Apple is moving machine learning when analyzing PDF files. With this new technique, your iPad will soon recognize text fields on a PDF, so that you can fill them in more easily. Think of filling in your name and age on a certain form.

New features have also been added to Notes in iPadOS 17, which should make it easier to edit PDF files. In the new iPadOS version, you can work in a note with someone else, so you can edit the same files at the same time during a group session. You will then see each other’s changes live on your own screen.

6. Easier communication via iMessage and FaceTime

In iPadOS 17, iMessage and FaceTime get some nice features. This is how Live VoiceMail comes to your iPad. This feature allows you to take a video and leave it if someone doesn’t answer your FaceTime call. Very nice to send a personalized message. During a video call via FaceTime, iPadOS 17 also allows you to add special effects, such as confetti or fireworks.

You can also connect your iPad to your Apple TV during the video call, so that you can view the image on the larger television screen. You then place the iPad with the camera under the screen. With Center point you always stay in the picture, even when you move through the room.

iPadOS 17 also includes some exciting updates to Messages, including all-new emoji stickers and the ability to create Live Stickers by isolating subjects from photos. An expandable menu is added, which lists your most used iMessage apps. And another great feature: audio messages are automatically transcribed in iPadOS 17. This way you can read it immediately at times when you cannot listen to a voice message.

7. Safari: Keep personal and work separate

iPadOS 17 makes it easier to keep work and home separate in Safari. Apple has therefore introduced profiles, with which you can keep your activity on the internet separate. Each profile then has its own history, cookies, tab groups and favorites.

In addition, in iPadOS 17 it is possible to secure your private windows with Face or Touch ID. This way, the tabs that you prefer to keep to yourself are better protected. Private mode removes trackers that follow you from site to site. So the mode is really private.

Even more features in iPadOS 17

In addition to these major updates, Apple has made quite a few small improvements in iPadOS 17. These are the other changes in the new iPadOS version:

• Freeform: Includes new drawing tools and supports more features
• spotlight: works faster and searching videos is faster
• Look up visually: Foods, shops and characters are now recognized
• Keyboard: improved autocorrect and predictive texts
• Siri: In iPadOS 17, “Hey Siri” changes to simply “Siri”
• AirPlay: is faster and will soon also work with certain televisions in hotels
• Memories: Recognizes different categories in shopping lists
• Cards: In iPadOS 17, Maps are downloadable for offline use
• Privacy: communications security updates
• Accessibility: Live Speech, Personal Voice and Live Speech are coming

iPadOS 17 is coming to these iPads

Usually, when a new iPadOS version is released, support for the update is missing with an older generation iPad. This year is no different, for example it is not possible to install iPadOS 17 on the fifth generation iPad. Are you curious whether your iPad does support the new iPadOS update? These are the iPads on which iPadOS 17 can be downloaded:

When will iPadOS 17 launch?

The beta version of iPadOS 17 is already available to developers. A public beta version of the update will be released next month. The general public will have to wait a little longer, because the final version of iPadOS 17 will not be released until the fall. Last year, iPadOS 17 was released on September 12, so we can expect the new software update around the same date this year.

Don’t have the latest iPadOS on your iPad yet? You install it by opening the Settings app on the iPad and going to ‘Settings > General > Software update’.

Do you always want to be informed of the latest Apple news? Sign up for our daily/weekly newsletter. In addition, download the free iPhoned app and keep an eye on our website.